Aboriginal Methods
In the late 1970s, the late Don Crabtree experimented with aboriginal methods with a research associate at Idaho State University, with the idea of producing stone tools and blades, likening his works to that which the ancient Aztecs and Mayas had discovered over 2,500 years ago. In his work, Crabtree formulated a chest crutch "tool" employed by the ancients consisting of a "t" type implement which is held against the chest. Its copper point then is pressed against the stone, fracturing it, which then flakes off into varying lengths.
What is used in one of the processes is obsidian, an igneous glass-like volcanic rock and the blades from it, obtained in this ancient process seem likely to revolutionize the field of surgery scalpels in the field of medicine. Operations are being done employing obsidian scalpels, since its edge is 100 times sharper than steel ones. They out cut hand lasers and remain sharp,unlike a diamond blade...
Dr. Jeffrey Flenniken, at Washington State University, has made more scapels than for a hundred operations, using the unique obsidian scalpel for various minor operations to major ones such as open heart surgery. The obsidian scalpel reduces or almost eliminates scarring, speeds healing and causes less tissue damage.
The secret of the success of the stone blades appears to be that being fractured or splintered, in a controlled process, the blade is sharper than anything ~ sharper than other implements or blades which require to be honed or polished. The innovators of the process expect that they will hit the mass market with the new scalpel soon.
Last updated on 07/27/2007 11:59 AM