Blog post 3 - Ivory in medicine

    As many are aware, there has been a major global issue involving the trade of ivory and illegal poaching of elephants to acquire this material. This trade of ivory has been around for some time and this material has become as valuable as gold. Ivory has become so popular that it is referred to by some as "white gold". There are various reasons as to why ivory is worth so much; one reason being its supposed medicinal purposes and positive affect one's health. Some examples of what ivory is believed to do is heal or alleviate illnesses and sickness, treat sores and boils, alleviate aches and pains in the body, and even heal broken bones. There are even stories of ancient Chinese emperors who used ivory chopsticks and claimed the chopsticks would change color when in contact with poisonous food. Although it is illegal in most places to buy and sell ivory, it is still accessible via the black market. Some buy the ivory in chunks while others buy it in powder form. Some even sell pills that are said to contain ivory powder.

    So is there actually anything special about ivory that makes it worth buying. Ivory is composed of collagens and calcium based minerals that are found in bones. Collagen is the protein that is found in skin, tendons and other tissues. In animals such as elephants, their tusks are made of ivory and have nerve canals running to the tip. The belief that ivory can have positive medical value is based entirely on folklore dating centuries ago in Asia. Ivory has not been proven to alleviate or prevent any medical issues or symptoms. Some people may claim that their symptoms felt alleviate after using ivory products but this could be due to a placebo effect or the addition of other medicines.