We fully agree with you Vincent, and so have shared your proclamation at the Pewlpit, as a lead to this creative health measure.

“Tetanus is often associated with rust, especially rusty nails, but this concept is somewhat misleading. Objects that accumulate rust are often found outdoors, or in places that harbor anaerobic bacteria, but the rust itself does not cause tetanus nor does it contain more C. tetani bacteria. The rough surface of rusty metal merely provides a prime habitat for a C. tetani endospore to reside, and the nail affords a means to puncture skin and deliver endospore into the wound. An endospore is a non-metabolizing survival structure that begins to metabolize and cause infection once in an adequate environment. Because C. tetani is an anaerobic bacterium, it and its endospores survive well in an environment that lacks oxygen. Hence, stepping on a nail (rusty or not) may result in a tetanus infection, as the low-oxygen (anaerobic) environment is provided by the same object that causes a puncture wound, delivering endospores to a suitable environment for growth.”

Your answer, I suspect, depends on how pro-superstition and anti-science you are, or at least on how much you’ve really thought about it.  

A few years ago here in The Netherlands there was a investigation on tv about Kellogs putting metallic iron in their cereals. when they placed a cornflake on a water surface they could make it float towards an magnet. it was fascinating and scary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_K#Controversy_in_Europe

“The Dutch television show Keuringsdienst van Waarde,[8] in an episode aired on 15 October 2009, followed up one of Kellogg’s Special K nutritional claims, namely the addition of iron. The show provided evidence that the iron was not nutritional ionic iron – as it occurs in natural foods like spinach – but was in fact metallic iron. A Kellogg’s telephone helpdesk employee was not willing to discuss the ingredients of their products in general, claiming it was a company secret, although in the show the company was not confronted with the findings. The nutritional experts in the show (a university professor and a general practitioner) agreed that actual metallic iron should not be part of a diet, speculating that it might damage organs.[9] After the airing, the Dutch food authority nuanced the claims made in the TV program, claiming there are no health risks as long as Kellogg’s stays within the legal limits. They also challenged the claim that the cereal could contain ‘shredded bikes’, and responded that iron powder is suitable for human consumption.[10]“

Not that I didn’t like you already.

I guess I’ll say now I like you more. But please do reread my comment and the original to which I replied.

How could you possibly think my comment was anything but a tongue-in-cheek reply to another comment?

A cousin’s friend’s mother’s ex-boyfriend saw NASCAR branded diabetes testers and syringes. 

Snagglepuss said that delivering iron supplements to the women in the form of a lucky fish is reinforcing  their ignorance and superstition, which prompted my response. I was speculating in a tongue in cheek way that perhaps he or she thinks that the women getting the iron wasn’t simply enough, but that  they need to abandon their belief system and subscribe to our beliefs in order to receive their iron.  

Anyway, I’m sure you just read my comment too fast and didn’t really understand what I wrote…we’ve all done this.

Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s. you might already know this, but you don’t need to scroll back to read the original comment – simply click on where it says “in reply to so-and-s0″ and a small popup displaying the original comment will appear.

Also, why with all these comments has no one mentioned, ‘Stone Soup?’

Nicely put.

In some years, I’m sure that cracked.kh will run an article, “Five Bizarre Reasons for the Lucky Fish in the Pot!”, and many people will go, “Huh, that explains that!” In the meantime: Healthy babies.

I am, of course, referring to that part of the western population that smokes, chews or otherwise uses tobacco.

https://img.skitch.com/20111124-8x56bqiyxhrgbhujswbtt8xk2e.jpg