Smegma is not carcinogenic

Join PZ Myers for an inside look at the science of secretion.

Comments

[PZ Myers]

Well, probably not carcinogenic. The one paper I mentioned found in increased frequency of cancers, but also found increased longevity.

I'm thinking about marketing horse smegma as a wonder drug to enhance your lifespan. There's gotta be a market.

[David]

thanks for the link to the earwax stuff. I recently had ear surgery that was somewhat invasive (outer ear essentially removed or pushed to the side, to allow better access to the creamy inside, then things removed (growth of excess skin into middle and inner ear -- aka cholesteotoma) or replaced (ear bone (dissolved by aforementioned cholesteotoma) with titanium widget, ear drum with some tissue made available by the initial invasion). Anyway, part of the recovery process seems to entail incessant secretion of ear wax and other quasi-liquids, especially while prone at night, so anything about earwax is an eyecatcher for me just now.

[Thad]

Italics off.