Blackthorn injury

[Will]

Today I got a blackthorn spine in my thumb. I've had a good look and I don't think there is any thorn left in my thumb, but my thumb has really swollen up and its moving into the palm of my hand a bit. I can't bend it very much and it's real painfull, I had to stop climbing on my last job.

Has anyone come across this before, and anyone know of a good way to treat it?

[Steve Bullman]

blackthorn can be particularly nasty and can cause blood poisoning. ive had similar to what you describe many times in the past, a thorn in the finger and the whole joint goes real stiff. keep an eye on it, ive never personally had it get any worse than what you're describing though

[Pete Mctree]

Leather needles are great for extracting them, and other splinters etc, when they are not so near the joint. Afterall they are designed for cutting flesh.

[Peter]

Best way to treat it is to get some medical attention. I always go to my tame chiropodist, hes great with things like that.

Oh, and make sure you keep your tetanus jabs up to date.

[MattyF]

got one stuck in the back of my leg doing a hedge once!think it stayed in there for a couple of weeks and a load of puss expoled and out it came in the bath....real nice, left a scar..in the fingers is nasty evan worse near a joint but it will go down if you can get it out.

[Will]

Thanks for the info guys, hopefully I'll live!

The garden I got the thorn from belongs to a man who makes props for films. His place was amazing.

Imagine my suprise when I walked into his garden and there stood a full size resin elephant and horse and half an army of soldiers. He's made things for all the star wars films, his house looks like that bar in star wars, full of strange creatures, but the main prop he makes, are suits of armour. He had about sixty full suits of armour lined up for a film that starts filming in a couple of years and he has to make about 200 more by then.

And the worst part, I forgot my camera!!!

[bill]

ive had the same thing, it hurts more near a joint. probably last for about a week.

[MasterBlaster]

That sounds like a cool gig, Will.

[Lee Winger]

I had a blackthorn thorn go through a hedge cutter fuel tank a few years back, blackthorn have bacteria on the needles, thats what causes the swelling/infection

[stihllearning]

ive been told that brown sugar mixed with the soft u nderside of a bar of soap applied to a dressing or plaster and left on overnight will draw out any splinter or thorn, luckily not had to try it yet