My comment was in response to an article that you posted, entitled “Effects of Intranasal Applications of Zinc Salts. The article made references to zinc salts, zinc sulfate, and zinc chloride, which could have erroneously lead one to believe that Zicam is caustic because it contains a zinc salt (zinc gluconate). Here is a quote from the article:
One researcher suggested to me that zinc solutions produce anosmia because they are caustic… I found several interesting references to the use of zinc sulfate for the experimental production of anosmia.
Another article that you posted quoted a Zicam user who complained of a burning sensation, as if Zicam burned the lining of her nose. Nothing in Zicam could actually burn the skin because it isn't caustic.
The definition of caustic is “corrosive, acidic”. Many people think that all salts are caustic. That is not true, as salts can be acidic or basic. Zicam has a ph greater than 7, so it is a base, not an acid. Zicam can cause a burning sensation when applied, but that is not because it is acidic or caustic as one might infer from the articles you posted. That was the point of my comment.
I erred in saying that Zicam is not a “zinc salt”, but that is inconsequential to the salient point of my post, which is that Zicam is not caustic and does not burn like an acid. I already corrected this error in a subsequent post, in which I stated:
a strong acid and strong base combine to produce a neutral salt (ph = 7.0)
a strong acid and weak base combine to produce an acidic salt (ph < 7.0)
a strong base and weak acid combine to produce a basic salt (ph > 7.0)
To rephrase my comment: Anyone that calls Zicam Cold Remedy "caustic", or "acidic" because it is a zinc salt does not know what they are talking about."
Here is another related quote from the article that you posted:
Dr. Slotnick (personal communication, 21. April 2003) has suggested that zinc sulfate may have a stronger effect on olfaction in humans and frogs than in rats. He related this to the fact that the structure of the turbinates in humans is less complex than in rats. He also suggested that zinc sulfate achieves its effect by caustic action, and that other metallic salts can have similar (generally lesser, according to research cited in his article) effects.
The reason for this, in my opinion, is because the zinc sulfate solution has a lower ph than the other salts tested. The lower the ph, the more acidic the solution, and the more caustic it would be.
By the way, this stock has traded from about 11 to 15 since my inconsequential error. You have made many more errors than me, the most obvious being your bearish stance on this stock since it was trading near 6.75. |
