A germ-killing vapor

[TropicalBob]

Drew, would love to hear more about the specific herbs you are adding. Vitamins were added long ago and are still sold in e-liquid. But no one went the herbal route. Now, I'm one of those who dismiss homeopathy completely, but herbals are another matter, with a long history of use. I just don't know enough about the practice to select herbs for specific conditions, or to control dosage. Either PM Kate or I, or post what you're doing in the DIY thread.

We don't want to go overboard in adding stuff to commercial liquid, but if you've found something that works for you, let us know.

BTW: There is no evidence PG kills rhinoviruses, the germs that cause the common cold. Flu? Yes. Colds? No. And it only kills via contact, so it kills inhaled viruses. West Nile doesn't originate in the lungs, so PG wouldn't help prevent it.

 

[danielle]

Thought this was interesting. The book can be viewed online in Google Books.

From the book Acute contagious diseases By William Miller Welch, Jay Frank Schamberg. Page 100

Rosenau1 (1903), in a study of the germicidal action of glycerin, concluded that it has distinct but very feeble germicidal and antiseptic properties.
Small quantities of glycerin, less than 10 per cent., added to nutrient media, have well-known powers of favoring the growth and multiplication of many forms of bacteria.
The presence of 50 per cent, of glycerin will restrain all bacterial growth. No growth or multiplication of bacteria takes place in nutrient media containing 32 per cent, of glycerin, but moulds grow in stronger percentages, viz., 40 to 49 per cent.
In order to prevent the growth and development of pus cocci, at least 33 per cent, of glycerin must be present.
The germicidal action of glycerin is probably due to its affinity for water, causing a dehydration of the bacteria.
Glycerin ordinarily destroys the micrococci of suppuration, whether these be in pure culture or in the pus itself, within two weeks. This action varies according to the temperature. Pus cocci may live in glycerin for months in the ice-chest, whereas at the body temperature they die in a week.

 

[Drewsworld]

Two of the herbs, which I am quite familiar with are Reshi Mushrooms and Cordyceps which have been used for thousands of years...Reishi was originally considered " The Emperors Elixer" was $90 a gram when I first used it around 15 years ago and is now much less expensive. Cordyceps is actually a fungus...Both have had clinical studies done in China and Japan with good results....I have been using them for 15 years, 3 months on and 3 months off, as a tea... I was diagnosed with Hep C and last year I got into an agrument with my Doctor over the fact that he was convinced that I had never had any strand of Hepatitus and that I must of been originally mis-diagnosed, until I told him that he was the Doctor that diagnosed me 20 years earlier with Hep B and kept me in the hospital for over 60 days...So I am very confident about these two..The others are Im still reading up on..Thanks for the intrest guys

 

[TropicalBob]

Danielle, I guess you're aware it is only propylene glycol that is the subject of this thread. Not glycerine. To my knowledge, no one has claimed extraordinary germ-killing properties for glycerine mist; they sure have for propylene glycol mist!

Thanks Drew.

 

[danielle]

yes I am aware, however I and many others do use glycerin instead of pg and I thought it appropriate to discuss glycerins germ killing properties since this thread was about pg and its germ killing properties. I have seen many posts in this thread that are further off from the subject than I am.

 

[TropicalBob]

I wasn't scolding in any way, Danielle. There are entire threads on glycerine, however, and the important point of this thread relates solely to propylene glycol. Unfortunately, the glycerine threads I've seen deteriorated into nonsense almost immediately. That happens.

You're right about off-topic posts ...

 

[deewal]

I was just looking through my medicine cupboard when i came across a couple of tubes of cream and emoluments which i was prescribed a few years ago when i got an infection in my leg called Cellulites?(spelling).
I was in hospital on a drip thing and when they let me out i was given Hydrocortisone Cream to relieve itching and reduce inflammation and an emolument to wash my leg with. Both contain Propylene Glycol. Also there is another Gel which i use for Back Pain (i have Arthritis) which is called Voltarol and it also contains PG.
It appears to be very common in lots of different types of Medicine. The more you look the more you find.

 

[jonny123456]

wouldent it also kill the good germs leaving u open foe infection?

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

wouldent it also kill the good germs leaving u open foe infection?

Johnny, I've been reading your posts - you are one PARANOID person....

Here's the thing - PV's are unproven. They are NOT certified/sanitized/sanctified by the FDA, ATF, CDC, FBI or any other 3 initial group started by the government to "protect" us, the citizens, from all the evils in the big, bad world.

The majority of us on the forum realize this...we take our chances with cigarettes, and now we've decided to take our chances with this.


If you need something certified "safe," or need someone to make your choices for you, go crawl back under your blankets and wait for Big Brother to wrap you in bubble wrap.

Now, if you're a troll, go write that up in your newsletter.....we do NOT try to coerce ANYONE into trying this product.

 

[KeithPatrick]

Hello everyone. This is my first post on the e cigarette forum. I have been reading about egics for a few weeks now.

I did read this entire thread.

I myself have yet to try an ecig. I do have some coming in the mail right now.

One thing I have noticed is that new users of e cigarettes tend to complain about dehydration.

One user noted that his water intake went from one bottle a day to several. Other users complain of symptoms I associate with dry climate. Specifically having a dry throat.

With the PG research pointing out that the micro organisms that are being eliminated is due to the fact that PG disperses the water around them causing them to dry up, it would seem to indicate to me that PG could be lowering moisture content in e cigarette users.

Also, referring to another quote from research in this thread i would get the impression that VG is an agent for dehydration in the body. If i am not mistaken it is a form of sugar and as far as I am aware sugar does the opposite of promoting human hydration.

So, I am going to have to agree with Leaford on this one. I do not see PG being the vehicle for a super strain via mutation or evolution caused from bringing a micro organism to a weakened state and it becoming stronger after it has recovered.

1. There is no substitute for water.
2. PG does not weaken the micro organisms, it kills them.

This is all hearsay on my part.

 

[Vapinginjapan]

I didn't read through the whole thread, but..
If it's really effective in 0.5PPM, I just did some quick calculations and apparently 1 mil of PG is enough to sterilize about 200 cubic meters of air.

...My entire apartment has about 50 cubic meters of air.

My entire apartment is going to be sterile. This is fantastic.

 

[caywen]

So, bars and restaurants should *want* us to vape in their restaurants. By vaping on trains, we're doing other passengers a service!

WE SHOULD GET PAID TO VAPE!!

 

[gropeforluna]

I was reading a thread on another forum about the latest swine flu fears and remembered this thread. Any other vapers taking consolation in these findings of PG's germ-killing properties?

A slightly related anecdote: it seems like everyone at the office has been sick lately, and I felt like I was getting a bit of a sore throat earlier this week. On a whim, I switched to my TW 11 mg French Pipe (and used my neti pot for a little extra insurance). I can't say authoritatively that either made a difference, but I've felt fine since then!

Do your part to help curtail swine flu: vape it up!

 

[strayling]

I was reading a thread on another forum about the latest swine flu fears and remembered this thread. Any other vapers taking consolation in these findings of PG's germ-killing properties?

I'm actually a little wary of that. If people start to think it helps prevent flu and it doesn't, the baby could get thrown out with the bathwater.

 

[gropeforluna]

I'm actually a little wary of that. If people start to think it helps prevent flu and it doesn't, the baby could get thrown out with the bathwater.

Oh, absolutely...I wouldn't make any authoritative claim to that effect. Mainly, for me, it was just a little source of potential comfort in the face of building fears about this new flu strain.

 

[strayling]

Oh, absolutely...I wouldn't make any authoritative claim to that effect. Mainly, for me, it was just a little source of potential comfort in the face of building fears about this new flu strain.

I'm with you on that. There's an outside chance the current flu scare might prompt some testing, and that would be a good thing regardless of the results. I'm just extremely wary of putting faith in unknowns in the face of what could be a serious threat.

 

[Betty C]

I read the article on the CDC pooping their pants about swine flu.. And I admittedly kept double-checking the article to make sure it was for real - because I could NOT believe what I was reading.

I re-read the article about pg's ability to kill germs - specifically the influenza virus, and I'm looking at my 901 in a completely different light..

Now I fancy myself as a non-sheep (I'm from Missouri so you have to Show Me) but any mention of pandemic makes me sit up a little straighter (becoming a mom has made me a borderline bleach addict).

For a brief moment, a mental image of me locking all the doors, loading all the atties and vaping the air of the entire house 'clean' appeared in my mental movie theatre. This brief cinematic gem ended upbruptly with the scene where I end up passing out in the laundry room and going hooves-up from nicotine overdose.. No - - more accurately nicotine saturation..

This is where I decided it was a bad idea. However, how interesting would it be if we vapers did manage to dodge a bullet due to the pg.. Wonder what the FDA would say about those apples..

 

[sMuCk_fOg]

That is to say,I don't get colds or flu's?
I haven't called in sick to work in well over 11 years.
However as a heavyset man of fifty years (6'2 250) and being a smoker for about 40 of those years ,in 2000 i developed high blood pressure 170/85. Doc put me on medicines to lower my bp.
then they found out I had major blockage in my arteries and installed two stints (to open arteries) I had this procedure done over a scheduled one week vacation.
I quit smoking...for all of six months that time lol.
I sing in a classic rock band and had never felt that smoking effected my vocals ,until about a year ago that is. I started to notice that my "range" was getting smaller and voice was tiring earlier and earlier. I also found it necessary to clear my throat over and over during a show,or during a practice session.
I just started vaping a few weeks ago and already my voice is noticeably (and very much so) stronger and NO MORE PHLEM haha. I guess that means no more spitting on the people in the first rows! darn it...lol ...just kidding.
So far I'm feeling great about these things,although blood pressure has been reading a bit high.I plan to try to drop the nic content in my juices at some point and hope that will take CARE of that lil' problem.Good luck to us all.

 

[paladinx]

I read the article, was an interesting read. I found it to be good news that the monkeys didnt drop dead lol. I guess the toxicity is low if any.

But do you guys feel this is conclusive? Does anyone know how much pg the chimps were exactly inhaling from the room? Would it be comparable to the concentrated amount E-smokers take in? And do you feel that a few months is a reasonable enough of time to conclude that PG is safe for concentrated inhalation for humans? I mean i think that if i were in a tobacco smoke filled room for a few months id probably smell really bad but i dont think all the real negatives of smoking would show up that quickly.

Just curious what you guys think.

oh and what about the good bacteria? Does PG kill that too?

regards

 

[Kate]

Nobody can quantify the risks for you, you have to do your own research and make your own mind up - just like the rest of us.