Bagpipe lung fungus claims a life

Yes this seemed like the most appropriate subforum for this A CLEAN BONG IS A HEALTHY BONG!
Study: http://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2016/08/02/thoraxjnl-2016-208751.full

News article from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/22/health/bagpipe-lung-fungi-death-case-study/index.html

(CNN) Whether playing a wind instrument is your hobby or your job, you may want to watch out for "bagpipe lung."
The term, dubbed in a case study published Monday in the journal Thorax, refers to cases when molds and fungi lurking inside bagpipes potentially trigger the development of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which is similar to pneumonia.
Doctors at the University Hospital of South Manchester looked at the case of a man who died of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a condition triggered by the immune system's response to an inhaled allergen and can progress to disabling or fatal lung disease. It is often associated with mold or bird exposure on the job, and prolonged exposure can lead to irreversible lung damage, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The case is the first reported death from the lung disease possibly caused by fungal exposure in bagpipes.

Click to expand...

after i posted i just noticed NewScientist also covered it, one of my fave mags
https://www.newscientist.com/articl...tion-is-health-warning-to-all-wind-musicians/

I knew this guy that always had a green fungus growing around the spit valve of his trumpet.

Nasty.

MicroRoy sadly i think we're all guilty! (all us bong users anyway) I am!

But it's a good wakeup call -- just because smoking a bong isn't bad for you doesn't mean that smoking out of a dirty bong isn't bad for you, and we all know that dirty water bongs certainly can get really nasty, who knows what kinda nasty microbes love that environment. And remember, this bagpipe player was - im assuming - only ever exhaling!

Keep it clean and healthy people!!!

Whoa! I'm never smoking pot through my bagpipe again!

Not trying to be a dick, but that must have been one nasty bagpipe. damn death by bagpipe.seems ironic that they play bagpipes at funerals.I wonder if there gonna play them at this guys funeral?

My chickens like Lung ... but I haven't tried them on Bongwater

Bagpipe Cleaning Information

Just as the soldier pays strict attention to the care and cleaning of his rifle so should the good piper never neglect his instrument in order to obtain the best results from it.

Great care is essential in removing the pipe chanter from the stock as this is the most delicate & fragile part of the instrument as well as the most important. So, when removing the chanter, grip it by the head & turn to the right or clockwise. The hands should be kept close together, one on the stock & the other on the head or bulb of the chanter, should the pipe chanter become stuck in the stock allow the hemp to dry. If the hemped joints need re-hemped make sure that rosin is applied to the first layer of hemp to ensure a good grip on the wood, from our own experience we find that a double strand of hemp is more satisfactory to enable an even coverage. On the outer layer of hemp a thin application of paraffin wax (rubbed on from a candle) should be applied occasionally to help lubricate and waterproof the joint. Alternatively, a layer of PTFE (Plumber's tape) can be applied covering all the yellow hemp.

If you are in hot, dry conditions woodwind oil can be applied to the inside of the drones using a "pull-through", this should not be over done as the oil tends to attract dust. Over oiling will flatten the pitch of the instrument until it has completely dried in. It can also cause a certain amount of condensation. The great advantage of the use of the oil is that it helps prevent the pipes from cracking & also keeps them clean & hygienic. Incidentally, never use an oil or fat which contains salt.

The outside of the pipe can be maintained using a good quality beeswax based furniture cream applied using a lint-free cloth and a soft brush used to clean the combing. Regular daily playing is the best treatment for any bagpipes to keep them in tip top condition & after use the best treatment is to dry the wet parts with a cloth & use the "pull through" to dry out the inner bores, dryness and heat will affect your pipes more than dampness.

The skin pipe bag should be seasoned regularly, the stocks and blowpipe being kept free of the preservative & here again we point out that daily use will keep your bag soft. May we point out here that one of the most frequent causes of leakage is the shrinkage of the pipe bag around the stocks & particularly around the blowpipe entry, having the stocks retied and the bag seasoned will obviate this complaint. No set period can be laid down for this work as it is influenced by the amount of wetness from each piper.

In regard to dressing: there is many mixtures each with its own claim as the best but a good seasoning should put a good film on the leather & should not seep through the pores and get on the cover and the uniform. Rub it well into the bag with a circular motion and work it well into the seams especially. Do not forget to clean the bag of moisture at regular intervals.

Put the drone reeds in straight & see that they fit snugly. Never have wobbly reeds especially in the case of the drone reed seat, as, owing to the length of the reed it is liable to touch the side of the stock and cause irregular sounds. Hold your pipe chanter reed NOT by the cane but by the hemp. Press this into the chanter seat & see it is straight. Pay strict attention to this detail.

Polish the mounts regularly if of silver or metal & keep up the sparkling appearance of the wood by the use of a beeswax based furniture wax.

In regard to the appearance of african blackwood it may surprise, many pipers to know that the wood is very rarely black. The colour is usually a red-brown & will only turn to black after some time. Good pipes are made from the heart and the manufacturer leaves the wood in the natural colour as he is proud of his selection of wood. Sinclair pipes are supplied only in the natural wood colour and no dyes whatsoever are used.

link: http://www.isa4031.co.uk/bagpipes/bagpipecleaning.htm

Holy shit, my bong is filthy....

Now you got me all paranoid, OP.

...and now I gotta clean my bong. Thanks, Obama.

I solve this by butting a few drops of bleach in the bong water n it cleans you out from the onsodes... jk don't try it... seriously im cleaning the thing before I use again...

Roll blunts...

i was actually wondering how they clean bagpipes Gypsy.thanks for that info.on a different note there is no excuse to smoke out of dirty bong water.unless you dont have a faucet and toilet to let the old bong water out, i dont get why someone would let old bong water stay in there bong if its not being used.but whatever.Cest le vie

Good info. I'll be more diligent. Thanks. -granger