DEATH BY BAGPIPES……..
Bagpipers beware, potential death threatens you from within your Bagpipes!!
Piping organizations in Scotland have issued an alert regarding the maintenance of hygiene in mouth blown bagpipes after the hospitalisation of an experienced piper who contracted a potentially fatal fungal lung infection from his instrument.
According to an article by Fiona MacGregor published on March 10th this year, the College of Piping has issued a warning to pipers to ensure that their instruments are properly and regularly cleaned to avoid the growth of a fungus in the warm, moist and dark atmosphere of the interior of their bagpipes.
The article is essential reading by pipers of all mouth blown instruments and is an account of the experience of a former member of the Piobaireachd Society.
To a piper who regularly plays for extended periods for dancers and to any other piper, it is important to rinse the interior of the instrument, and especially the water trap if fitted, with a mild antiseptic after playing and to thoroughly dry it before reassembly.
In addition to this, I always dry the canister granules by irradiating them for 5 minutes in a microwave oven after each use and keep a spare canister filled with irradiated granules in a sealed plastic bag for emergencies.
But DO NOT put your plastic canister into the microwave oven.
A full account of Fiona`s article can be read on :-
http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/bagpipe-war...
