The hydrogen sulphide smell that reminds just about every one of rotten eggs, and is the primary ingredient in stink bombs might help sooth joint pain in people stricken by rheumatoid arthritis says new research out of England.  

Scientists in England tested a new drug that infects small amounts of hydrogen sulphide into the joints in order to reduce the swelling that normally occurs in people stricken by rheumatoid arthritis. 

The results were published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and shows that the noxious gas that's malodorous to the olfactory sense actually reduces the chemicals that cause tissue within the hips, knees, wrists and elbows to become inflamed. 

The published findings could mean a release from the pain the swelling causes and might help in patients with osteoporosis and even those--usually elderly--patients who have been affected by the joint swelling for years. 

The team of researchers from Exeter University Medical Center were looking at hydrogen sulfide as a remedy for other ailments as well, including heart disease and asthma. 

It might even alleviate suffering in diabetes patients. 

For the heart disease, it's believed the stinky gas reduces blood pressure by relaxing the cells in the lining of blood vessels, which in turn allows the passage of blood to go a lot more smoothly. 

Hydorgen Sulfide is extrememly dangerous in the open environment. Besides its unpleasant smell, It's extremely flammable and can be highly explosive.

But in smaller amounts, it can be advantageous, and the human body even produces a small amount of hydrogen sulfide to combat the effects of swelling on its own.

The experiments themselves involved mice. They were injected with the drug, and then analyzed the chemicals known to frequently elicit the inflamation in arthritic joints. 

Dr Julie Keeble, a researcher on the project, said "The finding that hydrogen sulphide is able to reduce joint inflammation in experimental models makes it a very exciting prospect for treating arthritis."

According to the CDC's most recent figures on Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) from 2005, over 1.5 million Americans over the age of 18 suffer from the condition, which is between 0.5% and 1.0% of the population. RA also seems to affect women more than men to a 2:1 ration. 

The Exeter team studying the effects of hydrogen sulfide also found that people who are overweight and have elevated cholesterol levels also suffer from a paucity of naturally-producing hydrogen sulfide.