Gold needs no introduction – it is one of the most sought-after, precious metals on the planet and widely used in jewelry and adornments as well as in industry; you can even drink the stuff at your local bar in over-priced shots such as Goldschlagger, but there are some uses for gold you may not suspect and, may even be more than a little surprised at.

Here, then, is our list for some of the oddest uses for gold.

Nanobots – Micro Technology for Killing Cancer Tumors

Researchers at MIT have developed a medicinal use for gold which is at eth cutting edge of cancer treatment; using “nanorods” made of gold, they are able to target cancer tumors very precisely. Once in situ, the gold nanorods, measuring only a few microns (microscopic), they are able to locate and congregate around cancerous tissue which highlights the tumor growth and spread in the body. Even better, the nanorods are then capable of destroying the cancerous tissue by responding to Infra-Red light which is beamed onto them and creating heat to kill off the cancer.

Compared to chemotherapy, they nanorods require only sufficient medication to locate and kill the tumor and there are none of the highly-adverse side-effects which are commonly associated with radiation therapies for cancer.

Gold the Executioner

In 1599, the Spanish Governor of Ecuador was the subject of a tax rebellion by the natives who grew sick of losing their hard earned gold profits to the money grabbing taxation of the intransigent ruler. His greed earned him a rare punishment; upon sacking the colony, the natives poured molten gold down his throat until his intestines burst.

I hate to think of who went in to get the gold back – not so much an autopsy as a goldtopsy.

This form of execution was not unique to the luckless Governor of Ecuador; there are other examples throughout history including the infamous Spanish Inquisition but lead used to be used rather than gold (unless you were filthy rich to begin with and could pay the difference).

The Golden Gun Sex Toy

A Saudi businessman paid over $55,000 for a sex toy made from gold and encrusted with diamonds (at least that's all it was encrusted with to begin with). The Saudi millionaire claimed he had an allergic reaction to the stainless-steel version of the penis enlarger, so the Canadian manufacturer made a custom version for the customer and enlisted the help of a jeweler to perform the diamond settings.

Pain Relief Using Gold Salts

We're ending as we started with a medical use of gold; in the 1900's it was found that injecting gold salt solutions into patients with rheumatoid arthritis eased their suffering and actually provided remission from the extremely painful condition. The practice is maintained today but has always been restricted because of the high cost associated with the treatment and in modern medicine it is used as the treatment of last resort. Other, less effective treatments are administered first, not because of the cost issue but because gold accumulates in the kidneys and liver causing damage to them.