leg wound-"after"

Why leave the dressing in? Was it to be removed later? One would think that putting a dressing *inside* the wound like that would impede healing if not cause a serious infection

The trick is the honey

Honey is a sealent or does it have antibiotic properties?

Honey is a sealent or does it have antibiotic properties?

Strongly so ,the cleaner the hive and the wider the range of the bees, if an admixture of propolis and a little venom has got through as well so much the better.

The principal is that no suturing is used, any pus will erupt throught the main wound site and not necrotise within the limb, each time a dressing is changed it is a little shorter , this hopefully allows tissue growth to "reach " toward the surface of the indent and to produce a good wet scab.If you are in a survival situation with a wound of this type packing with honey is no bad idea.

I see. That's very interesting (and good to know). All I could think of was the horror stories of people having gauze left in them at hospitals

 

I suppose the real key, besides the honey, is not suturing the wound. If it were closed up tightly, the outcome would be much different wouldn't it?

I see. That's very interesting (and good to know). All I could think of was the horror stories of people having gauze left in them at hospitals

 

I suppose the real key, besides the honey, is not suturing the wound. If it were closed up tightly, the outcome would be much different wouldn't it?

I think you are correct, indeed this is one area I can recount first hand experience in. My late Father had knee surgery when that operation was in its infancy, in essence , at that time the leg was filleted and layed more or less open from calf to shin. Thw wound was therefore a deep narrowish gash along perhaps 60-70% of the leg.This was sutured in full, it infected and supurated and required re-opening and a rather excessive use of antibiotics and blood transfusion.An open wound tends to scab and push any putrid matter vertically, the Roman method was therefore to aid nature and avoid holding pus deep in a closed wound.Although my Father's wound was very deep if the leg had been confined and bound in a few places by bandage cleaning the wound would have been easier for all concerned.

He had both knees done and walked for a couple of years before his death by the way.