Would you put *Maggots* on your wound?

OK, I've heard about this for several years. I was quite disgusted, yet fascinated by it. I just heard that the medical industry might gain approval for use of these larva to treat wounds and other things. But would you allow it? I seriously don't know if I could look at a bunch of maggots feeding on my wounds. I think they look gross and always thought that flies were very germy.

What do you think? I mean it does sound like a safer alternative to drugs, but it's the whole idea of bugs inside my body that turns me off to it.
Magestica

Hey Mag

Putting maggots in wounds is age old practice and very successful!

Many civilisations..especially Greek, Roman and African used the maggots to stop Necrotising Faecitis(sp) with great success.

I have read in some Army journals that in u are in the jungle and one of your friends is shot what would u do?

1: treat him with the first aid kit u have and radio help!

Good answer and very correct...but what if u don't have a radio and first aid kit and the nearest town is a days walk from you?

This is what an army cadet i know said:

1: Cover and stop bleeding with your shirt u keep spare.
2: Find water and use the water purification tabs.
3: Find maggots and clean them in the water and put them on the flesh wounds.

One person i have briefly met has used this treatment is battle and saved both legs of the wounded man....his detailed report i will find later on for you!

Personally..if it meant that i could save a limb...then yes...i would use the treatment...on myself.....you have to do with what u have handy!

Gryff

If I was going to lose my arm, leg or fingers. Maggots here I come.

No ifs, ands or buts, maggots will do the job or leaches, depends on the wound.

Foxy...

Maggots for Necro Facitis...okay spelling sucks!

Leeches for blood! - Septecemia! (blood poisoning!)

Cheers
Gryff

Whoa, Im not a Foxy, Im FoxStriker (Guy).

Don't Scare me like that

And yes, leaches are for blood.

Yes...i am aware of that!

Just a nickname that i won't use again since u don't like...no offence intended!

If I could save a limb or something equally important, sure. But I'd have to be in a heavy situation, such as battle. Or perhaps the wilderness with no hope of being found soon.

From what i have read and seen in practice...this method of cleaning wounds is very painless unless the injury is near the bone!

I have seen a man who had his penis pierced and it got badly infected....3 hours of worms in his body cleaned it right out and he's even pleased as his hood is bigger than before as the xtra flesh that regrew!

No....i'm not being vulgar or that...just stating the truth!

maggots = yummy

actually i have had maggots on my leg, out hunting got cut badly and it got infected, my mte found some maggots shoved them in, and they ate away the infection and cleaned the wound, now i only have a slight scar, but damn it is hard to sleep cause you can feel them crawling.

You do what works and move on...that includes eating bugs and roots, etc... when in the wilderness or trying to survive.

Would I put maggots on my wounds? No, Id do what everyone else does, wait for awhile.

'Blue-Bottle Dressings' we call them...the Blue-Bottle is a type of fly.

This is something that most Hunters, who are out in the bush for long periods of time, have learnt/been taught. Basically you do whatever to survive...as others have said...when you're days in bush, wounded and unable to make it out immediately, there normally aren't Chemists (Drugstores) out there ()...so...ya do what ya need to do...

Would I do it...yes...survival matters more than having something worming around in my flesh.



Peace,
ALIEN

I got a older mate who steped on a land mine and was captured by the Germans in WWII. The german surgeons put maggot into the wounds that resulted. At the time that I met him almost 50 years after the war he still had sharpnel comming out of his leg. But the maggots were what saved the leg from gangreene. By the way he developed a respect for his German captors, for the way that they saved his leg and looked after him.

to answer your question

yes, i would put maggots on your wound.

Being I am an immense fan of "Gladiator, bet on it. It was a medical practice that still exists today.....as do other methods of cleaning wounds.
The use of leeches is also still widely practiced today.

regards
seekerof

Doctors are actually using this practice today to rid the body of flesh eating bacteria's that anti-biotics cannot overcome.

the maggots eat the dead flesh only, leaving the alive alone to heal.

Yep,I would. There was an old mountain that was attacked by a Grizzly bear,in the 1800's. He was left to die by his companions. Well he didn't. But his back was very infected. He rolled over a log that had maggots in it. Layed there for 3 days,until the infection was gone. Then crawled,staggered and walked 200 miles to the nearest outpost. He was killed a few years later by Indians.

okay...I would consider putting Maggots if like I had a really, really, really, and did I mention REALLY bad wound and I was in the middle of nowhere and maggots where the only thing around...

But what gets me is how do you get them out of the wound ?

Originally posted by Curiosity
okay...I would consider putting Maggots if like I had a really, really, really, and did I mention REALLY bad wound and I was in the middle of nowhere and maggots where the only thing around...

But what gets me is how do you get them out of the wound

?

they turn into flies and leave.

Not only would i use them, but I have done so and still do on anything i consider to need stitches or more. I personally feel they are the most effecdtive method of treating such things, yeah the first time it seems a little gross, but once you get over our modern views of medicine and the strange feeling they produce, then I'd guess you would never go back to modern medicine again. The only thing to be careful of is don't all go rushing out grabbing any of the little critters you find, as not all maggots feed entiely on dead flesh. If you stick to blowfly lavae then you'll be fine, and as for getting them out well thats also easy, just wait a couple of days to a week or so (depending on how many you use, and the size of the wound) then simply remove the covering and pick them out with tweezers or your fingers.

[Edited on 18-7-2003 by feygan]