[Magdalen] Saline.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/24/2015 11:06:35 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
jay.weigel at gmail.com writes:

The  purpose of the saline gauze is to keep
things moist, as it has been found  that wounds heal better in a moist
environment than they do in a dry  one>>>>>>
 
Up until the 1970's, wet packs featuring a variety of solutions were
a big part of healing especially the lower extremities.  The  multiple
layers of cheese cloth acted as a sort of wick to draw out infection.
 
The trouble was that they were awful if they dried out since they  adhered
to the skin, and removal would result in more trauma.  They were  therefore
labor intensive.  Orders had to be written to keep them wet, but it  was
rare outside of a specialty dermatological ward (there were such  things
in those days) to find the orders carried out properly.  What  usually
happened was that the packs were wrapped and sealed in with 
plastic-type material so they wouldn't dry out, but instead this set  up
a warm, wet environment for infection.
 
Because the wet packs ended up doing more harm than good, they
gradually disappeared.  They were a great idea, but not practical  now.
 
 
David Strang.