[Magdalen] Saline.

[Jay Weigel]

We do a different kind of wet now with the saline and then other stuff. It
works pretty well.

On Thu, Dec 24, 2015 at 12:03 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
> 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.
>