| There is a little known method used by American | | | | used eventually was nickname "Medical Maggots". |
| Special Forces to clean wounds that may be of great | | | | To use this method you would need to wrap the |
| benefit to Survivalists in the event of an emergency. | | | | maggots in a dressing which is placed over the |
| This is by intentionally introducing live maggots into | | | | patient's wounds for several days. Although the |
| the soft, damaged tissue wound. This process | | | | maggots may be permitted to move freely within |
| provides an effective cleaning of the tissue within the | | | | the wound the dressing must be maintained in such |
| wound, successful disinfection and generally | | | | as manner as to allow air to permeate the material |
| promotion faster healing. | | | | thus providing oxygen to sustain the maggots' life. It |
| Throughout the pages of history this theory has | | | | is impossible for the maggots to reproduce within the |
| been employed from the Mayan Indians to the | | | | wound since they are only in the larval stage at this |
| Aboriginal tribes of Australia. The process can be | | | | point and their reproduction cycle is reserved for the |
| traced back even further to the Renaissance era | | | | adult flies. It is of vital importance however that |
| where military men would develop a wound and | | | | when performing the final cleaning of the wound you |
| maggots started to colonize it. The doctors of these | | | | must make certain that all maggots have been |
| men would notice a marked reduction in the mortality | | | | removed. |
| rate associated with those soldiers when compared | | | | The basic idea of all this is for a large number of |
| with those that never developed the maggots. | | | | maggots to consume the necrotic or damaged tissue |
| Even during our own American Civil war a Doctor | | | | while leaving the healthy tissue alone. The great part |
| Joseph Jones noted that neglected wounds which | | | | of using maggots for disinfecting a wound is that |
| filled quickly with maggots improved drastically after | | | | they are especially effective even on |
| the worms destroyed the dead tissues leaving only | | | | antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Maggots have been |
| the good surrounding areas unaffected. The | | | | shown to destroy a wide range of bacteria including |
| techniques continued to be recognized even up into | | | | Staphylococcus aureus and group A and B |
| the 1st World War. It was shown that when a soldier | | | | streptococci. |
| was found after being left on the battlefield for an | | | | So now you have an effective method of infection |
| extended period of time their flesh wounds would | | | | control and wound healing that could be accomplished |
| rapid improvement after application of maggot to the | | | | under many less then desirable conditions. Use this |
| affected area. Research has shown that in the 40's | | | | information carefully and do some additional research |
| there were over 300 hospitals that used maggots in | | | | on your own. |
| their wound programs. This strain of green bottle flies | | | | |