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[vadia]

We could also use maggots for the same purpose.

As I understand it, maggots are used medically to consume dead/gangrenous/etc tissue. Usually with a dressing over them so the patient doesn't have to watch themselves getting eaten.

They also have to be sterile. For obvious reasons.

Dwarves don't understand the word sterile, unfortunately, so this would end in tears. Tears and infections. Same for the leeches, really. Unless dwarves spontaneously learn how to keep things clean...

Also, what Heph said, if the dwarves could actually accomplish this.
Also also, leeches to control bleeding would be counterproductive, due to the mentioned anticoagulants in leech saliva.

1 maggots weren't used at rennesance were they?

2 it's infected already -- what could possibly go wrong (other then urist mcbloodsuckingdemon)

[vadia]

leeches are one of the creatures possible but I can't afford even $10 to sponsor   But, if you like this idea you can sponser leeches and they'll go to the top of the list and maybe they'll be usefull for this thread.

[Vercingetorix]

Maggots have been used for a pretty long time, at least since the period of the classical Greeks and Romans.  There is definitely some risk if you're not using sterile, specifically-raised maggots for the purpose, but compared to what the alternative would be...besides, keeping a wound properly cleaned and dry will greatly enhance the effectiveness of maggots (or just healing on its own, considering how robust the immune system is).

That being said, wounds to major organs or other difficult-to-treat areas basically means you're SOL.  It's up to chance then.

[EvilMoogle]

Add "cauterizing irons" to the list of tools as well.

[vadia]

Add "cauterizing irons" to the list of tools as well.

arguably that exists sans tools in the system.  While infection lingers forever before killing.

[EvilMoogle]

Pretty sure they use stitching to stop bleeding now, whereas with irons it's faster (but leaves an ugly scar behind).  Though if the bleeding is bad enough the speed can be important (I might also argue for a "battlefield care" where this could be done by anyone with medical training without going to a hospital zone first).

I personally wouldn't require tools, just assume that they have the materials once a hospital is formed.  Probably needs a fire source once those are in.

[Mel_Vixen]

Fly maggots are covered in a certain slime Digestive juices from theyr Extra-intestinal digestion (thus these juices digest the food outside of the body of the maggot ). These Juices include Defensines (working against fungy, bacteries and/or viruses) and Seraticin (potent MRSA killer) which stopthe spreading of numerous kinds of deseases in the wound - this is why they can survive in trash and worse environments. Ammonia compounds which are also in this juices change the ph-score in the wound to a level that is harmfull to bacteria. Other chemicals in the slime encourage the heeling of the flesh.

Tetanus and Gas gangrene are two mayor infections a maggot can transmit so you need sterile maggots. To get sterile maggots you need to sterialice the eggs and the food of the maggot/fly. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (sometime green-span by the collor of the puss) is deadly to the maggots and isnt killed by theyr slime so its adviced to give antibiotics (even thought less then normal) while under maggot therapy.

One of the problems with maggots was that you have to find the right ones say Gold-flys (Lucilia sericata). Other species digest, like the infamous bot-fly, living flesh.

The maya, a aborigine tribe, Burmese as well as chinese people used flys for healing prior to the 17th century.


Hot Irons had the problem of not beeing clean (iron particles, soot) and heavily scarring tissue. The damage done to the tissue allowed Bacterias so collonoiasize the now rather virgin wound - streptocogs for example which cause necrosis. The pro was that infections that existed prior to the cauterisation were removed and bloodvessels were closed. Cauterisation thus would work best if its done with a steril iron and if the wound is washed and dressed instantly afterwards.

I actualy wonder if cuts and ruptures in the skin could be glued. Superglue is actually pretty steril and a good solution if the cut isnt under heavy stress. If somebody gets now ideas first its pretty painfull (the superglue) and secondly using duct tape instead is a bad decision since it encourages he development of anaerobic bacteria - removing the tape would also open the wound again most likely. Anyway i wonder if some older cultures did glue wounds in one or another way.

[Javarock]

Leechs would be fun and useful in adventure mode, When the hands infected run to swamp and find leechs in the water