Wine, Honey, and Boiling Oil: A Modern Understanding of Ancient Wound Care Practices

Abstract

The origins of wound care date back to ancient civilizations. From boiling oil to honey to wine, healers and caregivers have adopted a fascinating array of items to cleanse, dress, and bandage wounds over the ages. While wound care practices have developed over time, the physicians and surgeons of ancient times and the Middle Ages helped build the foundation for present-day wound care. A modern scientific understanding of these treatments illustrates why practitioners abandoned some practices while others remain in use today.