Medicine: Septic Antiseptic

When a soldier is wounded by shrapnel, or a civilian by splinters of flying glass, don't treat the wound with an antiseptic. This piece of advice was given by the Journal of the American Medical Association last week. In fact, said the editor of its correspondence column, "The use of iodine or mercurials in such wounds is to be discouraged or even forbidden." Reason: antiseptics may kill more body cells than bacteria, thereby prevent healing. First Aiders should do no more than stop bleeding, place a pad of sterile gauze on the wound.

Dirty as they may be, said the Journal, "fresh...

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