Abstract
Mankind has described the art of dressing a wound since our earliest written records.
Sumerian cuneiform tablets dated prior to 2000 b.c. contain lists of different types of
wounds and injuries along with passages detailing how best to treat them (1,2). Topical treatments included applications of poultices incorporating ingredients such as
plant matter, mud, milk, wine, and oil. The Edwin Smith surgical papyrus, an Egyptian document dated 1650 b.c. but believed to be a copy of a much older document,
describes 48 cases of wounds and details their treatment. A later Egyptian document,
the Ebers Papyrus, discusses the preparation of various topical concoctions for dressing wounds. The basic recipe for an Egyptian wound dressing appears to have consisted of lint, grease, and honey applied to strips of cotton or linen, which were then
placed into and over the wound. Lint refers to vegetable fibers that likely served an
absorbent role. Grease consisted of animal fats that may have served as a barrier to
external contamination. Honey is the most often cited ingredient in a number of
Egyptian wound preparations (1) and was perhaps used empirically for its antibacterial properties. Today, we have evidence that unprocessed honey contains natural
antibacterial constituents and also exerts an osmotic effect that dehydrates bacteria
and reduces tissue edema (3,4). In addition to any antibacterial effects, honey as well
as the grease probably prevented the cotton or linen bandages used by the Egyptians
from adhering to the wound surface. Interestingly, these features of absorption, acting as a physical barrier, and preventing infection and adherence to the wound are
still desirable characteristics of a wound dressing.