MEDICAL HISTORY

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The History of the Medical Field of Wound Healing and Regenerative Medicine

The History of the Medical Field of Wound Healing and Regenerative Medicine

Introduction

The first written records containing medical information date from about 2500 BC. Clay tablets from this time have been discovered in Mesopotamia and the first medical papyri from Egypt are probably some seven hundred years younger, though the Smith papyrus (from about 1650 BC) iS thought to be a copy of a much older document. Apart from information gleaned from ancient civilizations, much has been learned about the practices of prehistoric peoples from the study of groups of primitive peoples today as well as from the legacy provided by folk medicine. Bergmark cites the use of a number of plants in wound treatment and it seems possible that these may have been used for many thousands of years. Many plants have properties useful in wound therapy. Many are astringent and some 2500 have antimicrobial effects. The usefulness of many plants may have been suggested, by their appearance: knot-grass (Polygonia persicaria) has leaves that appear bloodstained, while the perforated leaves of St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) suggest a use on perforating wounds. Nickell showed that hypericum has antibacterial properties, as do oak-sap and oak-gall or the leaves of lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), which all contain the astringent tannin. The comfrey (Symphytum officinale) contains allantoin which, apart from being antibacterial, is said to be an excellent healing agent, promoting granulation tissue and being able to promote the healing of fractures.

Many agents were discovered by primitive peoples in various parts of the world despite differences in climate and therefore in availability. Herbs could either be applied to the wound in a balsam or given as a draught. Leaves or grasses were often used as bandages, many being cooling and soothing. Poultices, cataplasms or ointments could be made from a wide variety of animal, vegetable or mineral substances. It is generally thought that wounds, once they had been washed, were dressed directly. Suturing, though it did occur among the primitive peoples in South America, parts of Africa and in India - using the giant jaws of soldier ants according to Wheeler - was rare, and wounds were left open during treatment. Some primitive peoples developed highly sophisticated surgical techniques. Some performed ritual amputations, though most abhorred the idea of mutilations except as punitive measures (Casey, 2011). The ancient Indians of the Peruvian Andes and the Masai in Africa are known to have performed trephinations, and such operations have been witnessed in recent times. The practice of surgery - and the responsibility for keeping and passing on knowledge of the medicinal properties of herbs, roots, animal products and minerals - was usually the province of a specially selected and trained medicine man or shaman who often enjoyed special powers within his tribe (Dowsett, 2011). Thus, by the time ancient civilizations began to evolve, a large number of wound treatments had already been discovered and won widespread use: honey, animal fat and butter ...