Healing Sores with Sugar

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 17 July 1914, Page 2

Healing Sores with Sugar

(By Dr. L. K. HIRSHBF.RG.)

Professor Geheirmrath G. Magnus, of the General Hospital of Munich, Germany, has demonstrated that, sugar, when properly used, is the bef& thi-ng in the world for sick or ailing tissues. It is, he says, a disinfectant superior to any of the popular poisons, such as mercury, carbolic acid, zinc, and the other numerous and commonly used toxic dressings for wounds. Professor Magnus has now used sugar in th^ treatment of injuries for five mon f.s with the most promising outcome. Instead of inducing fermentation, infections, and putrefactions, as has hitherto been asserted, it really prevents such complications in wounds, if the sugar has itself been first thoroughly sterilised. Sugar applied to the sore spot not only dissolves any clots or crusts present, but it particularly stimulates the tissues to protect themselves from the invasion of the germs that cause blood poisoning. Sugar induces fluids to form in the wound which aid materially in washing and rinsing away the foreign and contagions matter. It is favourable, also, for healing the injuries, and deodorises the spot better than any of the well-known remedies. Moreover, Dr. Magnus has discovered in his experiments that the human ' body is able to not only enjoy, but tolerate, such strong sugar solutions. Me even Went so far as to ofl'er himself for tests. He injected, for example, a tea per cent, solution of sugar in water into his own arm. Ai the same time he gave his other arm an equal amount of salt water. There was ,no unpleasant effect whatsoever in either instance. These investigations of the Munich physician show that sugar is both harmless and antiseptic. It oonfirms the researches of an elder savant, Dr. Kuhn. who maintained against great sceptici-sin, as well as unjust accusations of quackery, that sugar applied in the treatment of suoh inflammatory troubles as peritonitis will help materially toward its cure. Dr. Magnus applied sugar solutions and dried sugar to ulcers of the legs, sores on the hands, and open wounds generally, and during the several months of his rigid tests he has been uniformly successful under its influences in healing them all. There must be an emphatic understanding- that the sugar be pure, clean, and free from dust, air, dirt' and invisible germs. This' assurance cannot be had if the sugar is taken from the table or from the grocer's and dashed in an haphazard fashion upon the open sore. The proper application of a sterilised sugar can only be made by a physician or surgeon who is aware of the importance of bacteria-free wound' dressings. With the inauguration of sugar as a means to protect open injuries to ■ •encourage healing, am* to aid in the body's upbuilding, there wfll be j smaller cost-for all the methods and j. antiseptics now used are expensiveless trouble, and an ever-ready, hand v method of treatment. (