My daughter had a bicycle accident while I was napping on the sofa, and did her best to clean it and dress it without disturbing me. (Damn I love that girl!!) When I woke and she very tearfully showed me her bloodied and already nasty looking oozing knee, the careful plastic waterproof dressing was ripped off within a minute (after a serious tearful mama cuddle and much sympathy and praise for being so brave and self-reliant).
Getting a band-aid from me is HARD WORK. I admit. (Mental note to self: clean medicine box and toss that old nasty plastic stuff AWAY!)
And so we sat and I explained that the WORST THING you can do for a flesh wound in Asia is dress it with chemical-laden plastic which doesn't breathe. Cos it oozes and sweats and the bacteria thrive. Dressing it with cotton gauze is better, as long as you can stomach the sticking factor and that final moment where it needs to be ripped off with the scab attached and the wound opens all over again. I was explaining all this during our cuddle to Miss 13, after praising her for cleaning the wound so well.
"So what to DO, mama?", she wailed. We looked down and the blood and sticky white plasma were starting to trickle downwards.
"Dry! We want to seal the wound and keep it sterile and dry. Bring me The Box!"
And she smiled tearfully and remembered a thousand childhood falls and dutifully came with our old wooden medicine box and offered her knee. What do I choose??
THIS. Miracle stuff.
Used by the Viet Khong in the Vietnam War for packing gunshot wounds. A sulfur based natural antibiotic powder mixed with herbs which almost instantly stop bleeding and create a PROTECTIVE BARRIER. I open a capsule and carefully sprinkle the powder directly onto the wet, weeping wound. And simply leave it alone. The powder absorbs the wound fluids and forms an artificial scab which completely seals and closes the wound. No need for any dressing. Within 12 hours it was completely dry. Miss 13 went off to school the next morning with no need to cover it at all.
Step 2 kicks in about 24 hours later, when the new skin underneath is starting to form and is tight and uncomfortable . I have a chat with my herbal-plant-family and gently take an aloe vera leaf.
I carefully scrape the clean, 100% sterile clear gel (not the green part) directly onto the wound. And let it dry naturally. Again, no dressing, no need to cover - just apply the aloe vera over the top of the protective "scab" already created by the yunnan paiyao.
It heals SOOO quickly and easily with no scarring, itching or infection.
Yunnan Paiyao is available in most Chinese herbal shops around the world, and also easily available on line. The ingredient list is literally a Chinese state secret. But the sulfur base is easy to smell and there are several other herbs in there that my nose recognizes. You can read more of its fascinating history and usage here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/yunnan-baiyao
Personally, I have used it for about 20 years and never travel without it. I have used it to successfully treat typhoid (2 capsules every 4 hours), serious food poisoning and mostly give away my stash every few weeks when yet another tourist with serious motorcycle-grazing-flesh-wounds asks for help.
It's inexpensive and here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I buy it from Dr Wang's Chinese Dispensary in Kad Luang.
The aloe vera is best used fresh from the plant. Commercial aloe vera contains almost 7% chemical emulsifiers, preservatives and stabilizers and frankly, that doesn't do it for me. But if you are on the road and needs must, please buy the gel with the lowest percentage of chemicals shown on the pack. Bearing in mind that packaging law in Asia is very lax and it may contain more then they are declaring.
Being a mom in Asia I've had a LOT of wound dressing experience. I use Yunnan Paiyao for deep cuts (pull the cut open, pack the powder in and close up with steri strips to stop the bleeding), burns, snake bite and also a bone infection. Dr wanted to amputate my little toe way back when due to a serious bone infection and compromised bone tissue. I drank 4 straight whiskeys, lanced the toe open on two sides, drained and bled it out, packed it with Yunnan Paiyao and left it under a tight dry cotton dressing for 3 days. End result? Infection cleared within 5 days and I kept my toe. Still have it, and not even a scar! :)
"Be Your Own Doctor" requires some knowledge and a strong stomach. With hospitals around the world struggling with staph infections and many people not being able to afford primary health care for less than life-threatening emergencies, it helps to know there are simple, proven remedies and treatments that WORK and have been safely used by others for decades.
Hoping you never need to test the gunshot side of this miracle herbal powder... :) and wishing you continued health and safety, content with the knowledge that you can take care of those you love naturally, easily, painlessly and inexpensively.
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I've never heard of this stuff. I live in Bangkok so I'm gonna go and source some of this. It sounds like a good all rounder for traveling. Thanks for the tip!
A quick trip to Yaowarot... :) It will be easy to find in any chinese herbal shop or dispensary. Thanks for the visit and support. :) Following you from up here in Chiang Mai.
Is this available in Indonesia also? Or is it hard to get further from mainland? That is a must add for me!! I brought some oils (tea tree, peppermint, lavender) for basic antiseptic use and bugs but I need a back up like this in case any deeper wounds happen.
Also did you you ever check out the Assassin's Creed Origins? (Ancient Egypt game)
Assassins Creed? no. :)
You have a big chinese community in most of the bigger Indo cities - should be easy to find in any chinese herbal shop. Yup - a GREAT standby for all sorts of first aid emergencies!
Bwaha, I love the 4 whiskeys part. Didn't alcohol make that your blood thinner?
Ah, what the hell, it worked.
I have an aloe vera at home and can not imagine my life without it. Thank you for sharing such an educational experience with us. I am sure it will help some people 💚
Hey @zen-art - thank you so much for stopping by! Following you too. :) Life as a single mom in Asia is definitely an educational experience haha... :)
Love very aloe vera the plant or is that just me??
As a nurse.....if you ask me...??? superficial wounds like this one.... dont put anything on.. dry dry dry! ;)
The only time I cover scrapes and flesh wounds is to keep the bugs off. Even deep cuts heal better with air and by being kept dry. Haha... for some reason I never really "got it" that you were a nurse until the fever blog. :) I have no training (other than self reliant single mama in Asia) but literally people come to me to stitch wounds cos I do it neater than the hospital. :) :)
Aloe vera is excellent stuff.
It also looks good. Very decorative.
Thanks for stopping by @tibra I also have potted aloe vera dotted around the house as a potent detoxifying oxygenator. :)
she is so strong and really brave.
I had a lot of scars and scab when i was a kid. kind of naughty boy back then.
need to grow the aloe vera. : )
Not a naughty boy anymore? :) Every house and apartment needs some aloe vera.
This is great! I love alternative, herbal remedies, and this Chinese herb sounds amazing! Glad your daughter is healing so quickly; motorbike accidents can be so tough. I'm so glad it is easily available here in CM... I'll definitely be getting some to keep at home :)
(I'll message you on facebook about the location, if that's ok!)
I will try to get my tech-nerd self "on" and post location pins in future Ms Rachel. Always welcome to msg. :)
Hey @artemislives, I hope your daughter is fine now! Apart from the golden techniques you used, make sure to give her a shot or maybe multiple shots of turmeric latte. We use it in India a lot for such wounds to heal faster and in general as well to boost overall immunity. I remember @iamjamie using turmeric to heal her wounds she got during the jungle hike with her family. :))
And I need to check about Yunnan Paiyao, never heard of it. :O
@nabithecat is healing quickly, Sugandha. Thank you. Turmeric yes - we use LOTS of it and I often drink it by the shotglass full (with lime and ginger) - but no latte. We are not milk people. Urgh. :( I have seen recipes online to make the turmeric latte with coconut milk, but generally just slug it down as a shot. :)
That is awesome! I've often wondered the best way to treat those big scrapes. I play soccer at an indoor facility on artificial grass and when I slide it just tears my leg up. I put comfrey on it the first time and it scabbed too fast and trapped the infection inside so I scraped the scab off and just tried to keep it dry as much as possible. I use aloe vera all the time though. I have 8 plants that we are growing and I use it constantly for sunburns, mosquito bites and small cuts.
Use the tag "solvemyworld" in your posts about solutions to problems, life hacks, tips or advice for a better life. When you do, I'll give you a free upvote!
Problem solving!! May there be MORE of it! OK - deal - plan to use the tag "solvemyworld" and will share this info with our Steemit Mastermind Group. :) Following you from Thailand. :) Thanks for stopping by. :)