Maggot medicine

Brits OK maggots as medicine. From Wired:

British doctors will be able to prescribe maggots to NHS patients with infected wounds from now on, a hospital official said.

He said the National Health Service had realized maggots were a cheaper and more beneficial way of treating wounds than using conventional medicine. Patients would be able to treat themselves at home and avoid the possibility of picking up a hospital infection.

Maggots have been used for centuries to rid wounds of decaying flesh, but after the discovery of antibiotics their use went into decline.

Related:
Maggot medicine gains popularity - BBC
Medical maggots treat as they eat - National Geographic

Posted on February 20, 2004 02:51 PM. Filed under: health.