Medicine: Blood Poultice

Doctors dread the chronic external ulcers which sometimes accompany diseases like diabetes or varicose veins, when blood circulation is poor. They know that the feeble blood supply will probably mean slow healing.

Dr. Meyer Naide of the University of Pennsylvania last week told* of an experimental treatment which worked on nine out of 15 patients: as a chronic ulcer does not get enough blood from inside, he supplied it from outside by a spray of blood drawn from the patient or dried blood plasma diluted with only one fourth the usual amount of water. This poultice dried to form a clot over the ulcer; treatments were repeated as needed to retain the scab. One or two applications relieved pain; the ulcers which healed required from one to 20 treatments.

*In the American Journal of the Medical Sciences.