There are two things old timers knew that you must know about wound care, if the patient is outside. The wounds of a person or animal all will be affected greatly be these two things. If you are not able to see a doctor or get to an air-conditioned facility, such as a hospital, these two things could save your life. You need to know them.
Two days ago my daughter was riding her beloved pony and our cows were a bit scared by the dog who was faithfully looking out for our daughter. She usually doesn’t ride near the cows. The dog’s actions alerted my husband that something wasn’t right. In the blink of an eye, the bull charged at the pair (pony and daughter), and the pony took a life-saving blow for our daughter. My daughter, by the way, got some pretty good licks in on that bull with a riding crop. Between her blows and the dog, the bull lost. All this happened in a blink of an eye and before we knew what had happened. My husband, who was 200 feet away, was and unable to stop it quickly, though he ran to her rescue, but it was over as quickly as it started. The scene ended with only a wounded pony and one ticked off 10 year old. Don’t mess with country girls or their horses! God smiled down on us and our daughter wasn’t hurt, but we had to act fast to help the pony who had been gored pretty bad. Here’s the two things you should know that could mean life or death for you, your family/friends, or your animals if someone is wounded and you cannot get medical help. This will specifically address wounds that must be treated and healed outside.
- The weather is a major contributor for germs, pests, and/or disease. We are in the thick of Mississippi, and it’s August. What do you think is my first priority in wound care, besides cleaning or stopping blood? Bugs! Yes, flies and horse flies are going to lay eggs as soon as they can, and maggots will be all in the wound to take up residence. Even ticks will try to get a spot in an open wound. So after cleaning with (YES) peroxide once and iodine, we then pour Neem Oil right into the wound. You can pour around it, if you do not feel comfortable to use on the wound. It burns like hell, but it gets the job done. This essential oil is known world wide for repelling pests (as it’s a very popular Egyptian remedy for lice), and it can actually stop the tissue from profusely bleeding by slightly cardorizing the tissue. It isn’t as good as clotting cloths or other remedies. It is more for bug repellent and is what we use in our garden. Old timers knew one thing you should never do in summer was to dehorn or do any other things that would open an animal up for pests in summer. With humidity and bugs, you have nothing more than a test tube for infection. Always address this when dealing with a wound that is going to be exposed to the outside elements in summer. On people or animals you should also consider covering it. This is up to you as to the need. Some wounds are much better left open, especially if it is humid outside. Sweat will not be your friend. If it’s summer, treat for pests and consider leaving open to heal. Winter is a much better time to deal with animals and wounds, if the patient will be healing outside in the elements. There are no bugs, and there is less humidity and warmth for infection to grow in. *You must reapply this or another bug repellent daily to keep the pests away.
Next we called the vet because we could (amazingly) see very clearly right into the wound. It was a very deep gore that went into the shoulder and she had to be stitched up. The cut was about eight inches long and a few inches deep. So this brings us to our next important topic for knowing how to treat wounds outside.
- The wound was easily cleaned and stitched up all nice and pretty. *She did have to have antibiotics because it was a HUGE puncture wound. Anytime you are punctured by animals (or anything else really) there is a need for antibiotics, because other animals and objects carry germs that can be deadly to us. Hopefully, you will not ever need this information, but should you find yourself dealing with wounds on your homestead, with people or animals that will be exposed to the elements, these two things will make a difference in the outcome. – M.M.
