CAUTERIZE WOUNDS
Doctors and medical practitioners have known for centuries that bleeding can be stopped by applying intense heat. Hot irons, for example, were once used to cauterize wounds sustained on the battlefield. In modern operating theatres, surgeons stop injured blood vessels from hemorrhaging by passing an intense electric current through the tissue - a technique known as electrocautery. In both cases, the changes in the structure of the blood vessels and the surrounding tissue are responsible for stopping the hemorrhage. When heat is applied, the blood vessels first shrink, then blood clots form and, finally, the vessels shut off so that blood cannot flow through them.
In a 1926 first aid guide from the American Red Cross, it was recommended to hunters that they cauterize bullet wounds with gunpowder. Hunters were advised to remove a bullet from a cartridge, separate the bullet casings and pour the gunpowder into the wound. Then they were told to ignite the powder with a match or lighter. |