Hi all you wonderful, helpful lactnetters,

I think we need to be more clear on what concentration of saline we are
talking about. Saline, all by itslef, just means salty water. If it's
isotonic, then it is the same concentration as our body fluids (blood and
tears and BM too I think), although our body fluids have other solutes in
them, besides salt, to make up that concentration. So you use isotonic
saline if you don't want it to burn or sting. If you want to kill bacteria,
as Kathy D. says, I think you'd need a higher concentration of saline
(hypertonic) (more salt, saltier than blood) to cause the bacteria to loose
water. Or, on the other hand, if you use less salty solution (hypotonic) so
that the bacteria would suck up the water and then explode.
In any event, that is why the recepe for making isotonic saline is so
important, and thanks to all who posted it.
On another tack, since BM is an isotonic solution, and sterile, wouldn't
this be a great thing to drip on wounds? Especially since it has
antibacterial properties? I like to use it for conjuctivitis (sp?) in the
eyes because it doesn't burn or sting (like the medicine that is perscribed
for that) and it often works too.

Sorry if this is too late, or repetative, I am way behind reading posts.

Dalia Abrams
CBE, BFC

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