I am beginning to feel a little like I was LBJ showing off his gallbaldder
operation scar, but I want to report a small trial I conducted in the honey
treatment of my hand operation wounds.

Two weeks after starting my honey treatment and almost three weeks after
the operation, I stopped treatment of one of the cuts that had healed over
but was still a fairly deep opening. I continued honey treatment on all the
other wounds.
This was not a control but it at least allowed some comparison.

One honey treated wound closed completely during this time and is
completely healed.

The untreated wound stopped its progress. The wound on the other finger
opposite it, which had much more damage, has healed over completely with no
deep openings- even though it was deeper than the untreated finger, was
composed of two intersecting cuts and had a stitch which allowed underlying
flesh to protrude. The protrusion had skin heal around it was gradually
shoved back to where it belongs. I was told by the Doctor that it would
take about four to six week to heal that part of the wound. It took less
than three.

Since the controls progress was now behind the honey treated wound, I
restrated treating it with honey. It is now closed. I have no idea of the
why or how honey has closed the wound, but it did.

The deepest cut, across my palm, is half closed. My guess is it will be
completely closed in a week or so.

In all, I have become a believer in the effacy of honey in wound treatment.
Because of the way it heals, with no scabbing, I have much more flexibility
in my hand than others would with scabs. Most of the concern of the
Occupational Thearapist and Doctor was to keep my hand straight. I can
understand that since, under normal healing with scabbing, you would want
the wound to stay closed under flexure and its normal position to be fully
open. With the honey and its method of healing, from the bottom up, I have
tremendous ability for flexing my hand to the point I can almost make a
fist again, with no discomfort.

For those wheo asked. I used my own wildflower honey. I tried three
different varieties and all seemed equally effective. All stung slightly on
open wounds but there is no discomfort after the wounds have healed over.

For Nick W. Before I had the operation I asked the Doctor if I would be
able to play the piano after the operation. He said he fell for that once,
during his internship.
However, after viewing the NZ sites, I  understand that had I used manakua
honey I would be able to play the Didgeridoo.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME