Peter Edwards wrote:

> Peter Edwards
> (thinking that an awful lot of clever marketing is behind manuka honey -
> perhaps more than is justified)

My experience is almost exactly like Peters. Local honey and I did try
both liquid and granulated. I stuck with liquid since it was easier to
apply (with a Honey Bear!).

If you look in the Hive and the Honey Bee, honey acts in a variety of
ways. First is is a supersaturated sugar solution (also used as such
with sucrose in medicine) in which bacteria do not do well. Second it is
acid, in which bacteria do not do well. Third is the gluconic acid which
breaks down in the presence of water to hydrogen peroxide. That is the
key to most of the touted antibacterial action of honey. If most honey
is brought in and not capped quickly, it will develop higher levels of
the acid so it will be more active. My guess is the nectar is thinner so
it has to stay uncapped longer to drive off moisture so more acid
develops (from enzymes imparted to the nectar by the bees).

(Gross stuff follows)What happens at the wound/honey interface is the
moisture from the wound (blood and lymph matter) hits the honey and
peroxide is formed. The peroxide eats away dead flesh and the wound
heals from the bottom up. So you get nothing but new skin and little or
no scarring. Without the honey, most wounds scab over and scar tissue is
formed.

Before I ever thought of trying it with my hand in my first operation, I
tried it on some superficial cuts. The honey worked as well or better
than antibacterial creams. So now I have a small syringe (purchased at a
local feed store) with honey in it to apply to the dressing on a
band-aid for minor cuts.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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