> I cringe whenever I read postings of these "home medical cures" on Bee-L
- this isn't informed in the least.

As pointed out by Bill, it can be informed.
As far as antibacterial properties, there is a wide range of differences
between honey types, with some presenting wider zones of inhibitions
against bacteria on agar than others.  Manuka is just one for which
supporting data has been collected.  I've seen other studies, as well as
unpublished data.

There are also those of us with scientific bent who have self experimented
on our own wounds.  I have personally, by comparing dressing with Neosporin
antibiotic cream vs. my own local honey, switching dressings back and forth
day by day.  Honey clearly won--each time increasing the formation of
granular tissue, and turning the wound from gray to pink.  The wound would
each time revert to gray and slow healing with Neosporin.  As with Peter, I
like to place it on gauze, since it's less messy.

Another thing that honey can do in a wound is to draw out dirt.  Years ago
I made a serious mistake when riding a quad on the sand dunes, and put my
bare leg down in front of a spinning tire.  The tire took the skin off my
entire calf and ground sand into the wound.  We were too far out to seek a
doctor, so I allowed the wound to stop bleeding and just crust over.

Two days later when I returned home, the wound was ugly as hell, but not
infected.  I covered it with honey and gauze.  The honey quickly liquified
the scab, and drew all the imbedded sand out onto the gauze, leaving clean,
pink flesh to heal.  I kept the wound covered with fresh honey and gauze,
and everyone in the family was amazed by the rapidity of the healing.  In
retrospect, I should have run a control by sanding off the other calf, but
didn't think to do so.

Since then, we have used either or local, or manuka directly from friends
in NZ for years, with excellent results on wounds.

The above said, I make no medical recommendations.
-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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