stupidity, superglue and lesson learned.

[rik_uk3]

As the above post, don't use superglue on wounds the heat can cause tissue damage and slow the healing process (I have Dermabond in my kits). The likes of Celox is fine but remember 'they' have to dig it out of the wound when you eventually go to hospital. Celox et al is fine on a battlefield when you need to stop the bleeding fast and evacuate, in tests direct pressure is slower but just as effective.

 

[Parbajtor]

Cauterisation is a last resort. Yes, it will hurt.. yes, it could cause infection, yes, it may make any medical procedure afterwards more tricky, and yes, it may cause a nasty scar at the end of it..

But without it, you'll never feel pain again, you'll never have to worry about infection or the nasty scar.... without it, all you'll be is a headline in a newspaper somewhere.

No chance these days, unless you're a refugee cockroach and even then you have to get in quick. A number on a bar graph is more likely all the fame you'll get unless associated with something qualifying for a Darwin award.

 

[General Strike]

Obviously prevention is better than cure - but axes are sharp and unforeseen circumstances can occur. Nobody sensible would argue that a trauma pack is a good substitute for training and careful axe use (for example), but it is a good substitute for bleeding out because of an accident. You can minimise risk, but you cannot excise it entirely.

 

[General Strike]

I am going to choose to interpret 'refugee cockroach' as a criticism of tabloid coverage.

 

[General Strike]

Also, the medical versions of superglue have special formulations to avoid toxic byproducts like formaldehyde, which can be absorbed (in tiny amounts) from the standard stuff. So in this case there is a difference between the 99p pack and the £5.99 pack marketed for use on humans.

 

[General Strike]

Mercuric salts are more toxic than elemental mercury itself, because they are more easily absorbed. Specifically they tend to damage the kidneys - so if this story is true, I reckon your Dad's friend was right.

 

[MountainGhost]

FWIW, while collecting herbs in central China I've seen powder from a species of puffball fungi used as an clotting agent by a doctor of Chinese medicine after someone took a nasty wound to the calf from a bamboo shoot that had previously been cut at an angle with a sharp knife. It's a very traditional method and I cannot speak for it's safety but it seemed to do the job.

 

[wicca]

Fungi? Ah! That's an old Chinese trick..whack it on the cut which closes and doesn't leave mushroom for the blood to escape..

 

[Herbalist1]

Yes - it's the puffball spores (including UK species), they are an effective stiptic not of course not available all year round so better have an alternative. By the way, chilli powder is a good stiptic and easy to carry and apply. It will stop quite heavy bleeding if you can get it into wound but I wouldn't want to try it for a serious bleed.

 

[Bishop]

Found an interesting video of a large puncture wound to the upper thigh taken shortly after the incident with surprisingly little bleeding, don't worry there's no gore or screaming either.
Not strictly a bushcraft accident but some folk here do use air-guns so it's a good example on multiple levels to Think Safety! and just how close some mishaps can be to fatal.

An enthusiast was making a relatively minor alteration on a target competition air-rifle when the valve to the high pressure air reservoir failed, sending it and the hammer assembly (a lump of aluminium about the same size as 12 gauge shell) out the back of the weapon into his leg.
https://youtu.be/a1hrms0i2LU?t=2m23s