The enclosure of ahand in a silk envelope as part of the Bunyan-Stannard treatment of burns

Photograph taken 27 March 1943 © Source: Historic England Archive ref: med01_01_3676

A man demonstrating the enclosure of his hand in a silk envelope as part of the Bunyan-Stannard treatment of burns. In 1940 Bunyan and Stannard reported the successful treatment of a large infected burn by using a coated silk ‘envelope’ and immersing and irrigating the burn with electrolytic sodium hypochlorite three times a day. This treatment, Bunyan claimed, enabled burns to heal “rapidly and painlessly, with the maximum preservation of function”. It could be used in war, for example in field ambulances and dressing stations, due to its simple method. Bunyan-Stannard irrigation envelopes were issued as part of first aid equipment by the RAF for use by aircrews; the envelopes provided protection from infection in burns, and could be worn whilst continuing active service.

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World War Two (1939 - 1945)

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Bottles of dried plasma being packed together with the giving sets in special cases for transport to the Middle East or where needed. The outbreak of World War Two had prompted work investigating the division of blood into its constituent parts, because whole blood was difficult to transport to overseas battlefields. Plasma is the fluid in the blood containing proteins that help blood to clot. Liquid plasma, though more efficient to transport than whole blood, was similarly difficult to convey to battle and administer in the field. Dried plasma was introduced, with the benefits of stability, more economical storage and transportation, and ease of preparation. The “dried plasma sets” packed and despatched overseas consisted of a bottle of dried plasma, a tin box containing sterile giving set, and a bottle of sterile water. It took minutes for the dried plasma to be adequately dissolved in the water; concentrated plasma could be obtained by adding less distilled water.

The enclosure of ahand in a silk envelope as part of the Bunyan-Stannard treatment of burns

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Period

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