This hideous “Dragon House” cure is being used in real life

Dragons don’t exist. Once this becomes clear, it must also be recognized that dragon house It’s not just fantasy. In this new series hbo max he perfectly represents how a human being can be corrupted by power. And you can even see some very realistic medical problems. If we have already considered in too much detail what the first caesarean section could have been, then in the second chapter we see a very common method of treatment in the past and, curiously, even today: treatment of wounds with larvae.

King Viserys he injured his finger on the ledges of the iron throne, and there is no way to cure him. They’ve tried everything, but they can’t heal. For this reason, in the second part they try to do something rather disgusting. You can see how the master makes the monarch put his wounded hand into container of worms. Thus, while he continues to discuss state affairs, these little animals gnaw and clean the affected meat.

Perhaps this wound will continue to speak in later chapters Dragon House. But we’ll have to wait to find out. Until then, let’s see what’s really clean wounds with larvae.

Wound healing by maggots through history

Dragon House This is not the only series with historical overtones that describes the healing of wounds by maggots. For example, an American writer Diana Gabaldon also reported this in Outlandera saga of books that later evolved into a series.

In real life, this has been done since ancient times, especially in times of war. In fact, it is said that the soldiers of the Napoleonic army used the maggots to clean their wounds. However, it is precisely during World War I when it began to be done in a more controlled manner. At that time, an American physician, William Baer, noticed that soldiers whose wounds were naturally infected with larvae showed less inflammation than other comrades. It was as if the worms had not only made the situation worse, but made it better. He found that this was due to they ate dead meat before the spread of rotting wounds. So he began to use the maggots in a controlled way.

Nonetheless arrival of penicillin in the 1940s he abandoned this therapy. If during the First World War it became a fairly common remedy, then in the Second it was already completely out of use. But everything in life comes back and the worms were no longer going to heal their wounds.

In the 1990s, when the first antibiotic-resistant bacteria were discovered, some physicians returned to using it. Even the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Larvae of the common green bottle fly for the treatment of certain diseases.

Therapy today, in addition to the “House of the Dragon”

Just like the maester with King Viserys in Dragon House, maggot therapy is still used today, although much less widely. As well as more controlled.

If it started to be used in a more medical and scientific environment, then thanks to a study conducted in 2012. Gwendoly Kazander, from Leiden University in the Netherlands. This scientist took samples of secretions from pre-disinfected fly larvae and brought them into contact with human blood samples from various donors. He then measured the levels of complement proteins, which are commonly used as inflammation marker. In accordance with what Baer observed during the First World War, samples processed helminthic discharge there were fewer signs of inflammation.

Previously, other scientists have already published studies showing the effectiveness of the technique, for example, in orthopedic interventions. And subsequently, positive results have been shown when it is used to treat chronic or diabetic foot ulcers.

However, this is a method that is usually used in very specific cases and only as a last resort. It should be noted that it is not equally effective for all types of wounds. For example, a 2013 Cochrane review notes that it is as effective as other treatments. venous ulcers on the legs, but also acknowledges that the quality of the studies making this claim is not the best. It should also be used in exuding wounds, with adequate oxygen supply. Mainly to maggots interest eat this dead meat.

It should continue to be carefully studied, although in certain situations it is still done. Now we must not forget that what is being done today has nothing to do with what we see in Dragon House. vital disinfect the worms first and, moreover, they are placed in the wound and covered with a bandage, which is also designed to ensure that the patient do not perceive the tickling of larvae. It’s not about putting your hand in a bowl full of worms. Bad idea, even if you’re the king of the Seven Kingdoms.