Salve and Burdock: A Safe, Effective Amish Remedy for Treatment of Traumatic Wounds?

Abstract

Although the treatment presented here is unconventional, it did not cause harm to the patients studied.

Amish and Mennonite Lay Caregivers' Experiences Using the B&W Burdock Leaf Treatment on Burns and Wounds: A Qualitative Study

“…Standards of care for severe burns involves wound excision and skin grafting within 10 days because of the likelihood of improved chances of survival, shortened hospital stays, better long-term outcomes, and reduced costs (Subcommittee 2016). Many members of the Amish community believe that skin grafting causes more pain and complications of contractures in comparison to their non-grafting treatment with B&W and burdock leaves (Flurry, et al 2017). Participants in this study preferred to not allow skin grafts because of scarring and contractures, particularly among children.…”

“…They believe their treatment reduces the need for skin grafts, high doses of analgesics, and cost. Physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals who have listened to, and built relationships of mutual trust and respect with Amish patients and caregivers providing in-hospital care have in turn gained the respect of (Crawford, Manuel, and Wood 2009;Fisher 2002;Lee and Ruth-Sahd 2011) and the opportunity to treat the wider Amish community (Flurry, et al 2017).…”

“…The use of B&W and burdock leaves on hospitalized patients has been described in the literature. Flurry, et al (2017) did a retrospective chart review on six Amish or Mennonite patients with severe, complex, traumatic wounds caused by garden or farm machinery. They concluded that this treatment, though unconventional, did not harm the patients who all eventually healed without skin grafting.…”

“…The leaf dressing is then covered with gauze to keep it in place. A thick gauze pad is secured as a covering over the gauze wrap to serve as a semiocculsive bacteriostatic moisture barrier (Flurry, et al 2017). Dressings are removed and changed every 12 hours.…”

“…Burdock leaves alone are sometimes wrapped as a poultice on sprains or bruises (Fujita, et al 1995). Other procedural details and examples are reported by Flurry, et al (2017), Main, et al (2012), and Amish Burn Study Group, et al (2015).…”