Wow! What a great Wikipedia entry. I can't excerpt all the cool stuff, but here's a taste (if you know what I mean)(links within the passage omitted):
In an unusual case, an Oregon teacher was reprimanded after licking blood from wounds on a track team member's knee, a football player's arm, and a high school student's hand. An Oregon public health officer commented that "We do know that animals lick their own wounds, and it may be that saliva has some healing properties. But my very strong recommendation is that you confine yourself to licking your own wounds."...Licked any wounds lately?
The Saint Magdalena de Pazzi is said to have cured a nun of sores and scabs in 1589 by licking her limbs.... Pliny the Elder in his Natural History reported that a fasting woman's saliva is an effective cure for bloodshot eyes....
There are potential health hazards in wound licking due to infection risk... The practice of metzitzah during circumcision is controversial as it can transmit the herpes virus to the infant....
Dog saliva has been said by many cultures to have curative powers in people. "Langue de chien, langue de médecin" is a French saying meaning "A dog's tongue is a doctor's tongue"... appears in a 13th century manuscript....
To "lick your wounds" means to "to withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat."
The phrase was spoken by Antony in John Dryden's 17th century play All for Love:
“They look on us at distance, and, like curs
Scaped from the lion's paws, they bay far off
And lick their wounds, and faintly threaten war.”
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39 comments:
I have a wound on the end of my fella. Any nurses in the room?
My heart. TMI?
Thanks! I finally know the real meaning of the name of that town in southwestern Wisconsin!
That neatly explains why we've always let our dogs lick people.
In fact I have licked a wound recently! It was a fishing accident.
Is that where kissing booboos comes from?
an Oregon teacher was reprimanded after licking blood from wounds on a track team member's knee, a football player's arm, and a high school student's hand.
Ew!!! Didn’t that teacher worry about communicable diseases at all (aside from the inappropriateness of licking your students)?
John Steinbeck recommended a mixture of spider web and human piss.
If I recall correctly
John Henry
Does saliva help clotting?
The life is in the blood, says scripture.
I never saw anyone lick a bee sting. The blood loss from a wound must be the target of the lickers.
But we draw the line at sucking blood. The goal is to keep blood inside.
When you let a dog lick you, should that be before or after he has licked his balls?
John Henry
Considering how germ-filled the human mouth is, licking wounds may be a bad idea for us.
The fact dogs do it and get away with it may have something to do with the idea that all dogs go to Heaven.
"The enzyme, lysozyme which is found in many tissues is what is the aid for the wounds.... Wound licking can clean wounds and accelerate healing, so it can be thought of as a form of animal self-medication..."
While true, medical science has evolved beyond the need to use basic animal responses to treat wounds. For humans within range of simple, over-the-counter type treatments, the best thing to do is probably what it's always been: Washing, antiseptic treatment, bandaging.
If medical science studies and eventually demonstrates that licking wounds is indeed the best practice, I'll then and only then change my own mind. But until then, until evidence-based medicine makes a compelling argument for change, I'll keep my tongue to myself and off of wounds, thank you.
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”
Mark 8
In another instance, he mixed his spit with dirt and applied it to another blind man's eyes.
Wow! What a great Wikipedia entry.
To this subject ("wow" rather than "wound licking") I will add this example:
The article on the B-52s' Fred Schneider links to Sprechgesang, an interesting article on early 20th-century German opera.
Wikipedia is a serendipitist's dreamworld.
You and Trooper York need to make nice. I really detest this sort of drama; and I miss his contributions to the comments.
Is this post meant to invite him back, or kick him in the nuts? Or a little of both?
I always assumed this was the source of why mothers offer to kiss their toddlers' boo-boos to make it better. We all know that it helps, even if we don't know why.
"Is this post meant to invite him back, or kick him in the nuts? Or a little of both?"
This post is about a figure of speech that I find fascinating and a cool Wikipedia article with some amazing stories in it. I go where I go for whatever reasons I have, and I bring back what I find interesting for the general reader. You're bringing up interpersonal stuff that I don't want on the blog anymore. Stop being an example of what you don't like. The subject is closed. Email me if you need to talk about it.
I only lick my wounds after someone else pours salt on them.
Split Enz, "Nice to Know":
I been licking my wounds
Sick of holding my tongue
I been sweating my way up those blue hills
Now I'm taking the plunge
I been stealing my nerves
And I'm breaking a lot of wishbones
Hope I'm displaying manly virtue
Hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew
@mccullogh: ✓
I have always been a (self) wound licker, swear by it. My dog has a good licker, too, and likes to provide soothing relief to my often sweaty, cracking feet.
"Pliny the Elder in his Natural History reported that a fasting woman's saliva is an effective cure for bloodshot eyes...."
I guarantee, you will have bloodshot eyes one way or the other if you try to make your wife fast for her saliva...!!!
Tibore
Not a self-wound licker???
"The practice of metzitzah during circumcision is controversial as it can transmit the herpes virus to the infant...
Hmmmm...would that be the only reason? I had never heard of that custom before.
http://www.ou.org/index.php/jewish_action/article/8976/
I've heard that one's own (and only) saliva will break up their blood stains in clothing. Something about enzymes.
Or is that an old wives' tale?
Lordsomber, Ask Dexter.
Q: Why does a dog lick his balls?
A: Because he can!
My great-grandfather was a seventh son, and so was believed to have healing powers. People would come to him when they had eye infections. "Spit in your eye to cure a stye." He supposedly could also cure a baby's thrush by blowing in its mouth.
Toy
I wouldn't go getting all excited about the whole lysozyme thing. I've busted open E. coli many times, and it was always a major struggle. Supposedly, lysozyme digests the cell wall, thereby making it easier to break open ("lyse") the bacteria. I don't doubt it does just that, but it never seems to work as well as advertised. French press (not like the one for coffee; French pressure cell press is what you want to look for on Wikipedia) is the only way to go. Of course, you don't usually have any in your saliva...
When I was in the Philippines, I learned that some Filipino mothers sucked their infant son's penises to make them bigger in adulthood. It makes sense to me.
Licked any wounds lately?
Does a gash count?
yeah, I've licked some gash.
Did you look this up because you said many commenters were going over to trooper york's blog to lick their wounds? It was an amusing image.
Anyway, I use hot, soapy water in lieu of saliva. That's what separates us from the apes. But I do lick mosquito bites since I heard saliva makes them stop itching. Whether it truly does, or if its just a power of suggestion thing, it seems to work.
Ken in SC, I have so much I would like to say but I'm under surveillance. So, thanks for the insight.
just sayn'
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Human bites, and probably licking wounds, is harmful because of mouth organisms.
Ann, that comment went through with no problem. I don't think I'm paranoid.
Took me right back to "Bananas" :
"Snake Bite! Snake Bite!
I know a guy who has a lawn mowing biz. He has to prick his prick w/ a fork. That's the only way his prissy bride will lick it..only for healing, not pleasure!
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