4 August 2012, 08:56
So we all know that putting salt on a wound stings like hell, and most of us probably know that it was used as an ancient disinfectant to prevent a wound getting infected and worsening...but does it work?
The short answer is yes, it does indeed work.
The long answer as to how it works and why is as follows;
Blood is 83% water, salt is hygroscopic (Hygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment.) it absorbs water which accelerates the tendency for blood to clot and also dries the wound. This helps to deny microorganisms a favourable habitat. Saline solution (just salty water) generates osmotic pressure, which forces water out of the microorganisms to equalise the salt concentration across the cell membrane, this can kill them, and therefore salt acts as a disinfectant. The stinging of the salt is indicative of the salt also causing injury to the body, but in lieu of a better option losing a few healthy skin cells is an acceptable alternative to developing an infection that could even lead to death.
so there you have it, salt does indeed work as a disinfectant, so if your wounded and have some salt, use it to disinfect the wound!...a simple way of gathering salt is to just go to the beach, collect some sea water and boil off the water leaving the salt and some assorted minerals behind, crush as you wish and take home for some nice seasoning as well as a useful medicinal aid!
(thanks to new scientist for publishing this brief outline of how it works, and credit to mike follows of willenhall, west midlands for sending in the answer...its not a word for word copy of the magazine, i did edit it slightly
)
hope that helps it even gives rise to some other potential uses of salt water, e.g. for cleaning utensils and surfaces and a few others
The short answer is yes, it does indeed work.
The long answer as to how it works and why is as follows;
Blood is 83% water, salt is hygroscopic (Hygroscopy is the ability of a substance to attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment.) it absorbs water which accelerates the tendency for blood to clot and also dries the wound. This helps to deny microorganisms a favourable habitat. Saline solution (just salty water) generates osmotic pressure, which forces water out of the microorganisms to equalise the salt concentration across the cell membrane, this can kill them, and therefore salt acts as a disinfectant. The stinging of the salt is indicative of the salt also causing injury to the body, but in lieu of a better option losing a few healthy skin cells is an acceptable alternative to developing an infection that could even lead to death.
so there you have it, salt does indeed work as a disinfectant, so if your wounded and have some salt, use it to disinfect the wound!...a simple way of gathering salt is to just go to the beach, collect some sea water and boil off the water leaving the salt and some assorted minerals behind, crush as you wish and take home for some nice seasoning as well as a useful medicinal aid!
(thanks to new scientist for publishing this brief outline of how it works, and credit to mike follows of willenhall, west midlands for sending in the answer...its not a word for word copy of the magazine, i did edit it slightly
)hope that helps
it even gives rise to some other potential uses of salt water, e.g. for cleaning utensils and surfaces and a few others