Birch tar as chewing gum is a sure prescription for mouth cancer.
Vishnevsky’s ointment was widely used by Russian docs during WWII, because they had nothing else, but it is no longer in use even in Russia after ~ 80s-90s: bad irritation of the granular tissue with exaggerated scar formation and potential development of skin cancer after long term use. It had no antibacterial effect: to get it, Dr. V. recommended adding streptocid , a sulfa antibacterial. Scientifically, it did not differ much from the old Cossack recipe: a mix of gunpowder, earth and spider webs, chewed up and applied to the wound. My guess that more Cossacks died from tetanus than from their wounds since soil is chock full of Clostridium tetani. Add to it oral flora from saliva, and gangrene is highly likely.
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