Researchers have noticed how chimpanzees use insects to treat their own wounds and the wounds of their relatives. At the same time, the healing properties of some insects have been known to people since ancient times.
Alessandra Mascaro, an evolutionary biologist and volunteer with the Loango Chimpanzee Project, noticed behavior that had not previously been reported by any other primatologist in Africa: “The adult male, Littlegray, had a deep open wound on his shin, and Carol, the adult female, was caring for him. , suddenly reached out to catch the insect. What struck me most was the fact that she handed it to Littlegray, he applied it to his wound, and subsequently Carol and two other adult chimpanzees also touched the wound and moved the insect over it. Three unrelated chimpanzees, it seems , behaved in this way solely for the benefit of a member of their group.”
As a result, a research team from the University of Osnabrück and the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project came to the conclusion: chimpanzees deliberately inflict insects on their own wounds and the wounds of their relatives. Having recorded a total of 22 events of applying “insect patches” to wounds, a team of zoologists concluded that flying insects most likely have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, vesti.ru reports.
Currently, in alternative medicine, the method of “treatment with green fly larvae” is known: doctors use allantoin, extracted from fly larvae, to treat osteomyelitis. But some healers do not bother themselves with extracting allantoin – instead, they inject the larvae into the affected areas. As the larvae develop and grow, they absorb infectious bacteria, damaged and already dead cells.
There are also some strange and incredible treatments that people used in ancient times and the Middle Ages. The information below is provided for informational purposes only and in no way constitutes a guide to action!
Bee venom therapy is based on the fact that bee venom (apitoxin) is rich in enzymes, peptides, glucocorticoids and other medicinal components. Bee venom is effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, but overuse of this method can lead to serious poisoning.
Ant venom reduces tumors and relieves pain, and is widely used to treat arthritis. Green tree ants are used by the Aboriginal people of Australia to relieve headaches and heal wounds. To achieve a greater effect, the natives make tea from insects, which tastes like green.
In the jungles of South America and Africa, some locals use stray ants to treat open wounds: after the ant bites a person, its body is torn off, leaving its head in the wound and speeding up its healing. After this procedure, the scars from the former wound are almost invisible.
Cockroach brain contains a potent antibiotic that can easily relieve pain and mild infections. To achieve a therapeutic effect, the cockroach brain must be drunk or eaten. Treatment of syphilis with the stings of malaria mosquitoes is that malaria “feeds” on syphilis bacteria, without harming the owner of the disease. And to replenish iron levels in the body, fried termite or silkworm larvae are suitable.
And finally, hirudotherapy (treatment with leeches) is a method of treating diseases using leeches. Of course, leeches are not insects, but worms, but the treatment method is also interesting. People have been using leeches to treat various diseases since ancient times. This method was used by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Leeches are actively used in medicine in our time. Medicinal leeches are used to treat high blood pressure, angina, coronary artery disease, brain diseases, varicose veins, blood clots, hemorrhoids, eczema and dermatitis.
