A brief history of wound care

Since the caveman, man has been tending to his wounds. Wound care evolved from magical incantations, potions, and ointments, to a systematic text of wound care and surgery from Hippocrates and Celsus. These advances were lost after the fall of the Roman Empire. In Europe, the Middle Ages were a regression of wound care back to potions and charms. It wasn't until the time of large armies using muskets and cannons that surgical wound care emerged again. This article will briefly highlight major milestones in wound care.