Wound licking

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A gorilla licking a wound

Wound licking is an instinctive response in humans and many other animals to cover an

blood clotting mechanism. The enzyme lysozyme is found in many tissues and is known to attack the cell walls of many gram-positive bacteria
, aiding in defense against infection. Tears are also beneficial to wounds due to the lysozyme enzyme. However, there are also infection risks due to bacteria in the mouth.

Mechanism

A dog licking a wounded paw
Further information: Saliva § Disinfectants

debride
the wound and remove gross contamination from the affected area. In a recent study, scientists have confirmed through several experiments that the protein responsible for healing properties in human saliva is, in fact, histatin. Scientists are now looking for ways to make use of this information in ways that can lead to chronic wounds, burns, and injuries being healed by saliva.[33]

In animals

A cat with an Elizabethan collar
Lick granuloma from excessive licking

It has been long observed that the licking of their wounds by dogs might be beneficial. Indeed, a dog's saliva is

bactericidal against the bacteria Escherichia coli and Streptococcus canis, although not against coagulase-positive Staphylococcus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.[34]
Wound licking is also important in other animals. Removal of the salivary glands of mice
macaques, hair surrounding a wound and any dirt is removed, and the wound is licked, healing without infection.[38]

Risks

Wound licking is beneficial but too much licking can be harmful. An

kudu antelopes by wound licking of wounds with residual infectious saliva.[40]

In humans

Religion and legend

There are many legends involving healing wounds by licking them or applying saliva. Saint

Roman Emperor Vespasian is said to have performed a healing of a blind man using his saliva.[42] Pliny the Elder in his Natural History reported that a fasting woman's saliva is an effective cure for bloodshot eyes.[43]

In the Hebrew Bible saliva is associated with uncleanliness. However, in the Gospels, there are three different incidents in which Jesus uses saliva to cure (Mark 7:33, Mark 8:23, John 9:6). Köstenberger suggests "by using saliva to cure a man, Jesus claims to possess unusual spiritual authority."[44]

Risks

There are potential health hazards in wound licking due to infection risk, especially in

bicycle accident, and subsequently had to have the thumb amputated after it became infected with Eikenella corrodens from his saliva.[45]

Licking of people's wounds by animals

History and legend

Further information: Dogs in religion

Dog saliva has been said by many cultures to have curative powers in people.

Lazarus the Beggar's sores are licked by dogs, although no curative effects are reported by the Evangelist.[citation needed
]

Modern cases

There are contemporary reports of the healing properties of dog saliva. Fijian fishermen are reported to allow dogs to lick their wounds to promote healing,[14] and a case of dog saliva promoting wound healing was reported in the Lancet medical journal.[53]

Risks

As with the licking of wounds by people, wound licking by animals carries a risk of infection. Allowing pet cats to lick open wounds can cause

dog allergy.[61]
Cases of serious infection following the licking of wounds by pets include:

Idiomatic use

Look up lick one's wounds in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

To "lick your wounds" means to "withdraw temporarily while recovering from a defeat"[73]

The phrase was spoken by

Antony in John Dryden's seventeenth century play All for Love:[74]

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.

See also

References

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