Some thoughts on World First Aid Day, because candle wax on frostbite just isn’t the vibe anymore

If you are still of the belief that you can suck the venom out from a snake bite, or that butter will soothe a burn, read on.

Please.

We’re begging you.

It’s been a long time since mouldy bread was suggested as infection prevention and thankfully, the days of bloodletting and trepanning are long gone.

Wait.

What?

Bloodletting?

Trepanning?

Believe it or not, medieval medicos thought drilling a hole in the skull of those suffering head trauma, seizures, pain, or “mental illness” would relieve pressure and release “evil spirits”.

Yikes.

They also rubbed goose fat and candle wax on frostbitten limbs, just in case you were wondering what they did for fun.

Compared to the ancient Romans and Greeks, though, these guys were relatively tame.

Fancy a urine mouthwash to freshen your breath?

How about drinking a gallon of gladiator blood to cure your epilepsy?

Other debunked first aid treatments involve the deadly nightshade which, spoiler alert, literally tells you what it does in its name, and the honest-to-God belief that blowing smoke up one’s, er, rectum, could revive an unresponsive patient.

Yikes.

Thankfully, those days are long gone.

But there are still some first aid myths doing the rounds that are hard to shake.

Please don’t pee on a jellyfish sting.

Please don’t pour hydrogen peroxide on a cut.

And, for the love of all that is holy – including trepanned skulls – stick with St John WA for your first aid needs.

We’re not saying all of history had bad vibes … but we are saying it tried to treat epilepsy with blood smoothies.

Put the stick blender away and book your first aid course today.

No time for that?

At the very least, make sure you have a first aid kit on hand.

(It’s cheaper than goose fat … or a drill.)