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Gentle persons, it is said, with some truth, that whenever more than two Pods get together, (especially if there is a bottle of Laphroig to hand to loosen the tongues), the conversation turns inevitably to the latest VP treatment. As it is at least two weeks since I talked to any fellow Pods about VP's I am suffering withdrawel symptoms. Have any cures surfaced in that time, other than cutting the foot off?
A friend of mine, BEEBP (before the era of Evidence Based Practice) researched the topic of wart cures and came up with a plant used by South African tribes who appeared to never have warts on their skin. Apparently they used leaves of a plant to cure their warts. The only known complication was it caused meningitis in sheep when they ate it otherwise there were no reported contraindications for humans.
He contacted a botanical scientist and found there was a plant commonly grown in the UK which came from the same family. The plant was called Kalanchoe blossfeldiana <http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Crassulaceae/Kalanchoe_blossfeldiana.html> there is a fuller description at <http://www.valentine.gr/kalanchoe_en.htm>
Martin (for his name is Martin Ried) used the plant on plantar warts with 100% success. He cut the leaf (thick and diciduous) the approximate size of the wart before removing the thin layer of leaf epidermis and placing the moist surface to the skin. The leaf was held there with occlusive strapping for 48 hours before being replaced. This was repeated for two weeks by which time the wart and surrounding skin had desquimated, leaving normal skin exposed beneath The treated skin appeared macerated between applications, milar to applications of salicylic acid . At the time the clinician thought desquamation was due to a natural salicilate contained within the plant circulation which cause water retension cause by breakdown in side salt linkages of the kerating molecules . This was never confirmed but the practitioner continued to use the herbal preparation with complete success. In the late seventies I worked at Chaley Heritage (residential hospital for severely physically and mentally challenged children) in the UK and due to the problems associated with poor healing in paralysed limbs deliberate breakdown of skin was contraindicated. Hence everyone dreaded verruca which had a high prevelence at varies times of the year. I introduced the use of kalanchoe for treating plantar warts and as far as I know my successor continued same with 100% success rate. About the same time I contacted the Homeopathic Hospital in London but no one could trace an association with the plant and medicinal application.
More recently I was speaking to research chemist at Curtin University working on skin cancer research and when I explained my colleagues's work with the plant , the researcher sheepishly admitted they too were finding remarkable prelimenary results with a similar strain but would not (or could not?) elaborate.
For non - botanists, certain varieties of this plant in the UK are commonly called 'mother of thousands. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalanchoe. If I had my 'Druthers', i'druther not treat them, but how far can you stand on the moral high ground in private practice and refuse requests for treatment?. Its obviously correct and mandatory to do so if you believe a treatment will harm but if not???. Getting a reputation as someone who does not provide services requested, especially when the local pharmacy and the FHP down the road are happy to supply all sorts of gloop to lather on the foot, ultimately degrades the Client base upon whom we CAN practise good solid EBM for the benefit of all (and earn enough enough to buy food and Laphroig )
I bought a battery powered cautery years ago, came with a set of wire - loop elements which glow red hot. Have never used it aggressively for VP but its very useful for coagulating minor Hems' when debriding them, if you are very quick its painless for such use ( and the little curl of smoke drifting upwards impresses the Pts no end - especially when they dont feel anything - although the Nurse in the room next door says the smell makes her feel sick) However, what about, say, an ankle block, and really fryin' 'em?
Diabetic clinic I worked at in the olden days used PIG FACE, a succulent with long finger like leaves. The pod cut into the flesh and applied. My colleague had good results, had used it for 15 years and had no visible side effects. Not new treatment but I thought I would join in. What were you drinking?
I think I worked with him once, but I never tried to put him on a VP. Seriously, could we be talking the same Botanical here? Is this a local name for Kalanchoe blossfeldiana. On the subject of incandescent-wire electro cautery, my 1993 'Neales' covers it briefly but it seems to disappear in my 1998 edition which merely refers to high frequency fulgaration. As the temperatures involved in the latter are potentially a lot lower (Lane, O'Brien, Kent -Dermatologic SurgeryVolume 32 Page 669 - May 2006) does this mean that some CI's emerged about the much higher temperatures of incandescent wire? I have never used a hyfrecator personally and only have a theoretical appreciation of their use in electro-dessication or HF cauterisation. Anybody out there use them for VP's routinely? (PS, hj--ray, Tea i'm afraid, but I may just lever the cork out of the Laphroig later)
Duct tape works really well.Have the patient wrap the wart up with duct tape and have him/her leave it on for a couple of weeks.The tape is not to be removed at all.In that time,the wart will macerate,shrivel up and die.I get good results with it,and when I had a wart on my hand,that is what I did after consulting with my doctor.The wart is gone and it never recurred.
Oh No! not verrucae
Thanks Cameron & Admin.
Pig Face?
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