The Use of Blowfly Larvae in the Treatment of Infected Wounds1,2

The latest additions to the small group of beneficial insects are the common blowflies Lucilia sericata and Phormia regina. The larvae of these species have recently been elevated from the rank of humble scavengers to a position of respect in modern surgery. Under natural conditions these insects feed, as we know, upon dead and decaying animal tissue, and their associations are repulsive to the layman. In their new role, however, they are bred in hospital laboratories under strictly sanitary conditions and are used by the surgeon with the same care that he takes in operating.