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Ophthalmology
In ancient times honey from Attica had a special reputation as a curative substance for eye disorders2.
Aristotle wrote in 350 BC in section 627a 3 of Historia Animalium7 that “White honey.... is good as a salve
for sore eyes”. In India lotus honey in more recent times (1945) lotus honey was said to be a panacea for
eye diseases8. Honey is also a traditional therapy in Mali for measles, it being put in the eyes to prevent the
scarring of the cornea which occurs in this infection11.
Meier has referred to honey being used to treat eyes discharging pus92. Sarma, an ophthalmic surgeon at
Rangaraya Medical College, India, has been treating bacterial corneal ulcers with honey93. The use of honey
to treat blepharitis (inflammation of the eye-lids), catarrhal conjunctivitis, and keratitis (inflammation
of the cornea) has also been reported94: good results in general were obtained, with remission in more than
60% of the cases. Another report has described the use of honey in place of petroleum jelly in a 3%
sulfidine eye ointment for the treatment of three cases of keratitis95: significant improvement in one case
and complete restoration of vision in the other two cases resulted from the treatment with honey, yet there
had been no effect when treated with the 3% sulfidine in petroleum jelly. This same paper reported the
successful treatment with the honey ointment of 28 patients with various ailments of the cornea, successful
in all cases; also the effective treatment with honey of syphilitic keratitis, corneal ulcers, injuries to the
cornea, and lime burns of the cornea. It also described a case where a lime burn of the cornea was treated
with pure honey, with half-vision being restored in 12 days; and reported that several cases of scrofulous
keratitis had responded to treatment with pure honey. Mozherenkov and Prokof'eva have reviewed the use of
honey in ophthalmology in Russia96. Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal actions are seen, the
honey being applied to the eye under the lower eyelid. It has been used for chemical and thermal burns to the
eye, conjunctivitis, and infections of the cornea, being applied undiluted or as a 20 – 50% solution in
water.
The results have been reported of treating 102 patients with a variety of ophthalmological disorders not
responding to conventional treatment, such as keratitis, conjunctivitis and blepharitis97. The honey was
applied under the lower eyelid as eye ointment would be applied. Improvement was seen in 85% of the cases,
with no deterioration seen in any of the other 15%. There was reported a transient stinging sensation and
redness of the eye soon after putting honey in the eye, but never enough to stop the treatment in the 102
cases in the trial. A similar reaction was reported by one of the other authors describing the use of honey in
ophthalmology95.
Ophthalmology
In ancient times honey from Attica had a special reputation as a curative substance for eye disorders2.
Aristotle wrote in 350 BC in section 627a 3 of Historia Animalium7 that “White honey.... is good as a salve
for sore eyes”. In India lotus honey in more recent times (1945) lotus honey was said to be a panacea for
eye diseases8. Honey is also a traditional therapy in Mali for measles, it being put in the eyes to prevent the
scarring of the cornea which occurs in this infection11.
Meier has referred to honey being used to treat eyes discharging pus92. Sarma, an ophthalmic surgeon at
Rangaraya Medical College, India, has been treating bacterial corneal ulcers with honey93. The use of honey
to treat blepharitis (inflammation of the eye-lids), catarrhal conjunctivitis, and keratitis (inflammation
of the cornea) has also been reported94: good results in general were obtained, with remission in more than
60% of the cases. Another report has described the use of honey in place of petroleum jelly in a 3%
sulfidine eye ointment for the treatment of three cases of keratitis95: significant improvement in one case
and complete restoration of vision in the other two cases resulted from the treatment with honey, yet there
had been no effect when treated with the 3% sulfidine in petroleum jelly. This same paper reported the
successful treatment with the honey ointment of 28 patients with various ailments of the cornea, successful
in all cases; also the effective treatment with honey of syphilitic keratitis, corneal ulcers, injuries to the
cornea, and lime burns of the cornea. It also described a case where a lime burn of the cornea was treated
with pure honey, with half-vision being restored in 12 days; and reported that several cases of scrofulous
keratitis had responded to treatment with pure honey. Mozherenkov and Prokof'eva have reviewed the use of
honey in ophthalmology in Russia96. Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal actions are seen, the
honey being applied to the eye under the lower eyelid. It has been used for chemical and thermal burns to the
eye, conjunctivitis, and infections of the cornea, being applied undiluted or as a 20 – 50% solution in
water.
The results have been reported of treating 102 patients with a variety of ophthalmological disorders not
responding to conventional treatment, such as keratitis, conjunctivitis and blepharitis97. The honey was
applied under the lower eyelid as eye ointment would be applied. Improvement was seen in 85% of the cases,
with no deterioration seen in any of the other 15%. There was reported a transient stinging sensation and
redness of the eye soon after putting honey in the eye, but never enough to stop the treatment in the 102
cases in the trial. A similar reaction was reported by one of the other authors describing the use of honey in
ophthalmology95.
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