The enclosure of ahand in a silk envelope as part of the Bunyan-Stannard treatment of burns

A man demonstrating the enclosure of his hand in a silk envelope as part of the Bunyan-Stannard treatment of burns. In 1940 Bunyan and Stannard reported the successful treatment of a large infected burn by using a coated silk ‘envelope’ and immersing and irrigating the burn with electrolytic sodium hypochlorite three times a day. This treatment, Bunyan claimed, enabled burns to heal “rapidly and painlessly, with the maximum preservation of function”. It could be used in war, for example in field ambulances and dressing stations, due to its simple method. Bunyan-Stannard irrigation envelopes were issued as part of first aid equipment by the RAF for use by aircrews; the envelopes provided protection from infection in burns, and could be worn whilst continuing active service.

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