S.K. Livingston and the maggot therapy of wounds

Abstract

Stanton K. Livingston was this country's foremost authority on the maggot therapy of war wounds in the years following World War I. His contributions to the literature, including his methodology for raising flies and applying their maggots, are discussed. Prior to the antibiotic era, maggot therapy was the most effective means of promoting wound healing, and Livingston's research, albeit poorly reported by modern standards, was responsible for preserving the lives and limbs of hundreds of veterans. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 1997.