Bombyx Mori
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
An article from the 1928–1936 Soviet Great Medical Encyclopedia detailing the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), its cultivation for silk, and the medical and surgical uses of silk threads and fabrics.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
BOMBYX MORI L., the silkworm, a butterfly belonging to beneficial insects utilized by man (it is not found in the wild state). The silkworm caterpillar feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree. Before pupation, the caterpillar emits a silk thread from its silk glands, with which it repeatedly wraps itself, thereby forming a cocoon. The threads of the cocoon killed by hot water are unwound in a special way and used for the manufacture of silk (threads, fabric, etc.). Silk threads have found wide application in surgery, where they are used for suturing wounds. Silk fabrics, which are distinguished by their thinness, strength, lightness, and warmth, also find some technical application in medicine.
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“Bombyx Mori.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.com/article/bombyx-mori/