h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I nearly landed on a farm house once

...maggots secrete some substance that sterilizes the wound...

...enzymes which help to digest the microbes, which from the point of view of the maggots, are tasty tidbits...

The effect was first brought into application in modern medicine on a basis of medical observation of maggot infested WW I era battlefield wounds, confirmed on a basis of observations of tribals from Papua-New Guinea suffering spear wounds running clean through their bodies, sustained in inter tribal warfare.

Digestive enzymes from the saliva of Pariah Dogs is also reputed to have beneficial effects, even against some antibiotic resistant skin infections.

Enzymes from the saliva of leeches and vampire bats have potent anti-clotting effects. (Be sure your vampire bat is certified rabies free.) The saliva of the vampire bat also yields an anesthetic venin.

ITIWBS, I'll keep that in mind

I always let the dog lick my children's wounds whenever they had skinned their knees. It's also the best way of cleaning them gently, removing little pieces of dirt and gravel quite painlessly...

* goes to fetch rabies-free s for his medicine cabinet*

Do you collect them yourself, Pierce, or do you know a store that carries such things?

I borrowed a net from a collector

He'll probably let you keep until next May or June. Not many around in the winter.

Now that you mention it I never heard of a cold blooded butterfly

They aren't vertebrates. There's no blood involved. In cold weather they die or migrate or hibernate somewhere. Given the basics of their life cycles, there would be nothing for them to do in the winter if they were warm-blooded. No flowers to sip nectar from. No leaves to chomp....

We all have our shortcomings

That's very true. Happily, we're the descendants of the organisms that survived the obstacles that were placed in their paths.

Indeed!

And I have been telling my offspring that each of them are the result of a sperm cell winning over millions of others, so they are born winners one and all

I'm guessing that you probably didn't produce many bad sperm cells, Pierce.

Now there's a compliment if ever I heard one...

indeed

Judging from my offspring you are absolutely right, paulh

I have no doubt that they will pass the favor on down to the next generation.

I have no doubt they will at least try

over and over again

Think of the poor Chinese. They only get to have one child per couple. That means getting it right the first time, with no chance to try again if the child is a

I got it right the first time, and after that I was just pushing my luck!