In old movies, cartoons, books, and television shows, viewers may spot a recurring trope of characters pressing slices of raw meat to painful black eyes and other swollen injuries. This, presumably, was a way to cool down the injury and reduce swelling, similar to the common practice of applying ice to a wound. Historically, this raw meat folk remedy is thought to have originated before the advent of modern refrigeration and freezing technology. Iceboxes, and the contents that could be stored within them, were more complicated back in the day, meaning that ice cubes, frozen goods, and clean cold compresses were not as freely available to the average household. People did, however, have steaks and other meats chilling in their iceboxes. In the absence of sanitary frozen or cold items, some people decided to soothe their swelling wounds with chilled slabs of meat.
Once the idea of using meat to treat pain and swelling had infiltrated the popular consciousness, curious discrepancies and preferences started to occur. Although a cold steak was the most popular meat remedy, other types of meats were frequently suggested and there were also debates over whether the meat should be cold or warm when applied to the wound. In Herbert Krause’s The Thresher (published in 1946), a character named Mr. Peiser swore by freshly-slaughtered chicken. Krause disturbingly wrote, “‘Tell ya what you shoulda done.’ Mr Peiser settled himself solidly. ‘Best thing for a bad swelling is to kill a chicken, cut it in half, and wrap it right over the sore. The chicken’s heat and the blood, that’s the best thing for drawing out a soreness that I know’” (Herbert Krause, The Thresher, Part 4, chapter 20).
Despite the frequent portrayal of the meat folk remedy in cinema, it is not at all recommended by medical professionals. Quite the opposite, applying raw meat to a wound—especially to eyes, cuts, or other vulnerable entryways to your body system—can be incredibly dangerous. Bacteria and other contaminants on the meat can enter your eyes or wounds and worsen the situation. Johns Hopkins Medicine warns, “Never apply a raw steak to the black eye (as seen in movies). Bacteria on raw meat increases the risk for infection. This type of treatment does not help” (read their article here). Instead of raw meat, just use a bag of ice or other genuine cold compresses.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Picture Attribution: L-2155-D, Jack Davenport and dog with beefsteak, 1939, San Antonio Light Photograph Collection, UTSA Special Collections. [Unspecified Rights] via https://digital.utsa.edu/digital/collection/p9020coll2/id/2526
Sources:
- The Thresher by Herbert Krause (published by The Bobbs-Merril Company, 1946).
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/eye-injury-black-eye
- https://www.ceenta.com/news-blog/the-dangers-of-putting-steak-on-a-black-eye
