Gauze

Gauze is a thin, translucent fabric with a open weave.

Uses and types

Gauze was originally made of silk and was used for clothing. It is now used for many different things, including gauze sponges for medical purposes. When used as a medical dressing, gauze is generally made of cotton. It is especially useful for dressing wounds where other fabrics might stick to the burn or laceration. Many modern medical gauzes are covered with a plastic porous film such as Telfa or a polyblend which prevents direct contact and further minimizes wound adhesion. Also, it can be impregnated with a thick, creamy mixture of zinc oxide and calamine to promote healing, as in Unna's boot.

In film and theatre, gauze is often fashioned into a scrim.

Gauze used in bookbinding is called mull, and is used in case binding to adhere the text block to the book cover.

Modern gauze is also made of synthetic fibers, especially when used in clothing. It can also be made of metal, such as a wire gauze placed on top of a Bunsen burner, used in a safety lamp or spark arrestor, or used as a fence.

Etymology of the word

English "gauze" comes from the synonymous French word "gaze". Some sources say gauze was traditionally woven in Palestine and the English word derives from the place name for Gaza ( ), a center of weaving in the region. Despite a prohibition on trade with non-Christians from religious authorities in medieval Europe, a fine type of silk known as gazzatum was imported from Gaza as early as the 13th century. Though members of religious orders in Europe were forbidden to wear it, the fabric won a place for itself and emerged into modern life as gauze. A different theory for the word's etymology is that it came from an Arabic and Persian word qazz meaning "raw silk"; see Dictionary.Reference.com.

See also

Wire netting

Mesh

Adhesive bandage

References

External links

Cotton gauze as non-adherent dressing (with image)

Category:Woven fabrics Category:Medical equipment Category:Arabic words and phrases