The Metro Section of the Washington Post on February 16 carried an article asking “When things started going downhill?” (it was a tongue-in-cheek article, and quite amusing).

A Mr. Norm Phlion complained that the decline of American civilisation began when Johnson & Johnson removed the tiny red thread from Band-Aid wrappers that made applying a bandage to a bleeding wound quick and easy. “You could well bleed to death before the bandage is available to do its work,” he wrote.

Bingo! For the same reason I will not use Band-Aids. Instead, I use Elastoplast, which used to be made of stretchy fabric that withstood water and rough treatment. Alas, I discovered recently that they have radically changed the product. They have tightly encapsulated each small bandage in sealed plastic that you can’t open. You have to find a pair of scissors, cut right round the plastic and pry the bandage out. By which time there is blood all over everything. To make matters worse the bandage is no longer made of the old fabric and it comes off in no time, especially when moistened. Usage high, utility pathetic.

Why is this petty matter on an Epicurean site, you might ask. Well, the trend is towards cheaper raw materials and easier, automated production, without stopping to think about the end user, standing there getting blood on his clothes etc., using three strips of bandage for wounds that used to be dealt with by one. Secondly, for the injured person the new bandaging from the 2 major global manufacturers does nothing for calm and peace of mind.