Two recent circumstances have prompted this blog.

First, I went down the rabbit hole when I was doing research on medical practices during the Civil War for the Petticoats and Patriots series. Kate Brodie, the heroine in Her Rebel Heart, was a Confederate nurse trained by her late father, a doctor.  The Confederacy was woefully unprepared for the resulting casualties of the war, and three years later in 1864 when the story was set, bandages were petticoats, feedbags, and any type of fabric that would cover a wound.

The second is because of my grandson. He loves band aids for every little scrape on his body. His choice, of course, isn’t the utilitarian band aid, but ones depicting Superman, dinosaurs, or Paw Patrol, or Lightning McQueen. He wears them like a badge of honor, pointing them out to everyone he meets.

Of course, there have always been cuts and scrapes, but there haven’t always been adhesive bandages. This fact was painfully clear to a young housewife named Josephine Dickson.

Back in 1920, this newlywed was living in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with her husband Earle, and though married life agreed with her, housekeeping did not. Not that she didn’t try. When Earle came home from his job as a cotton buyer at Johnson & Johnson, Josephine would always have dinner on the table. Unfortunately, she’d also have several cuts or burns on her fingers. Without an adhesive bandage, Josephine had no easy way of bandaging her own cuts. Earle had to cut pieces of adhesive tape and cotton gauze and make a bandage for each wound. This happened day after day-and, day after day Josephine needed more bandages. They were in a real bind.

Finally, after several weeks of kitchen accidents, Earle hit upon an idea. (Luckily for Johnson & Johnson, his idea was not to go out and hire a cook.) No, Earle sat down and prepared some ready-made bandages by placing squares of cotton gauze at intervals along an adhesive strip and covering them with crinoline. Now all Josephine had to do was cut off a length of the strip and wrap it over her cut. In a way, it was a mother who was responsible for the invention of the band aid.

At the time, Johnson & Johnson made both surgical adhesive tape and gauze intended for covering cuts–Dickson’s innovation was to put those two things together. Recognizing the invention’s potential, Dickson shared his design with his employer, Johnson & Johnson. The company introduced Band-Aid Brand Adhesive Bandages commercially in 1921, creating a completely new category of ready-to-use wound dressings.

Initially, however, the product was not an immediate success

Before the invention of the Band-Aid, treating even a minor cut required separate sterile gauze and adhesive tape, making self-care inconvenient. Earlier advances in wound care, particularly Joseph Lister’s antiseptic principles in the 19th century, had emphasized the importance of sterile dressings in preventing infection. However, there was still no simple, ready-to-use solution for everyday injuries. Earle Dickson’s invention combined sterile gauze and adhesive tape into a single dressing, making wound care quicker, easier, and more accessible for home use.

The first Band-Aids were handmade, measuring approximately 18 inches long and requiring users to cut them into suitable sizes. Because consumers were unfamiliar with the concept of an all-in-one adhesive dressing, early sales remained modest.

A major turning point came in 1924, when Johnson & Johnson introduced pre-cut Band-Aids. Machine-made, pre-cut Band-Aid adhesive bandages replaced the earlier cut-to-size versions, offering a standard size of 3 inches by ¾ inch for immediate use. The packaging also featured a small red pull string, allowing consumers to open it quickly and conveniently.

The outbreak of World War II further accelerated the popularity of Band-Aid adhesive bandages.

Millions of Band-Aids were supplied to military personnel serving overseas. Soldiers became accustomed to using the convenient dressings for minor injuries and many continued relying on them after returning home. Wartime distribution significantly expanded public awareness and cemented Band-Aid’s place in first-aid kits around the world.

Rather than remaining unchanged, Band-Aid continued to evolve with advances in wound care. Over the years, the brand introduced waterproof bandages, flexible fabric designs, stronger adhesives, specialized bandages for fingers and knuckles, and products designed for sensitive skin. Its history still came with a few big milestones including the introduction of machine-made band-aids in 1924, the sale of sterilized band-aids in 1939, and the replacement of regular tape with vinyl tape in 1958, all of which were marketed as the latest in at-home medical care.

The long-time slogan of Band-Aid, especially since it began marketing to children and parents in the mid-1950s, is “I am stuck on Band-Aid brand ’cause Band-Aids stuck on me!” and indicates a family-friendly value that Johnson & Johnson is known for. (Admit it…Can’t you just hear that jingle in your head!!)In 1951, Band-Aids introduced the first decorative band-aids which featured the cartoon character Mickey Mouse in the hope they’d appeal to children. These ongoing innovations have allowed the brand to remain relevant for more than a century.

Not every medical breakthrough starts with years of research. Sometimes, it begins with a simple act of care. Earle Dickson wasn’t trying to change the world, he was just looking for an easier way to help his wife treat her frequent kitchen injuries. His solution went on to change first aid for generations.

More than 100 years after its invention, the Band-Aid remains one of the most recognizable examples of how practical design, continuous innovation, and compassionate problem-solving can improve everyday healthcare for millions of people.

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North and South. Yankee and Rebel. Union and Confederate.
In the midst of the Civil War, can two hearts come together?
When the tide of war sweeps south and the Union Army invades and destroys the Georgia cotton mill where Kate Brodie is a nurse, not only is her livelihood destroyed but she’s branded a traitor and shipped northward with the other workers. Only the unlikely attention of a Yankee major makes the trip tolerable.

Union major, Griffin Fletcher loathes the part of his job that requires him to destroy homes, towns, and livelihoods of innocent civilians. But he’s sworn to uphold the Union at all costs. Yet, he vows to protect these women he’s been ordered to transport to Marietta. Especially the one whose fiery determination, proud stance, and soft heart draws him closer.

Determined to remain in the South, Kate makes a daring leap of faith to nurse wounded Yankee soldiers, never expecting Major Fletcher to be one of her patients. Along with his healing, they each faced the fears and prejudices that had brought them together.
With survival so tenuous, can faith help them find love in the midst of so much tragedy?

*******GIVEAWAY*******

To win an e-book copy of Her Rebel Heart, share a memory of a childhood incident when you needed a band-aid, or two!