Question

the main, or central, idea of the passage is as noted by william baer, some severe wounds can be effectively treated with maggots, which consume dead tissue. how does the detail in bold develop the main idea? while serving in world war i, surgeon william baer noticed something curious: soldiers whose wounds were infested with maggots (the wormlike immature larval form of flies) recovered faster than those whose wounds were maggot - free. although baer was not the first military doctor to take note of this phenomenon, he was the first to apply his observations to the problem of nonhealing wounds. in the 1920s, he began treating hospital patients serious wounds with maggots. the maggots consumed dead tissue, effectively cleaning the wounds and helping the patients heal. while maggot therapy fell out of favor after bacteria - killing antibiotic medications were introduced, it has made a comeback in modern medicine. many clinicians have found that the treatment can be effective for certain types of severe wounds that do not respond to antibiotics. it emphasizes a similarity between maggot therapy and antibiotics. it establishes the modern - day relevance of maggot therapy.

Explanation:

The passage first describes Baer's discovery of maggot - assisted wound healing in World War I, its decline with the advent of antibiotics, and then its resurgence in modern medicine for non - antibiotic - responsive severe wounds. The bolded detail about its modern comeback shows its current relevance.

Answer:

It establishes the modern - day relevance of maggot therapy.