HIya Boomers. Replaying this marvelous game. I'm at the point (please reference the walkthrough if needed) where I have the 10 ants on a blade of grass, I've presented them to Mina in the windmill (staying away from the cougar prowling outside). When I click on the action icon and the inset pic of Mina's wound is shown, I"m supposed to get the ants to clean the wound, but the action gear-icon within the wound-inset pic stays crossed-out/red. I cant get the ants to clean the wound no matter what. is this a bug???? THanks. Be well, everyone.

All I can do is refer you to the walkthrough, which you have probably looked at already.

My suggestion, if no one else is able to assist, is to watch a video walkthrough on YouTube. I have players here who have been helped by this because it shows them any step(s) they might have missed.

However, let's wait and see if anyone comes along who is familiar with this game.

Did you give her an antiseptic?

I tried giving Mina the antiseptic plant, and she said "I don't need that" (I may have already given her one of the antiseptic flowers I don't remember and my earlier saved game is WAY back). Also tried giving her the clean rag and she said to Jep she "doesn't need that yet; hold onto it". So I click on ants-on-grass-blade and she asks "are you giving me ants Jep?". I do so with "gift" icon, then the scene changes to her sitting near windmill spinner, Jep is crouching, and when I click on action gear-icon the inset pic of the long,bloody wound comes up. THen when I click on the wound, THAT action icon stays redded-(crossed-) out. SO I cant place the ants on the wound. Stuck completely.
I resorted to the WT here and have done exactly what I was supposed to do. Also, in the video walkthrough online, when that area happens the video-player is able to place the ants on the inset pic of the wound. SO I can only assume this is a bug.

If this is a download version of the game (not the original disc version), you need to find a walkthrough for the download version.

First person games originally made by Kheops, Cryo, and Microids that are currently being sold as download versions are ports of the console/tablet version of the game, which has puzzles "simplified" or removed. It can be confusing if you're using a walkthrough for the original disc version, which indicates there's a puzzle, when there is no puzzle in your downloaded version of the game.

Well, I'm not sure what to say about that. I was just looking at the walkthrough here also and at UHS hints. Maybe you should look there. It seems she would have needed that rag already. The trouble is you can do things in different order so it's hard to say.

I'm sorry I can't be more help than that.

I just saw what Jenny wrote but I'm pretty sure that the walkthrough worked fine for me with the download version. I played the Steam version in 2018. I just cannot remember specifics of how each thing worked though.

The download versions of the game that I know of, such as GOG, are the complete, original game.

I am SO sorry to make ALL of you most helpful GBers read all this, but after much frustration, I had not even noticed that the ants-on-a-stick were on the very top of my screen, over such a dark background I never even saw them. Problem solved! I cant believe how many things I tried, I just didnt SEE them on top-screen. Guess I'm wearing glasses while playing games now. PLease feel free to delete this thread of mine, or keep it going to help others in the future.
THanks for all your help/research (above): it's much appreciated.
ROb
PS: I was playing the Steam version of the game, not my old CD-version of the game from back in '04.

No worries, robedits. Such things happen to the best of us. Glad you got it figured out.

Yup! Happens to a lot of us alright! Have fun!