Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-10
PERSONAL HEALTH
SERVICE
Poultices and Typewriters.
BY WILLIAM BRADY, M. d.

An Ohio reader says his friend argues
that poultice draws sore to q
head" and that some salves do the
same thing; and peach leaves made
into a pulp with -four and hot water
are the best material for q poultice
The reader argues that the only value
of poultice is in applying heat and
moisture, and that therefore poultices
should be applied as hot as may be
endurable; and, further, they may be
made of any material, such as rags
paper, bread, meal, etc., soaked in hot
water. Finally, the reader suspects
will ridicule the idea of using poultices
at all.
Well, that depends on whose neck is
sore. If it is mine, I'd rather like a
nice big flaxSeed meal poultice on it,
think, about bedtime.
I don't know about peach leaves, but
I believe the material for poultice is
| immaterial. The purpose is to apply
moist heat, and anything that will :'e-
tain heat and moisture Is a good mate
rial, provided it be clean.
Now, flaXseed meal or other such
pOultice material is in itself a good
pabulum or culture medium for germs,
| and the common pus germs will grow
| in It, So it is well to add to q poultice
some germicide for the purpose of dis
injecting the poultice when or If any
of the germs get into 1t. For this pur-
pose boric acid may be used.
Perhaps f1axseed meal or other meals
will hold the heat longer, but nowadays
we have a preference for large COM
presses: that Is, many folds of cheese
cloth (gauze), kept moistened with hot
water, or. better, hot salt solution, with
boric acid in the solution, as q more
cleanly means of providing the effects
of poultice. This is commonly called
wet dressing" The whole dressing
may be covered with waXed paper or
oiled silk or rubber to keep the cloth
ing or bed clothing dry. The whole
dressing may be plunged in hot solu-
ton at intervals If q change of dress
ing Is not necessary.
Salt solution somewhat stronger than
the salt strength of the blood serum Is
advisable, for the so-called drawing"
effect. We usually use salt solution
of about the salt strength of sea water.
This tends to favor drainage drainage
is the modern term for "drawing")
The stronger salt solution attracts water
from the tissues, and in that water or
serum much septic or harmful mate
rial Is drained from the infected tissues.
Suppose you had a 'run-around" or
young boil or the reddening swelling
or throbbing that suggests infection OF
some trif1ing wound. First give the
hand or arm a prolonged soaking in q
large basin or tank of water as hot as
bearable, and in the water dissolve for
each pint used two heaping teaspoon
fuls of common salt and one of sodium
citrate and one of boric acid. After
soaking for an, hour or more, make
some fresh hot solution of the same
ingredients and apply large wet dress
ing. Change this, or at least keep it
constantly moistened with the hot so
luton many times through the day and
night.
| Where plain poultices are used there
is always the risk of transferring pus
germs to a fresh point of culturing
Ia fresh boil. Therefore, / think 1t is
| a good rule never to poultice a boil. II
it Is a boil, it should be drained, either
surgically or naturally and always with
antiseptic or germicidal precautions.
Copyright, 1879