Poultices

A poultice is a raw or mashed herb applied directly to the body, or applied wet directly to the body, or encased in a clean cloth and then applied. Poultices are used to heal bruises, break up congestion, reduce inflammation, withdraw pus from putrid sores, soothe abrasions, or withdraw toxins from an area. They may be applied hot or cold, depending on the health need. Cold poultices (and compresses) are used to withdraw the heat from an inflamed or congested area. Use a hot poultice or compress to relax spasms and for some pains.

If the area does not respond quickly or adequately, seek the advice of a physician. A Partial List of Effective Poultices

This list contains many everyday kitchen herbs that you will find on your grocery or refrigerator shelves, important herbs that should be found in your medicine chest, or common weeds that are found in any park, wayside, or meadow.

Arnica Dip a cloth in arnica tincture and water, or apply arnica lotion to any unbroken skin bruise or sprain. Never use arnica on an open wound.

Cabbage Wash leaf of white cabbage. Break ridges or veins. Attach to running sore. Cabbage has an affinity to pus and will draw out poisons from the body. As soon as the leaf gets hot, replace i t.

Carrot Use raw grated carrot, or boil and mash the carrot, and crush into a pulp. Leftover juice extractor pulp may be used for healing purposes. Apply to putrid sores. Use raw, scraped carrot pulp on chapped nipples.

Castor Oil Apply the deodorized oil of castor oil on a cloth for inflammation, swellings, and bruises. Use hot castor oil poultices for chronic rheumatism. Keep this oil impregnated cloth in a plastic bag and reuse whenever needed. You may heat this oil poultice with an electric heating pad whenever you wish. Castor oil is an exceptionally healing substance.

Comfrey Apply either green mashed leaves, or slightly moistened dried green leaves, or gummy boiled roots directly to a bruise or sore, or encase in a cotton cloth and apply cloth to the body. Comfrey poultice will reduce swelling and heal skin tears and wounds.

Fig Split open and apply hot to heal difficult sores or to bring boils to a head.

Flaxseed Extract the healing linseed oil in the outer skin of flaxseed by boiling in water. Stir briskly with wooden spoon, and stir into either olive oil or castor oil (for hardened lumps). Dip into hot liquid, and apply hot to painful area.

Garlic Garlic has antibacterial action and drawing power. Use it grated or boiled, added to milk and softened bread. Apply bread as a compress. It can soak out the poisons or pus.

Ginger Simmer ginger root in water, or add powdered ginger to boiling water. Soak a folded cloth in water, and apply to relieve pain, or to bring blood to surface of congested area. Ginger may also be used for a foot soak or brief bath to reduce pain.

Marjoram Mix equal parts of flaxseed and marjoram with a pint of boiling water. Place in clean cotton cloth, apply hot to toothache, earache, inflamed or painful area, sprains, bruises, or abscesses. Wild marjoram is stronger than sweet (pot) marjoram.

For liniment, use equal amounts of thyme, marjoram, and olive oil for backache, arthritis, sprain, charley horse, muscle soreness, bruises, rheumatism.

Sore throat: Dip folded cloth into a strong brew of marjoram and wrap around throat to relieve soreness.

Marshmallow Root releases a sweet gummy substance which can be applied to inflamed or sore areas of the body. Make a decoction with a quarter pound of dried root and about eight glasses of water. Marshmallow tea may be added to bathwater to reduce pain.

Mustard Purchase crushed seed of mustard in the drugstore. It is an excellent rubefacient and will help reduce inflammation and congestion. It may be added to a footbath to relieve congestion in other parts of the body. To make a mustard plaster, add tepid water to make thick paste, add flour (four to one is usually sufficient). Place in folded cloth and apply to area of congestion. First apply olive oil to the skin if it is sensitive or delicate. Keep moving the plaster around the congested area. This helps break up a cold in the chest or bronchitis.

Oatmeal Apply hot cooked oatmeal directly or, preferably, encased in soft cotton cloth to relieve inflammation or to help withdraw foreign objects. Use for stings and bites.

Onion Pack inflamed, bruised, injured area in roasted onion or, in an emergency, in raw onions. Onions (like carrots and turnips) have exceptional drawing power.

Plantain Plantain is a common green weed. Learn to recognize it, as it is invaluable in first aid medicine. Apply mashed or crushed form on a cut, swollen sore, or running sore. Wrap around finger for whitlow. Attach with any clean bandage or elastic cloth. Throw away the pulp when it gets hot. Place fresh plantain on wound.

Potato Apply raw, grated potato to a bruise, sprain, black eye, boil., or carbuncle.

Rice Soak whole brown rice with a small quantity of water. Cook briefly, or discard water and crush the rice into a paste. Apply to painful area or on wound.

Sage Apply cool sage tea to raw abrasions or hot leaf mash enclosed in cloth to painful area.

Salt Heat 1 or 2 pounds of coarse salt. Wrap in pillowcase, and apply as a poultice to painful area.

Slippery Elm The powdered bark of the slippery elm tree is one of the best healing poultices. Make into a paste with almost infinitesimal quantities of tepid water, and apply either directly to the body or contained in a clean cloth. Slippery elm powder can be added to many of the other herbs to provide an additional soothing effect. For an effective boil poultice, add slippery elm, warm water, and one cake of live yeast. For wounds, pack equal amounts of goldenseal and slippery elm powder directly to the body. Wash with sage tea, and repack with this golden "paste."

Tofu Japanese soy bean cheese cakes will help reduce pain of inflamed areas. Squeeze out the cake, add a tablespoon or so of wheat flour, and apply to inflammation, Use this poultice alternatively with a hot, antipain ginger poultice or compress.

Turnip Boil to soften, crush into pulp, add milk and shredded bread pulp, and apply to putrid sores, abscesses, or rheumatic area.

Vinegar Vinegar made from either blackberries, grapes, or apples has a very healing effect on sprains, strains, sore throat, swollen glands, and aching muscles. Dip a folded cloth into such vinegar, and apply to the body. Attach with a clean bandage. For sore throat, make up a "double compress." First dip folded neck cloth into the vinegar and wring out. Apply and pin so that no air enters. Take slightly larger woolen cloth or large wool sock and pin it over the first wet, cold bandage.

Make sure no air enters. Fairly soon the throat will heat up from within, and the pain and congestion will be alleviated.

Yeast Apply yeast poultice in a cloth to a boil or painful area. Use warm milk or warm water with dried brewer's yeast, or add warm water to a live cake of yeast, or add oatmeal to a small amount of beer. Yeast may also be combined with slippery elm (an excellent combination), comfrey root or leaves, marshmallow roots, or cooked carrots.

Witch Hazel The Indians taught the pioneers the use of a decoction made from the twigs of witch hazel. The herb is exceptional in reducing minor tissue swelling on body or eyes. Distilled witch hazel is readily available in the drugstore. It is useful for sunburn, bruises, shaving cuts, eye tension, and swelling. Apply witch hazel with absorbent cotton on a small area, especially on the eyes, and with a saturated cloth for larger application.

There are many others, too.

The assumption is if times get hard, then we are on our own. Now, if times are not hard, use your own judgment about what to do. That includes seeking local medical help.