Boil, Soap and Sugar Poultice for
“Poultice made of yellow or soft soap and brown sugar, equal parts. Spread on cloth and apply faithfully.” This makes a good strong poultice, and has great drawing powers and would be apt to create a good deal of pain, but would draw the boil to a head. The above remedy was sent in by a number of mothers, all of whom said they had tried it with success when other remedies failed.
Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter
Carbuncle, the Common Scabious for
“Take scabious, the green herb and bruise it. Apply this to the affected part. This has been found a very effectual remedy.” The common field scabious have many hairy, soft, whitish green leaves, some of which are very small and rough on the edges, others have hairy green leaves deeply and finely divided and branched a little. Flowers size of small walnut and composed of many little ones. Sometimes called “Morning Bride,” “Devil’s Bit,” etc.
Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter
Carbuncle, Sheep Sorrel Poultice for
“Gather a bunch of sheep sorrel leaves, wrap them in a cabbage leaf and roast in the oven. Apply to the carbuncle, and it will soon ripen and break.”
Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter
Carbuncle, Slippery Elm and Sassafras Root for
“Sassafras root and slippery elm bark boiled together and the decoction thickened with cornmeal.” This should be changed as often as it becomes cool.
Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter
Carbuncles, Poppy Leaves to Draw and Ripen
“A poultice of poppy leaves is very efficacious to draw or ripen a carbuncle.” A poultice made from these leaves is very quieting and soothing, and at the same time will cause the carbuncle to ripen.
Source: Mother’s Remedies: Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remidies from Mothers of the United States and Canada, T. J. Ritter
Boils
Boils should be brought to a head by hot fomentations. Use boric wool. When perfectly ripe and ready to break, they may be discharged by a needle or the lancet. Constitutional treatment: Quinine, port wine, and sea-bathing are desirable.
Source: Enquire Within Upon Everything.
Techniques: Decoction
Decoction, or boiling, is employed to extract the mucilaginous or gummy parts of substances, their bitter, astringent or other qualities, and is nothing more than boiling the ingredients in a saucepan with the lid slightly raised. Be sure never to use an iron saucepan for astringent decoctions, such as oak-bark, galls, &c., as they will turn the saucepan black and spoil the decoction. The enamelled saucepans are very useful for decoctions, but an excellent plan is to put the ingredients into a jar and then boil the jar, thus preparing it by a water bath, as it is technically termed; or by using a common pipkin, which answers still better. No decoction should be allowed to boil for more than ten minutes.
Source: Enquire Within Upon Everything.