Poltice for wounds

[sooozy]

There was a guy at the Bushmoot a few years back who did a session on Poltices (poultices), does anyone know if he's a member on here. I've just had finger surgery and he talked about his own hand surgery and the poltice he made and applied whilst it was healing. I would really like to ask him how to make it and what was in it...

Thanks

 

[BoonDoc]

A poultice for infection is crushed up plantain leaves. For wound healing you can use comfrey but I would hesitate with that option as it is far too good at what it does and can heal a wound too quickly.

I have had casualties with horrific infections use the plantain with high success rates.

 

[Tony]

That would be Roderick Lane, Sandsnakes on the forums, i've let him know you're asking after him but I know he's due to be on a mini exped so he may/may not be around, I'm not sure.

 

[sandsnakes]

Yep Snoozy,

i am still alive! drop me a line

Sandsnakes

 

[Welshwizard]

Cany recall which was more effective but my grandmother use to make a poultice using warm bread (soaked in hot water beforehand) sandwhiched in between two layers of guaze bandage or a kaolin spread .

 

[rik_uk3]

If you have had finger surgery and are having problems go back to the professionals and don't rely on home remedies/quackery.

 

[Opal]

When I was in my teens I suffered with boils, some huge ones too, kaolin poultice was my dad's favourite torture poultice, he would put it in a pan until dead hot, and slap it on me, usually round the neck area, I am now neckless, worked wonders drawing the inflamed area out. Haven't heard of it for donkeys years.

 

[Tony]

I've seen the home made remedies/quackery work wonders Richard, on man and beast, I think the advice should be use your common sense and use whatever is available rather than dismiss something potentially very beneficial.

 

[rik_uk3]

Can't agree there Tony, why risk it unless you have no choice; hey, not my finger so do as one wants just don't moan if it goes breasts up on you.

 

[Welshwizard]

Cany recall which was more effective but my grandmother use to make a poultice using warm bread (soaked in hot water beforehand) sandwhiched in between two layers of guaze bandage or a kaolin spread .

Don,t get me wrong they both worked ,I remember falling and having gravel in the wound which became infected not sure which one worked the best but I think the secret was they were hot ,as I said the bread was warmed up with hot water and the kaolin was in a tin heated in a pan of hot water (with lid loosened )then spread between the two halfs of bandage , I do remember that as it cooled off it went quite hard !

 

[nuggets]

Can't agree there Tony, why risk it unless you have no choice; hey, not my finger so do as one wants just don't moan if it goes breasts up on you.

I thought all `modern` medicine came from `nature`an the old ways ??? -plant extracts- ??????

 

[Andy BB]

Actually, no. Try curing a heart-valve, or cancer, or degenerative hip, or shattered bone, with plantain..........................Although I read on the BBC website that sacrificing children is considered very effective in certain parts of Africa today and victims are highly sought after, with corresponding high prices for the "cure".. Maybe you should try that - the witch-doctors swear by it.......

Sure, a lot of medicine has been as a result of studies of plant treatments. But it progressed from there to identifying and isolating the active ingredients, refining them and purifying them, identifying effective but non-lethal doses etc etc etc.

Actually, apologies - on re-reading that, it came over a bit aggressive! However, I personally think that it is probably better to rely on modern medicine for anything potentially serious first, if its available. Put it this way, there's no way on earth I wouldn't go down that route if it was my childrens' health!

 

[nuggets]

Actually, no. Try curing a heart-valve, or cancer, or degenerative hip, or shattered bone, .

I don,t think `savlon` will cure any of them !!! sounds like a surgical operation on most of them illness`s !!???

 

[Andy BB]

I don,t think `savlon` will cure any of them !!! sounds like a surgical operation on most of them illness`s !!???

True! But you could consider TB, snake-bite, Ebola, diabetes and probably thousands more diseases and illnesses where only modern medicine/pharmaceuticals will do the trick, or at least keep the patient alive until they can recover.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I thought discussing poltice was against forum rules.

 

[Toddy]

I'm not taking sides.

I have no qualms about using modern medicine, from vaccines to chemo and radio therapy, but.........a poultice is a physical thing; it's actually something that eases certain conditions. It augments and accelerates healing, it encourages 'good' healing by helping to rid the body of what is effectively toxic waste or by focusing heat on a site that needs it.
In someways they seem to stimulate and encourage the body to heal itself, reducing inflammation and limiting further damage

Modern techniques, such as heat pads, heat gels and the like are pretty poor copies of their actions tbh.
Mag sulf paste draws splinters and pus from a finger much more effectively than a dose of antibiotics.......that's epsom salts

As for surgery sites......so long as it is healing well, and the wound has closed, something that helps reduce scar tissue by encouraging speedy healing, something that genuinely feels comfortable, that soothes..........that's not witchdoctory, that practical

My tuppence halfpenny worth

Oh, and as a bushcraft forum, most folks are interested in what's out there in our natural world that's useful for all sorts of reasons.
Health interests us all.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Bushwhacker]

......or was that politics?

 

[Toddy]

I thought discussing poltice was against forum rules.

:11doh:

M

 

[Andy BB]

I'm not taking sides.

I have no qualms about using modern medicine, from vaccines to chemo and radio therapy, but.........a poultice is a physical thing; it's actually something that eases certain conditions. It augments and accelerates healing, it encourages 'good' healing by helping to rid the body of what is effectively toxic waste or by focusing heat on a site that needs it.
In someways they seem to stimulate and encourage the body to heal itself, reducing inflammation and limiting further damage

Modern techniques, such as heat pads, heat gels and the like are pretty poor copies of their actions tbh.
Mag sulf paste draws splinters and pus from a finger much more effectively than a dose of antibiotics.......that's epsom salts

As for surgery sites......so long as it is healing well, and the wound has closed, something that helps reduce scar tissue by encouraging speedy healing, something that genuinely feels comfortable, that soothes..........that's not witchdoctory, that practical

My tuppence halfpenny worth

Oh, and as a bushcraft forum, most folks are interested in what's out there in our natural world that's useful for all sorts of reasons.
Health interests us all.

cheers,
Toddy

Don't disagree with any of that Toddy. Horses for courses etc. Like an ice-bath after rugby!

 

[nuggets]

Don't disagree with any of that Toddy. Horses for courses etc. Like an ice-bath after rugby!

So why have a go at me ????