Poultice

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Schoolgirls in Britain being shown how to make a poultice, 1942 Schoolgirl Into Nurse- Medical Training in Britain, 1942 D8770.jpg
Schoolgirls in Britain being shown how to make a poultice, 1942

A poultice or cataplasm , also called a fomentation, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is applied to the skin to reduce inflammation, soothe pain, promote healing, or otherwise treat wounds or ailments. Soft materials like cereals serve as a base, to which agents intended to affect the body, transdermally, may be added. The preparation is usually spread on cloth, which is then applied to the body-part to be treated. The cloth is used to keep the preparation in place, or additional bandaging to hold the poultice may be employed. Direct topical application (without cloths) is also used. [1]

Contents

The term "poultice" may also refer to a porous solid, filled with a solvent, and used to remove stains from porous stone such as marble or granite.

History

Etymology

The term poultice comes from the Latin puls or pultēs, meaning “porridge” or “thick pap,” through Middle English pultes. This reflects the traditional preparation of poultices as soft, moist masses resembling porridge. [2]

Ancient Period

Poultices have been documented in many ancient medical traditions, including Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Greece, and Rome. They were usually made from plants, animal products, or minerals, and applied directly to the skin to reduce pain, inflammation, or infection.

Medieval to Early Modern Period

During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, poultices made from flour, linseed, mustard, bran, herbs, or bread were widely used in Europe. They were often applied hot to “draw out” infection, relieve swelling, or soften abscesses.

19th and early 20th centuries

Poultices remained a standard remedy in both civilian and military medicine.

Decline and survival in traditional medicine

By the mid-20th century, the advent of antibiotics and sterile dressings led to the decline of poultices in mainstream Western medicine. However, poultices have continued to be used in folk and traditional medicine worldwide for burns, insect bites, and chronic wounds.

North America

Preparation and composition

Types

Fomentations  heated poultices may be used to promote blood circulation to an affected area; these may be unmedicated.

Cold poultices are sometimes used. An example is the use of cabbage leaves to reduce breast engorgement in breastfeeding mothers. The leaves are applied directly to the breast, often simply held in place by a bra. Evidence for effectiveness as a treatment is weak: cabbage poultices are about as effective as the frequent, unrestricted feeding of the infant; they have no effect on the rate of progression to mastitis. [11] There is some slight evidence that cabbage poultices reduce the pain of engorgement. [12]

Linseed flax (Linum usitatissimum) may be used in a poultice for boils, inflammation and wounds. Linseed flax (Linum usitatissimum), near Whitsbury - geograph.org.uk - 1377610.jpg
Linseed flax ( Linum usitatissimum ) may be used in a poultice for boils, inflammation and wounds.

Veterinary use

Poultices are used on horses to relieve inflammation. Usually applied to the lower legs, under a stable bandage, to focus treatment on the easily injured tendons in the area. Poultices are sometimes applied as a precautionary measure after the horse has worked hard, such as after racing, jumping, or cross-country riding, to forestall strains or stiffness. They may be used to treat abscesses, with the intention of drawing out pus from the wound.

Cooling poultices are sometimes used for show-jumpers and racehorses; these may be cheaper and easier to administer than commercial cooling products. A poultice is applied to the horse's distal limbs after exercise, for 9–12 hours. The intended effect is to cool the legs over a long period of time, by dispersing heat from the limb through the action of evaporation. Commonly, the poultice is bandaged over, sometimes with materials such wet newspaper between the poultice and bandages; this greatly reduces evaporation and heat loss, rendering the poultice ineffective at cooling. [13]

References

  1. Chríodáin, Louise Ní (8 March 2019). "Poultices: the moist cure-all that came to a sticky end". The Irish Times.
  2. "Poultice - Etymology, Origin & Meaning". etymonline. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  3. Shah, Jayesh B. (September 2011). "The history of wound care". The Journal of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists. 3 (3): 65–66. doi:10.1016/j.jcws.2012.04.002. ISSN   1876-4983. PMC   3601883 . PMID   24525756.
  4. Ahmad, Waseem; Aquil, Zareena; Alam, SaiyadShah (2020). "Historical background of wound care". Hamdan Medical Journal. 13 (4): 189. doi: 10.4103/HMJ.HMJ_37_20 . ISSN   2227-2437.
  5. Kumar, Vishal; Nesari, Tanuja Manoj; Ghildiyal, Shivani; Sherkhane, Rahul (2021). "Pharmacodynamic appraisal of wound-healing herbs of Sushruta Samhita". Ayu. 42 (1): 1–18. doi: 10.4103/ayu.AYU_34_20 . ISSN   0974-8520. PMC   9893898 . PMID   36743272.
  6. Bhattacharya, Surajit (May 2012). "Wound healing through the ages". Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery. 45 (2): 177–179. doi: 10.4103/0970-0358.101255 . ISSN   1998-376X. PMC   3495363 . PMID   23162212.
  7. "Honey Helps Problem Wounds". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  8. "Poultice". Native American Ethnobotany Database (2003 rev. ed.). BRILL; University of Michigan. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  9. Roberts, Margaret. Edible & Medicinal Flowers. Cape Town, South Africa: New Africa Books, 2000. ISBN   0-86486-467-1
  10. Morritt, Andrew N.; Bache, Sarah E.; Ralston, David; Stephenson, Andrew J. (October 2009). "Coal Ash Poultice: An Unusual Cause of a Chemical Burn". Journal of Burn Care & Research. 30 (6): 1046–1047. doi:10.1097/BCR.0b013e3181bfb83b. PMID   19826262. S2CID   3665946.
  11. Zakarija-Grkovic, Irena; Stewart, Fiona (18 September 2020). "Treatments for breast engorgement during lactation". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020 (9): CD006946. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006946.pub4. ISSN   1469-493X. PMC   8094412 . PMID   32944940.
  12. "Cabbage". Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 15 April 2024 [Revised from 2006 original].
  13. "How to Care for Horse Legs". yourvetonline.com. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2021.

Further reading