. On disorders of digestion, their consequences and treatment . lariessurrounding the seat of inflammation, and affording a ready sideoutlet into the veins. In surgical cases we usually use the warmthand moisture of the poultice to act directly on the surface. We POULTICES FOR ABDOMEN OR CHEST. 211 therefore make the poultice with crushed linseed or with linseedmeal and oil, spread it- on some tow and apply it to the skinwithout anything intervening. But useful though this methodmay be for wounds, ulcers, and abscesses, it is not the best formof application in cases of inflammation of the thor
. On disorders of digestion, their consequences and treatment . lariessurrounding the seat of inflammation, and affording a ready sideoutlet into the veins. In surgical cases we usually use the warmthand moisture of the poultice to act directly on the surface. We POULTICES FOR ABDOMEN OR CHEST. 211 therefore make the poultice with crushed linseed or with linseedmeal and oil, spread it- on some tow and apply it to the skinwithout anything intervening. But useful though this methodmay be for wounds, ulcers, and abscesses, it is not the best formof application in cases of inflammation of the thoracic or abdominalviscera, or where spasm is present without inflammation. In suchcases we may, no doubt, do some good by applying the poulticeto the surface exactly as in surgical diseases. We may draw offsome of the blood to the surface; and we may also exercise a reflexaction through the nerves upon the vessels of the inflamed organbelow, but this will not be so great if we influence the surfaceonly, as when we allow the heat to penetrate to the inflamed or. Fig. upper figure represents the bag empty ; the lower one the bag filled and sewn up. irritated organs themselves. If we apply the poultice directly tothe skin it must be allowed to become tolerably cool before thepatient can bear it, and thus half its advantage is lost. In orderto relieve spasm, as in colic—intestinal, biliary, or renal; to relieveinflammation of the pleura, the lungs, the liver, or other organs, wewant to apply the poultice as hot as possible, while we protect theskin from being scalded. In order to do this, a flannel bag should be prepared, a convenientsize being twelve inches by eight; this should be closed at threeedges and open at the fourth; one side of it should be about one P 2 212 HOW TO MAKE A FOULTICE. inch or one inch and a half longer than the other, as representedin tlie diagram, and it is convenient also to have four tajDes attachedat the points which form the corners when the
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherlondonmacmillan
