730 POULTICES 



without moisture, may be applied by the agency of hot 

 bricks, salt, bran, or sand, of hot-water bags, of well- 

 warmed rugs or flannels, or of the smoothing-iron. A piece 

 of flannel, thoroughly wrung out of boiling water, applied 

 hot, its several folds covered with thin mackintosh, and kept 

 in place by a bandage, in virtue of the heat and equable 

 pressure, relieves strains, and diminishes swelling and pain 

 of the legs of horses worn by much work on hard roads. 



Poultices, to be properly and securely applied, require 

 some ingenuity and mechanical tact. To prevent unpleasant 

 sticking, the skin is sometimes covered with a piece of 

 muslin, or moistened with vaseline, oil, or solution of glycerin. 

 Before application of the poultice, the irritable inflamed 

 surface is sometimes dressed with equal parts of belladonna 

 extract, glycerin and water, or an anodyne. To keep the 

 poultice as long as possible at a uniform temperature, it 

 should be of considerable bulk, and usually several inches 

 thick ; hot water is poured over the mass every hour or 

 two, or, better still, fresh poultices are supplied as the old 

 ones become dry, lower in temperature, or foul. Such 

 changes should be quickly effected, for exposure chills the 

 moist, warm surface. When the poulticing is done with, 

 the surface should be enveloped in flannel, or in a woollen 

 rug covered with oilskin. In cases of chest or bowel in- 

 flammation, dogs, like children, are advantageously placed in 

 jacket or saddle poultices. Poultices are rendered more 

 soothing by addition of opiates or anodynes ; more stimulat- 

 ing by sprinkling with mustard or turpentine ; more anti- 

 septic by admixture with boric acid, chlorinated soda, 

 carbolic or salicylic acid, or charcoal. 



Poultices too long continued are apt to soften and sodden 

 the skin, and to hinder reparative power. Unwieldy to 

 apply, and troublesome to regulate as to temperature, they 

 are often superseded by fomentations, by antiseptic dress- 

 ings, by water dressings of moistened and medicated lint 

 or tow, from which evaporation is retarded by a covering of 

 oiled silk or waterproof cloth, or by spongiopiline a felted 

 wool and sponge, coated on one surface with guttapercha, 

 and when soaked with hot water proving a cleanly, handy 

 substitute for a small poultice. 



