COLD AND HEAT 683 



corrosive sublimate, 1-1000; creolin or sulpho-naphtol, 

 1-100. The material is very lightly wrung out, wrapped 

 about with dry gauze, covered with oil paper, silk or rubber 

 protective, and applied to the part with a bandage. Anti- 

 septic poultice^ are useful in the treatment of septic injuries, 

 and when ther^ is much pain, destruction of tissue, slough- 

 ing and suppuration. Otherwise, poultices are decidedly 

 contraindicated in the case of wounds, as dry antiseptic or 

 aseptic absorbent dressings' are far preferable in securing 

 one of the cardinal requirements in the process of healing, 

 i.e. J dryness. As substitutes for ordinary poultices, we have 

 spongio-pilene, counter-irritants, stupes and fomentations. 

 Spongio-pilene occurs in sheets, about an inch in thickness, 

 made of a mixture of sponge and felt, backed with a flexible 

 covering of gutta-percha. Its main objection is the expense. 

 It forms, when soaked in water, a cleanly and easily applied 

 poultice for non-suppurating parts. 



Counier-irritation, as has been pointed out, is produced 

 by hot poulticing as well as by drugs. A combination of the 

 two is obtained in stupes. 



StupeSy Stupa. — A stupe consists of a flannel or other 

 cloth, wrung out in plain or medicated hot water, and ap- 

 plied to the skin. These are often covered by waterproof 

 protection, the better to retain heat. In the veterinary art, 

 hot blankets are often applied over the whole chest or abdo-. 

 men to relieve internal congestion and pain in pleuritis, 

 pneumonia and colic. Turpentine stupes are more in favor 

 with abdominal troubles. These are made by simply sprink- 

 ling oil of turpentine over the hot blankets, or by saturating 

 flannel cloths in turpentine and wringing them out in very 

 hot water. To get a very active counter-irritant effect, a 

 mustard paste may be rubbed over the chest, and then hot 

 blankets applied. 



Hot Water Bags, made of rubber, and enclosing water at 

 a temperature of 120° F., may be placed along the spine, and 

 by stimulating the cord and sympathetic ganglia, cause sti- 

 mulation of the vaso-constrictors in regions corresponding to 



