150 POULTICES. 



numbers to collect together various herbs, and chop them into 

 a state of pulp, then to boil the pulp, and apply the same while 

 hot as a poultice. A poultice of this kind, however, possesses 

 no advantage over any one of the articles named above. The 

 virtues of a poultice are its warmth and moisture, so that 

 whatever material will continue to impart these essentials the 

 longest, is the best for a poultice. In selecting materials for 

 this purpose, those articles should be preferred which readily 

 imbibe moisture and heat, and which are clean, light, and 

 pliable. Bran and turnips possess these qualities to a degree 

 which render them upon the whole perhaps the most suitable 

 articles for poultices. Linseed meal, if used alone, when made 

 wet, becomes glutinous, or like bird-lime ; and unless it is made 

 very wet, it dries, hardens, and presses upon the part diseased, 

 and gives acute pain to the animal. If bran and linseed meal 

 be mixed together in the proportion of three parts of the 

 former to one of the latter, the combination forms an excellent 

 material for poultices. Bran, if made into a poultice, unless 

 grease of some kind be mixed with it, speedily becomes cool 

 and dry; the addition, however, of a small portion of lard 

 counteracts this to some extent, and also prevents the bran 

 from passing into a sour state. 



Bran and turnips, if mixed together, make a very good 

 poultice. The turnips should be boiled to a pulp, and while 

 hot, along with the liquor, should be poured upon the bran, 

 and the whole should be thoroughly mixed together ; and when 

 so far reduced in temperature as not to scald the animal, the 

 mass should be applied to the part diseased. 



The effects on many occasions produced by poulticing are 

 excellent and well marked ; and if individuals, having diseased 

 horses, would at times exert their skiU in contriving modes 

 to apply them when necessary, they would be found far more 

 generally useful than at present. 



