194 
HINTS TO TRAVELLERS. 
but as a rule they should be allowed to burst; after the boil has dis¬ 
charged, some healing ointment, e.g., boric or iodoform ointment, should 
be applied. 
Plain, good living is essential, and the patient's general health should 
be attended to with tonics, lime juice, and green vegetables. If the 
sufferer is found to be taking too much alcohol, it should be stopped 
altogether. Sulphide of calcium pills, one grain in each, should be 
given three times a day to prevent boils forming. 
Carbuncles . 
A carbuncle is of the same nature as a boil, but is a more serious 
complaint, and it is distinguished from a boil by the fact that it opens by 
several mouths. 
To promote ripening of the carbuncle and the separation of the core 
or dead piece of tissue, poultices and hot fomentations should be freely 
applied, and if the core can be seen, it should be removed, if possible, by 
a pair of forceps. 
To facilitate removal of the core it is sometimes advisable to cut 
through the skin separating the openings; there may be some slight 
bleeding, but it will cease after a short time. 
Opium may be given to relieve acute suffering. The bowels should be 
kept well open. A generous diet must be given ; tonics of iron, quinine 
and arsenic are needed, and alcohol may prove necessary. 
Carbuncles rarely appear except in people much broken down in 
health, and their presence is an indication that the sufferer should 
return to his own country and seek skilled advice. 
Ulcers . 
Ulcers are often very troublesome to the traveller, as the healing 
process is frequently retarded by exposure, dirt and dust, and the chafing 
of clothes. Want of sufficient animal food greatly favours the spread of 
large ulcers. 
A simple dressing of iodoform ointment, or ointment of boric acid, is 
effective when the ulcer can be protected, and rest can be given to the 
affected part. When the ulcer is deep and large it may be stimulated 
to heal by the application of lint or cotton-wool, moistened with carbolic 
oil, carbolic lotion, or other antiseptics. 
