Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10

Kitchen Cupboard Remedies

The wet pack

The wet pack is invaluable in the early stages of all fevers and in eruptive diseases such as measles, chickenpox and smallpox. It assists in bringing out the eruption. NB - WHERE THE ERUPTION DOES NOT COME OUT IN A SERIOUS INFECTIOUS DISEASE THE RISK OF SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OR IN EXTREME CASES, DEATH MAY OCCUR. A plastic sheet should be spread on a mattress and over it a thick sheet preferably linen,well rung out of cold water. In fevers the colder the water is the better For fragile patients with poor reaction water at 68ºF may be used.The patient is to be extended on their back naked on the wet sheet so that the upper edge covers the back of the patient's neck, but the lower one is to project beyond the feet. Holding up the arms one side of the sheet is to be thrown over the body and tucked in; the arms are now placed by the sides and the other part of the wet sheet is thrown over all and tucked in tightly, turning the projecting ends under the feet.The blanket is then to be brought over all the sheet and well tucked in around the neck at the sides so as to completely exclude the air. A quilt or blanket is to be put over all. In a short time the patient will become warm and it is very soothing, especially in fevers. He may remain in the pack for up to1 hour depending on the patient's comfort .He should then be put in a shallow bath at 64ºF washed dried and put to bed.This may be repeated up to 3 times a day depending on the severity of the fever. Perspiration is encouraged by giving sips of cold water. If the head becomes congested or face flushed while in the wet pack a cold compress may be applied to the forehead. The wet pack promotes the removal of excess of heat by encouraging the breathing power of the skin and at the same time a large amount of heat is removed by the evaporation of the water in the sheet.

Poultices

Poultices are chiefly used in the following complaints: Pneumonia, Pleurisy, Bronchitis, Pericarditis (inflammation of the heart ),Peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen) Acute rheumatism,Lumbago and to mature and facilitate the discharge of matter in abcesses boils etc.
When used to mature abcesses or disperse inflammation poultices should extend beyond the limits of the inflamed tissue. After the discharge the poultices should be only slightly larger than the opening through which the matter is escaping. They should not be kept on long or be kept applied continuously. If continued too long they sodden and irritate the parts and may develop fresh boils around the old ones. They are recommended for the warmth and moisture they convey and are applied to the skin when it, or an underlying structure, is inflamed. They relieve pain by relaxing tension and promoting perspiration.

Comfrey poultice

Endlessly useful as has been mentioned above. As a young student nurse I used to play a lot of squash on the hospital courts but because I was broke, I could not afford the sports shoes and played in bare feet.This led to me getting a large splinter in my foot and within a few days a bad plantar infection. I was in a lot of pain and the inflammation and infection began to spread up my leg. I spent a week in the nurses' sick bay and was then discharged home off sick for another week as I still could not walk on it. Once I got home I found some comfrey in the garden and made a large poultice which I left on overnight. The next day I could put my foot to the ground and within a few more days it was completely better. I had had antiseptic dressings and antibiotics at the hospital but it was the comfrey which made the difference.

Years later I had my first child. At two years of age she got an infected eye due to a scratch from the Jack Russell terrier she had been playing with from next door. I did not know about this until the next day.That night she had complained of a sore eye and I put her to bed slightly feverish. By 10 pm she was delirious with a very high fever and the eye was very swollen and red. I feared for her vision and called the doctor out. He came very quickly and agreed it was serious and prescribed antibiotic drops every 15 minutes and oral antibiotics every hour. He was afraid she might lose her eye as the infection was so acute and she was so ill. An hour later I called him again as Helen was screaming uncontrollably every time I approached her with the drops, and was violently sick when I tried to give her the oral antibiotics. Unfortunately he was tied up at the local children's hospital.

I got out my herbal and homeopathic first aid books and gave her Belladonna 30 when she was screaming and poured some Calendula tincture in her eye. She really yelled and then just as suddenly fell into a deep sleep. I thought I had killed her and was overcome with remorse at what I had done However she seemed to be sleeping normally and peacefully, so then I made a big comfrey poultice by pouring boiling water over some comfrey leaves, putting them in a clean old gauze nappy, and bandaged it on to her head with a crepe bandage. I had only read about all this and had no real idea what I was doing, but as a nurse I knew how to make a poultice and bandage a head! The following morning she woke at 6am and sat up demanding her breakfast. The doctor arrived unexpectedly, full of apologies for not being able to come during the night, and was thrilled to see Helen looking so well.He asked about the big bandage over her eye and took it off to examine the eye. It was completely healthy and of normal size and appearance, bright and alert in expression. He said how wonderful modern medicine was and I told him what had happened. In fact she hadn't had any all night.His attitude changed abruptly when he found out what I had done and he left even more abruptly,very annoyed with me. Why I don't know. Any mother would have done the same for a suffering distressed child if she had the knowledge.

Next Page

Back to the top