The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [152]
Eye Poultice
A Flaxseed (Linseed) poultice is a good representative of this type poultice.
1. Grind a good handful of Flaxseed into a meal using a mortar and pestle or an electric coffee bean grinder.
2. Add some boiling water [approximate proportions of 300 ml (10 fl. oz.) of water to 120 Gm (4 oz.) of Flaxmeal].
3. Quickly stir the Flaxseed and water together until you have made a thick paste.
4. Spread this hot paste (at least 1/2-inch thick) onto a clean white cloth, leaving the edges of the cloth free from the paste and avoiding the formation of lumps in the paste.
5. Apply the poultice to the body as hot as possible, making sure it completely covers and even extends a little beyond the area being soothed. It helps to spread a little vegetable oil on the skin before applying the poultice to protect the skin and to make it easier to remove the poultice. Otherwise, it can stick to the skin.
6. When the poultice is lukewarm, another poultice should be ready to take its place, and the treatment should be continued as long as necessary.
7. Of course, you can help retain the heat by insulating the poultice. First lay a plastic bag directly over the poultice, then wrap a towel around it, and if appropriate lay a hot water bottle or heating pad on top of all this to supply prolonged heat.
Another convenient method to prepare a Flaxseed or similar poultice is to make several bags of various sizes out of cheesecloth. Fill the bags half full with Flaxseed or whatever agent you select, then sew up the open end (store these in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the Flaxseed from going rancid over time). When needed, the appropriate size bag is submerged in boiling water for a few minutes. When the bag is taken out of the water, you will see that the Flaxseed has swelled and filled the bag. Squeeze out any superfluous water, lay the bag on the body, and cover it with insulating and or heating materials.
As a poultice, Flaxseed can be used for treating carbuncles, shingles, and psoriasis, and it can be combined with Marshmallow root powder to use for reducing swellings and inflammations, and for drawing out the pus in boils.
Flaxseed poultices mixed with Onion are commonly used to provide relief in lung conditions, especially with pleurisy, which calls out for a warm poultice (pleurisy can be a symptom of serious disease—get it checked out). After removing a poultice from the chest area, a second one can then be placed onto the upper back, which will cover and treat the back regions of the lungs.
Other Herbal Materials Used to Medicate a Poultice
The herbs Calendula, Comfrey, and Plantain are the reigning matriarchs in the clan of herbal poultices, with Echinacea giving service as their cardinal aide when further wound healing and enhanced immune-stimulating action is needed.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) promotes the healing and regeneration of bruised tissue, burns, eruptions, abrasions, and so forth. Overall, this herb is one of the most efficient of all herbs to use as a poultice or a fomentation (fomentations are discussed later in the chapter). A Calendula poultice reduces soreness and inflammation, while its anti-microbial properties assist in the cleansing of a wound, fostering rapid healing.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is our most valuable plant ally for repairing wounds, while at the same time it soothes and softens tissue. It is probably the most healing mucilaginous remedy in our herbal materia medica, having been used for centuries to treat external ulceration and all types of lesions and injuries ranging from small cuts and abrasions to large wounds and broken bones. A Comfrey poultice quickens the repair of the normally slow healing process of torn cartilage, tendons,