Re: carbuncle

Grzbear,

Wish I didn't have to say, "I don't know."

But we children had boils, in our family.

...1. We had to wait until the 'head' formed, painful or not.

...2. Someone eventually advised leeches. They worked, but I'm not sure if they can be used in advance of the 'erruption'. I sincerely believe this would ease the pressure and pain, but I'm no doctor.

There was no sterilization of any kind used in the leech procedure. The body forms a hard 'donut' of flesh around the infection, to prevent it travelling elsewhere.

This 'donut' also formed around a bad scrape on my leg that crushed a bundle of muscles, just one year ago.

I'm only guessing, but breaking that 'donut', in any way, leads to more infection. (That means no, or little, applied pressure, and/or a very careful lance, I believe.)

Besides, the direction of travel of the infected material is outwards!

The treatments I used on my leg wound included Pascalite clay poultices (Pascalite and a drop of water). I was quite terrified to use them, without advice from an expert, but I found them drying, and they helped a white scab to form on the open wound, in the two times I used them. After that there was a bit of bloody oozing that was all to the good.

(I let a Pascalite poultice dissolve slowly in the bathtub; rather than try to pull it off.)

Pascalite is apparently a very fine form of Bentonite clay, and we happened to have some. You might ask others about various clays, etc.

My mom made us poultices from shaved Sunlight bar soap, a few drops of water, and dark brown sugar...working it in her palm until it was thoroughly mixed. I don't know how long it was left on the boil. This was to 'draw' the boil to a 'head'.

I also don't know if Sunlight bar soap is now the same formula as in the early 1950's.

I'd like to reassure you that the body has super defences that we don't see until an emergency occurs. Be glad that your system is 'on duty', forming a carbuncle around an infection, even if it hurts. It's a 'good' hurt, if you know what I mean. :D

My best,

fledgling


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