What are BOILS

What are BOILS | Preventative Measures for BOILS | Emergency Measures for BOILS | Herbal Remedy for BOILS | Home Remedies for BOILS

Unless a boil is caused by an outside infection such as a splinter or picking with dirty fingers it is most probably the result of a poor state of health and can usually be taken as a pretty fair indicator that you need a change of either diet or scene.

If you suffer from boils continuously you should take professional advice. Such advice many years ago would have comprised a blood purifier of black molasses or treacle and flowers of sulphur, hot compresses or ‘cupping’ – a process which it intrigues me to know is still carried out even today.

The theory is that one takes a small-mouthed jar well rinsed in boiling water and, as soon as is feasible without scalding the patient, places the mouth of the jar over the boil then waits for it to cool. Suction does the rest and provided the boil is at a stage ready for treatment the core will come out neatly and without unnecessary pain.

One of the most constantly recommended methods of ‘drawing’ a boil that I have come across is to take the skin of a hard-boiled egg- that is the thin membrane between white and shell – and wrap it over the boil. I am told this never fails to work.

A Madonna lily petal steeped in brandy and used rough side down will draw a boil to a head then when it has satisfactorily dispersed the smooth side should be used to heal it. Onions baked to a pulp and used in a poultice and leek, cabbage and rape treated in the same way or pounded with lard to make a healing unguent were all pressed into service, but I suspect that the problem might not have arisen if plenty of healthy green vegetables and foods rich in minerals and vitamins had been eaten in the first place.

When treating boils absolute cleanliness is essential for both your own sake and that of your patient. Make sure that your hands are well scrubbed in soap and water before and after dealing with it. Always use boiled water and sterile dressings and never, ever squeeze a boil for it is not only potentially dangerous but murderously painful. Hot compresses are the most sensible and safe method of bringing a boil to a head and giving relief from the pain.

There are a great many old-fashioned herbal remedies which I mention below but among the least complex and most satisfactory hot compresses are hot water or hot water and salt. Also recommended for both simplicity and efficacy is a solution of 1 tablespoon of Epson salts and 1 teaspoon each of bicarbonate of soda and boric acid powder in 4 cups of boiling water. Use a soft compress of cotton wool which should be burned of flushed away as soon as it is discarded.

Preventative Measures for BOILS

If you are prone to boils take sulphur regularly.

Drink plenty of water and avoid fatty foods, chocolate and stimulants.

Sunshine and a daily swim in unpolluted sea water are the best although not always the most practical solutions. Investigate sensible alternatives.

A three to four day fast on fruit juices will cleanse and purify when you feel your system becoming clogged.

Emergency Measures for BOILS