by
April McBride
(CEO of Greenwood Organics)
Medicinal herbs can be used in many ways: as tinctures, infusions, decoctions, in capsules or pills, and as poultices, compresses and fomentations. In this document, we will discuss poultices, compresses and fomentations.
The word "poultice' ( pole - tis) is derived from the Latin 'pultes', the plural of puls, meaning a porridge or pottage. A poultice, then, is a thick paste usually of chopped, ground or crushed fresh (or dried but remoistened) plant material sometimes with bran or flour added for thickening and stability, that is applied directly to the skin. If a cloth is placed over or under it, or both, it is called a compress. If a cloth is soaked in the infused herb and wrung out, it is known as a fomentation.
Poultices work by drawing out pus and toxins, increasing blood flow or circulation, relaxing sore and tense muscles, healing and disinfecting wounds, and soothing inflamed tissue. Thus, they can be used to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with:
They are also used to break up congestion, and remove embedded particles, such as glass, thorns and slivers, from the skin.
One of the reasons that poultices and compresses are so effective is that the skin, the largest organ of the body, and one of the first line of defense against disease, has the ability of absorption. Applying an herbal poultice to the painful, inflamed or infected area of the skin absorbs the medicinal benefits of the substance almost immediately.
The simplest poultice we used in my family were cold used tea bags for styes or eye irritations or infections. The astringent properties of the tea promoted soothing and healing. We also used a paste of crushed dandelion and / or dock leaves for bee and wasp stings or other insect bites. Meat tenderizer was made into a paste with a little water and applied to mosquito bites.
Some herbalists recommend mixing vinegar, alcohol or witch hazel into the herb slurry; my own preference is witch hazel, about an ounce to a cup of slurry.
You may use the plant material left over from an infusion, such as cold tea - it still has healing properties, but most poultices are made from the fresh unprocessed plant or the re-constituted (with a little water, vinegar or witch hazel) dried herb.
Simple poultices can be made from a single herb or substance such as dandelion, used tea leaves or bran. Combination poultices can include various herbs with other elements added, such as flour or bran for thickening and vinegar or witch hazel for astringency.
Take a handful or two of the herb, about 1 - 2 cups depending on the size of the area to be treated, and add to the blender or food processor with just enough pure water (distilled, bottled or R.O.) to allow the herb to puree roughly. Use the pulse button, and only in 1 second intervals, as if making pesto. Alternately, crush, chop or pund the herb into a paste. Heat the poultice, if desired to increase circulation and for drawing pus and toxins. Leave cool for sunburn and skin irritations, to decrease inflammation or for use on eyelids. If the paste is too thin, add a little bran or flour to stabilize.
Cleanse the area to be treated with soap and water, hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Apply the poultice to the skin, spreading thickly. If desired, cover with a clean material such as cheesecloth or bandage material. With the exception of St John's Wort, do not put poultice material directly into a wound, since it may aggravate the wound and infect it.
Unless the dried herbs are cut and sifted or ground, use a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder to grind the herbs to a powder. Place the ground herbs in a clean glass or ceramic (not metal) bowl, and add enough pure distilled or bottled water to make a thick paste. If making a warm or hot poultice, heat the water first. Add the water a teaspoon or so at a time until the mixture is thick, like a porridge, but not stiff. Make enough paste to cover the affected area. Proceed as for the fresh herb poultice, above.
Leave the poultice as is, uncovered, or cover with an old, clean towel or plastic wrap to prevent soiling of clothes or sheets. Use a pin or other fastener to secure the poultice in place. A heating pad or hot water bottle can be used to keep a poultice warm.
Leave the poultice on the area for 1 to 24 hours or until dry. Re-apply if necessary. Do not re-use or compost poultices or the herbs used to make them since they contain infectious material.
During this period, you may experience a throbbing pain or increased heat as the poultice draws out infection and toxins. When the pain subsides, or the poultice dries, it is a sign that the poultice has accomplished its task and should be removed. Apply fresh poultices as needed until the desired level of healing has been reached.
Poultices, compresses and fomentations may be 'old-fashioned' and time-honoured, but never doubt that they are powerful medicines, with the same properties, cautions and contraindications as herbal capsules, tinctures and prescription medicines.
Take a piece of clean sheeting, gauze, muslin, linen, or cotton and lay it on a table or other clean surface. The material should be large enough to cover the affected area completely. Pour the herbal poultice solution over the cloth. Then place another cloth over the herb material, enclosing it. Cleanse the affected area with hydrogen peroxide, and place the compress over the area. Wrap a towel around the poultice to prevent the soiling of clothes or sheets. Use a pin or bandage or other fastener to secure the compress in place. Proceed as for a poultice, above.
and soak in Vinegar, witch hazel, alcohol or a herbal infusion or decoction, or in a combination of these. Wring it out and place on the affected area of the body, replacing as necessary.
For swollen and inflamed joints and arthritis: Make a poultice or compress of St John's Wort or Devil's Claw Root, or rub the infused oil into the are and cover with a fomentation wrung out of the infusion.
For Skin Irritations, Dry or Aging skin and Exczema: Use alone or in combination: Chickweed, Calendula, Dandelion or Yellow Dock.
For flaky, irritated eyes, styes and eye infections: Apply cold used tea bags directly over the closed eyelids, replacing as necessary. Dip the bags in witch hazel if desired.
For sprains and bruises: Use Arnica flowers, but do not apply directly to the skin as it can be irritating. Use as a compress or fomentation.
For inflamed haemorrhoids, lung or bronchial disorders, chest congestion, mumps, tonsillitis, and sore throat: Use a warm compress of a cup of mullein with an ounce hot apple cider vinegar and an ounce of pure water.
For chest, lung or bronchial congestion, use the old time-honoured hot mustard
plaster. Use commercial dried mustard. Because mustard is an irritant, and can
burn the skin, use a compress rather than a poultice; i.e., place the mixture
between 2 pieces of cloth, rather than placing it in direct contact with the
skin.
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