Page 168 - The Lost Ways

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❖ White soap , one ounce
❖ Fresh cow’s milk, a sufficient quantity

For Stomachaches

Cataplasma Stomachicum – Stomachic cataplasm

❖ The aromatic cataplasm, one ounce

❖ Expressed oil of mace, two drams
44
❖ Anodyne balsam , as much as is sufficient to reduce them into a proper
consistency

A Mustard Poultice

…which can be used for sore muscles, aches and pains, and even chest congestion:

Sinapismus – A sinapism

❖ Mustard seed powder
❖ Bread crumbs, equal parts
❖ Strong vinegar, as much as is sufficient

Mix and make them into a cataplasm to which is sometimes added a little bruised garlic.

(As an aside, I was prescribed a very similar concoction to this by a physiotherapist I was
seeing for back pain recently; it worked wonders.)

A Native American Recipe to Treat an Abscess

There is a tradition among Native Americans, which was then inherited by the settlers, of
using a poultice. As mentioned earlier, the poultice would often be made using a base of
mashed pumpkin.

But other base ingredients such as cornmeal would also be used. Here is a recipe for a
Native American poultice used for abscesses:

❖ Cornbread, flaxseed, or mashed pumpkin

43 White soap can be obtained as the soft froth you get when olive oil-based soap is steeped in
water for a long time.
44 Anodyne balsam—now this may be tricky to get as it does contain opium!

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