A poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can also be a porous solid filled with solvent used to remove stains from porous stone such as marble or granite.The word "poultice" comes from the Latin puls, pultes, meaning "porridge." Historically poultices were made from bread or other cereals, or lead, which is thought to have resulted in the fatal advancement of existing lead poisoning in Beethoven. Types of poultice 'Animalintex' is a brand name poultice made from an absorbent material Bran is also used as a poultice because of its absorbent quality. It is packed into the wound and then covered with a piece of sacking or similar material, before being bandaged onto the foot or site of the wound. There are also many commercial poultices that are ready-made. Some of these may be labelled as "drawing salves" . Inflammation treatment

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataplasm
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