Home Remedies - Abscesses - Abscesses

An Abscess is any accumulation of pus. This usually occurs in a body cavity and often causes swelling and inflammation. There are a lot of traditional cures for abscesses and some are stranger than others.

Using a hot poultice made from bread and milk is commonly used (also used for boils) because it brings the abscess to a head.

Some use a beaten egg with three tablespoonfuls of white flour which is cooked slowly and carefully formed into a white paste. This paste is then spread on a piece of cloth or gauze and placed on the affected area. This application is repeated every three hours.

Various herbs, either combined or used separately, are also turned into a poultice to remedy abscesses. These include comfrey, marshmallow root, chickweed, slippery elm and plantain. Certain vegetables were also used for abscesses and boils. Hot poultices made of raw carrots or crushed boiled turnips are used. A paste of mashed and cooked are spread on a piece of cloth ad applied on the abscess or boil. Eucalyptus oil and onion juice are also applied externally.

On the stranger side, one traditional remedy involves taking a small quantity of snails and boiling them in ground salt. The paste that is formed is then applied to the abscess or boil.