Causes.—­It comes in middle or advanced life, usually oftener in men than in women.  It occurs frequently in patients suffering from diabetes, in whom it is usually fatal.

Mothers’ remedies.  Carbuncles, Poppy Leaves to Draw and Ripen.—­“A poultice of poppy leaves is very efficacious to draw or ripen a carbuncle.”  A poultice made from these leaves is very quieting and soothing, and at the same time will cause the carbuncle to ripen.

2.  Carbuncle, Slippery Elm and Sassafras Root for.—­“Sassafras root and slippery elm bark boiled together and the decoction thickened with cornmeal.”  This should be changed as often as it becomes cool.

3.  Carbuncle, Sheep Sorrel Poultice for.—­“Gather a bunch of sheep sorrel leaves, wrap them in a cabbage leaf and roast in the oven.  Apply to the carbuncle, and it will soon ripen and break.”

4.  Carbuncle, Bread and Milk Poultice for.—­“Keep warm bread and milk poultice on until the core comes out, then put on salve or vaselin and keep covered until all healed.”

5.  Carbuncle, the Common Scabious for.—­“Take scabious, the green herb and bruise it.  Apply this to the affected part.  This has been found a very effectual remedy.”  The common field scabious have many hairy, soft, whitish green leaves, some of which are very small and rough on the edges, others have hairy green leaves deeply and finely divided and branched a little.  Flowers size of small walnut and composed of many little ones.  Sometimes called “Morning Bride,” “Devil’s Bit,” etc.

6.  Carbuncle, Snap Bean Poultice for.—­“Apply snap bean leaves beat up fine.  Bruise the leaves until they are real fine, then apply as a poultice.”

Physicians’ treatment for Carbuncles.—­Keep up the strength by a nourishing diet and in some cases, stimulants.

[Skin diseases 61]

Local.—­Cut it open thoroughly by a cross (crucial) cut, like this (x).  The cut must reach through the mass to sound tissue beneath and beyond it.  Then scrape out all the dead tissue.  Dress with iodoform or sterile gauze.  An antiseptic like listerine, glyco-thymoline, etc., can be used to wet the gauze, put on as a dressing afterwards and then more dry gauze above, strapped with adhesive plaster.  Water and instruments must be boiled, hands must be absolutely clean.  Everything around it must be clean.  Sometimes it is necessary to go slowly and take out at each dressing only what can be easily removed, It is not always possible to get the whole mass away at once.  Opening the carbuncle and giving free drainage afford great relief from the fever and often general symptoms.  When the part feels as if it needed redressing, it should be done, for it then gives much relief.  The dressings frequently become hard and do not absorb all of the material ready to be discharged.  It is usually proper and prudent to dress a carbuncle two or three times a day.  There is no danger if the one who dresses it is clean with the instruments, hands and gauze or cotton.