poultice
Med a local moist and often heated application for the skin consisting of substances such as kaolin, linseed, or mustard, used to improve the circulation, treat inflamed areas, etc.
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
poultice
[′pōl·təs] (medicine)
A soft mass of hot, moist material applied as an external counterirritant, analgesic, or antiseptic.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Poultice
a form of heat application to the skin and deeper lying tissues and organs. A poultice is made from coarsely ground vegetable matter that has mucous characteristics; linseed and Iceland moss are often used. The vegetable matter is brought to a boil and cooked until a doughy mass is formed. Dry poultices, made from such substances as heated ash, peat, or linseed, are also used. Paraffin and peat treatments and certain other forms of physiotherapy are more perfected heat procedures.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.