Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

:1867] Miscellaneous. 513The diagnosis in many of these cases is what would havebeen designated in our student days as "tali guessing,"and some are not above a worse suspicion; but the generalpractitioner, little accustomed to thread the mazes ofthe complicated mechanism of the nervous system, wherethe lesion is frequently at one point while its only manifestationis at others often widely distant, will find in theserecords of cases, analyzed by a practiced hand, an invaluableguide in practice. G.Use and Abuse of Poultices.In his lecture recently delivered at the College of Physicians,Dr. Richardson made the following remarks onthe subject of poulticesThe application of moist heat in the form of poultice tosuppurating parts requires, I think, remodelling, in orderthat it may be placed on a true scientific basis. I amafraid that the common recommendation, " You mustput on a poultice," is too often among us allan easy wayof doing something about which we are not quite sure,and concerning which it were too much trouble to thinklong. From what I have recently observed, I fear thatmischief is often done by a poultice, which might well beavoided. The people have always a view that a poulticeis applied to" draw," as they say—a term in truth which,though very unsophisticated, is in a sense, a good term,for it means what it says. The question for us is, whetherit be sound practice to carry out, as a general rule, the" drawing " process, either by fomentation or by poultice.When a part is disposed to suppurate, the first step inthe series of changes is an increased flow of blood throughthe capillary surface, followed by obstruction, and thereuponby an excess of sensibleheat derived from the frictionthat is set up. Then follows transudation of liquor43