Abortive Treatment

If a furuncle comes under the treatment at the beginning, there is little doubt but that it can be aborted; and one way to do this is to insert the sharp point of a Paquelin cautery, or a lance-shaped gal-vano-cautery. If neither be at hand, a pointed stick of nitrate of silver should be thoroughly bored in. This is painful at the moment, but it saves pain later on, and may be the means of preventing the formation of new boils. Another method recommended is to scrape the skin over the threatened seat of invasion with a scalpel until a drop or two of blood exudes on pressure.

Another:
Hydrargyr. oxid., 0.10; lanolin, 10.0. S. To be well rubbed in three or four times daily. This will frequently be successful in aborting a boil.
Sen recommends the following abortive treatment for furuncle:

1. Carbolic acid in hypodermic injections.
2. The acid must be used  early before  suppuration appears,  in which case the furuncle will be aborted without any connective tissue necrosis.
3. In advanced cases the adoption of the same treatment will prevent serious scarring.
4. A three per cent, solution is of more value than a weaker one.
5. Patients can follow their usual occupations during the progress of the treatment.

Furuncles should never be opened with a knife until they are "ripe" - that is, until the accumulation of pus has been sufficient to loosen the central core. When opened, however, the pus should be evacuated as thoroughly as possible, and the central core removed. The parts should then be thoroughly cleansed with mercurial solution, and an antiseptic dressing applied. The sulphide of calcium given internally, in doses of one quarter of a grain, hastens the maturation of the lesions.

When a boil is tense and hard, the best local treatment consists in applying hot, limited flax seed meal, or pulverized slippery elm, or tomato poultices. Poultices should not be continued after the boil opens, as if too long used they rather encouraged the formation of new boils. Gelsemium or lappa cerate is a good after-dressing.

The appropriate internal remedy will usually be one of the following:
Absinthium, - Eruption of furuncles over the whole body.

Aethusa. - Painful boil on the small of the back; hepatic derangement; intolerance of milk; in children during dentition.

Amman, carb. - Boils on the cheeks and around the ears; in scrofulous children and in old people.

Antimon. crud. - Boils on the perineum; burning pain for some distance around; gastric derangement.


Arctium lappa. - When crops of boils persistently occur; hordeolum and ulcerated eyelids.

Arnica. - Many small boils on the face; eructations bitter and like rotten eggs; general lassitude.

Apis. - Boils on the pubis; burning, stinging pains; great sensitiveness to touch and pressure.

Bellad. - In early stages, if boil is inflamed and painful; red, hot, shining swelling; boils on the shoulders every spring; after measles.

Bellis per. - Boils beginning as slight pimples, and in­creasing to large dark colored swellings, with aching pain. Mostly on the neck and lower jaw.

Berberis vulg. - Hastens suppuration in boils, and prevents their recurrence.

Bromide of potassium causes an eruption of small boils, in successive crops, chiefly over the face and trunk, with troublesome itching.

Bromine. - Boils on the arms and face. In light-haired, blue-eyed persons.

Cadmium sulph. - Boils on the nose and buttocks.

Calcarea carb. - Boils on the forearms and hands, with lancinating pains; cramps in the arms; glandular swellings. In scrofulous persons.

Calcarea mur. - As a preventative.

Carbo an. - Boils at the anus; burning, tearing pain. In scrofulous subjects.

Cina. - Boils on the head and face in children; child is very fretful; bores in the nose with the fingers; burning heat of the face with a glowing redness of the cheeks.

Cistus. - Boils beginning with a blister.

Gelsemium. - Large boils on the face and neck; great muscular prostration; sleeplessness from nervous irritation; dizziness and blurred vision; heat of face and head.

Hepar. - When boils mature slowly; violent throbbing gathering pain; stinging soreness; after injuries. Hepar low to promote suppuration, and high to prevent suppuration.

Kali iod. - Papular eruption, or other eruptions with strumous or syphilitic taint.

Kalmia lat. - Red inflamed spots like incipient boils.

Lappa maj. - Boils on the face, eyelids and all over.

Ledum. - Boils on the forehead, itching, pricking tearing pains worse in the evening before midnight. After mosquito stings. In drunkards.

Lycopod. - Boils on the nates; periodical boils; aggravated by warm, wet poultices; after excessive wine drinking.

Manganum. - Small boils; every injury tends to suppurate.

Magnesia mar. - Boils on the nose which suppurate in one day; boils on the false ribs; menstrual derangements; diarrhoea in children.

Merc. sol. - Boils on the ankles; coldness of the hands and feet; foetid ulcers on the legs, with gnawing itching; shooting tensive pains, worse at night; especially when complicated with bilious or mucous diarrhoea.


Natrum carb. - Boils behind the ears; ulcers on the limbs; burning in the feet when walking; sour eructations.

Nitric acid. - Numerous large boils on the scapulae, nape of the neck, nates, thighs and legs; tensive pains worse in the evening and at night; aggravated by drinking milk.

Nitrum. - Boils on the thumb.

Nux juglans. - Boils on the right arm; indurated boils blood boils; violent itching and burning.

Nux vom. - Boils on the knees; gastric derangement; constipation.

Phos. acid. - Boils in the axillae, and on the nates; burning, stinging pain; skin feels sore all over. In young people who grow rapidly.

Phytolacca. - Boils on the back.

Rhus rad. - .Boils on the face which do not mature; blind boils.

Silicea. - Boils on the posterior portion of the thighs, and on the calves; disposition to boils; constipation.

Stramon. - Boils on the feet; coldness of the limbs in children.

Sulphur. - Boils in the ear; stinging itching with smarting after scratching; after suppressed menstruation; disposition to boils.

Zincum ox. - Boils on the abdomen, aggravated by use of wine; worse before and during menstruation.