Natural Healing for skin bumps bruise infection

I grew up in a modest home where old wives' tales and home remedies were woven into everyday life. It was a common practice to use natural elements like food, herbs, and soil in healing preparations and practices. We rarely visited the medical doctor seeking treatment for ailments. Most often, the cure was found in our garden and kitchen.

My aunt Lily had an exceptional gift for formulating remarkable healing remedies from sufficiently commonplace items. Her favorite application for a scratch or abrasion was made with a plain piece of white bread soaked in cold milk. I remember falling while skating one day and I skinned my knees on the sidewalk. Crying uncontrollably, I limped back to our house in pain, bleeding and fearing the worse. She immediately placed the soggy cool flaps over my injuries and almost instantly the bleeding stopped. Within a few minutes, the pain has subsided and i felt calm and reassured. Cooked oatmeal was another remedy on her apothecary list. Wrapped in a cotton cloth or sometimes applied directly to the affection, this helped to relieve pimple, insect bites, and skin rashes.

Little did I know then that this healing method has been widely used for thousands of years in practically every culture and country in the world. Known as a poultice, this practical and economical treatment will serve you well in your journey to health.

A poultice is a soft moist mass, used cool or warm, spread over a cloth or placed directly on the skin to treat inflamed, painful, bruised parts of the body.

Here are some helpful remedies:

Cabbage Poultice- Remove whole cabbage leaf. Rinse well. Slightly bruise with a mallet to release a bit of juice. Place on sores, pimples, or boils to help draw out poisons and pus. Replace with a fresh piece often.

Potato Poultice- Rinse whole white potato. Grate raw potato and place on bruises, sprains or boils.

Comfrey/Myrrh Poultice- Mix equal amounts of powdered comfrey and myrrh root in a glass or ceramic dish. Add enough warm water to make a paste. Apply to open sores, wounds, swellings, or blisters.

Flaxseed Poultice- Grind 4-6 tablespoons of flaxseed in coffee grinder. Add to 2 cups boiling water and stir well. When thickened, spread on piece of muslin cloth large enough to cover the affected area and fold cloth over so that the flax does not spill out. Good for inflammation.

Clay Poultice- Mix bentonite, red or green clay with enough water or herb tea to make a paste. Apply to infections, bruises, or swellings. Add powdered garlic, cayenne or ginger to powdered clay for an effective treatment for painful joints.

Slippery Elm Poultice- Mix 1 part powdered slippery elm with enough water to make a paste. Apply to wounds, sores, infections. For added efficacy, add 1/2 part neem or golden seal powder before mixing with water.