Causing blistering or irritation of the skin; referring to a substance that raises blisters when applied to skin.
From Greek epispastikos from epi- 'upon' + span 'to draw/pull,' literally 'that which pulls upon.' Used in classical medical texts for drawing plasters and blister treatments.
Mustard plasters were the epispastic remedy of choice for centuries—grandmothers applied them to chests for colds because the blistering response supposedly 'drew out' the illness through counter-irritation!
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