A soft, warm mixture applied to the skin to soothe pain or inflammation, usually made from herbs or other substances.
From Old French 'poultice,' derived from Latin 'puls' (pottage, porridge), referring to the mushy consistency. Medical knowledge of poultices traveled through Latin-based medical terminology.
Poultices are one of the oldest medical treatments, predating modern medicine by thousands of years—ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese all used them. The word now sounds old-fashioned, but poultices are experiencing a comeback in natural medicine, showing how ancient remedies sometimes prove effective and how dismissing something as 'old' may be unwise.
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