SOAP AND SUGAR POULTICE

by col shepherd
(brisbane Australia)

I remember my mother used it a soap and sugar poultice on me when I was young, and I recently tried it on my 3 year old, with amazing success.
He came to me with a badly infected thunb, from a damaged fingernail, having been to the doctors for it and been given antibiotics, it was getting worse, so I got some soap, and some sugar, and mixed it into a paste, then used a gauze bandage, and kept it wrapped up overnight.
The next morning the infection and swelling was gone, so it left me thinking maybe it works ???

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SOAP AND SUGAR POULTICE

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Confirmation
by: Vivienne Gibson Green

I am Australian, living in Canada. Looking for a poultice recipe I couldn't relate to any of the herbal ones listed then I saw your Soap and Sugar mixture and immediately knew it was the one. Then I read that you were Australian too so no wonder it looked familiar to me. I will try it immediately and apply it to a boil like sore I have on one of my toes. Thankyou

My Irish Grandma's Recipe
by: Anonymous

This was passed down from my grandmoter from Ireland. In her time, there was no such thing as antibiotics to control or remove an infection. When I was about fifteen, I took a particularly nasty fall off my bike. My knee was scraped up pretty badly and became infected. My father prepared a soap and sugar poltice and covered my knee with that and a bandage. The following morning, not only had the infection spilled out onto the bandage, but the imbedded dirt did as well. I've used this recipe on my kids and grandkids. Works like a charm and doesn't hurt in the least!

Soap and sugar poultice
by: Margie

My Finnish mother also used the soap and sugar poultice, although she swore by Ivory soap. Yes, it still works!

it works
by: Anonymous

my grandfather was a country veterinarian - having been trained in France during WWI. Common practice to remove infections from horse wounds was a poultice of home made cane sugar and home made lye soap. Growing up and living in the Ozarks, they were somewhat self-sufficient and they themselves made most anything could, including their log cabin from hand-hewed logs - my dad use to tell a joke that his family were not hill billies, but all of their neighbors were. Once my mother asked her mother-in-law to share her recipe for chicken&dumplins' and grandmother replied , you first grow some corn to feed the chicken : go figure :)

What kind of soap?
by: Diabetic mother

My mother is diabetic and has an infection in her foot. What type of soap do you use, Liquid or a bar of soap?

What kind of soap?
by: Col shepherd

Just your ordinary bath soap, but the old yellow cakes of laundry soap works just as well.

Soap and sugar make amazing poultice
by: Anonymous

My mother used a dish soap and sugar paste as a poultice since I was a child. I'd love to know why it works. Over 60 years experience have shown it does work.

sugar, soap and a slice of bread
by: Jax

Hi, reading your posts reminded me of my mum's poultice which was very similar. Her family were from the Highlands of Scotland and their recipe had the sugar and soap paste on a slice of bread and then attached with a bandage. It's almost a miracle cure for drawing poison from a wound literally overnight!

SOAP AND SUGAR POULTICE
by: Anonymous

When you have hard brown sugar you stick a slice of apple in it and it becomes soft again. The sugar draws the moisture from the apple slice. I think that is part of the reason a soap and sugar poultice works. I was always stepping on things and getting infections. Mom used a lot of Epsom salt soaks and soap and sugar poultices on me. It is probably why I still have feet.

Nana's cure for splinters
by: Anonymous

My grandparents were also from the northern highlands of Scotland and I remember having a soap, sugar and bread mixture on all of my cuts and splinters. I recently tried it on my daughter who had a sand spur broken off in her foot and it was gone after one night of a simple bread ball with dish soap on it, rolled in sugar and topped with a bandage. I don't have a clue how it works, but I know that it's been around for at least three generations in my family and it works great for splinters.

reply to your thank you
by: Colin Shepherd

Vivienne Gibson Green you are welcome, I think a lot of old and "proven to work" are being forgotten and not passed on, so I am really pleased I'm doping my tiny bit :-)

Soap
by: Anonymous

Does it matter what kind of soap you use??

Type of Soap for Poultice
by: HFHR

I haven't tried a soap and sugar poultice but from what others have written I believe they use any bar soap. Shave some slivers off and mix with the sugar. You can add a tiny bit of water to make a paste if necessary.

sugar & soap poultice
by: Anonymous

It's the old wives tale of poison to poison, I have used this for over 40 years, passed down from my mum, her mum etc...the old remedies are the best and actually work better than most modern ones

Still used in Scotland,by those with sense..
by: Anonymous

Still used by those in the know, bar soap of any variety and granulated sugar,sit the soap in hot/warm water for a couple of minutes and used the softened part on a dressing,top with sugar.place directly over affected area and as the poltice dries out it draws the poison to the surface,overnight in a nice warm bed is best as the heat helps the process.
Remove dressing,clean area with warm water and re-dress as necessary.

My great great grandmother and great grandmother
by: Anonymous

Both came from Scotland through Canada and used soap and suger on cuts and slivers and it always work like magic. Until I saw a episode of Grey's Anatomy using sugar on a wound , I was able to google and finally get a idea as to why it worked so well.Everyone used to think I was nuts when i told them about great grams treatment.

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