Poultice

A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts. A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds such as cuts. Poultice may also refer to a porous solid filled with solvent used to remove stains from porous stone such as marble or granite. The word 'poultice' comes from the Greek word “poltos” transformed in the Latin puls, pultes, meaning 'porridge'. A poultice is a proposed cooling product that is commonly used for showjumpers and racehorses, as it is often cheaper and easier to administer than many other cooling products. Ice Tite is a poultice that is applied to the horse’s distal limbs after exercise, for 9 - 12 hours. The intended effect of Ice Tite is to cool the horse’s legs over a long period of time, by drawing heat out of the leg through evaporation. It is common practice to bandage over the Ice Tite, using bandages and bandage fillers, and to place either wet newspaper or cellophane wrap between the Ice Tite and bandages, yet bandaging over the poultice may also prevent the action of heat evaporation and, therefore, prevent cooling i.e. heat can’t escape. It is also worth noting dry poultice stores heat.