Regular Turpintine And Match To Clean Out An Abcess ?

I talked with a customer this evening who used to use an old black man as a farrier. She told me one time he opened up an abcess and then poured reguilar turpintine on it and lit a match. Said when it lit it would suck all the drainage out like it sucks air in a regular fire.
Have any of you ever heard of anyone doing this ? Interesting concept don't you think ?

I would like to see somebody do that. I don't think I have any customers that would let me try.

Who know's? That might be an effective method from days past.

But my gut tells me it is just voodoo, or placebo for the customer, or "old timers" just like to light feet on fire.

Reminds me of the purple smoke trick, I don't have a copy of Butler's PI, but I think it was mix Mercury Iodide crystals and turpentine or something and "pooof" you'd impress the customer and they would think you were doing something to help.

If the abscess is relieved on the solar surface I usually flush it with a syringe.

Interesting consept . Yer if your a crack pot! . Turpentine would help kill the infection but there are far better topics that you can apply. As for creating a useful vacuum to purge the wound.I dought it would be of suffisant magnitude to be of any help & I think you would have more luck with a dunny plunger

I watched a guy use the iodine crystals and turpentine for a foot that he had cut the sole to deep and was bleeding pretty bad. It stopped the bleeding. But I don't know about an abscess, give it a try and let us know.

Personally I don't know if I would do it,
but I would like to say how I mentioned something to my Dr. the other day and he rolled his eye's. He is a pill pusher and has forgotten that all pills and medication origionated from the forests and jungles and a lot started in "OLD TIME VOODO"... Merlin and the witch doctors of different cultures are in reality Alchemists in their own right and have come up with many concoctions that actually have worked.
So it is with each era of new folks coming along.

I remember when mechanics would use lighter fluid poured around a tire that wouldn't seal on a rim and when lit is would suck the air out and pop the tire was tight against the rim. Suction from air being drawn out.

I've not lit turpintine to draw an abcess. I have used my fair share of Iodine crystals and tupintine on abcesses after draining. Works very well. Don't use anymore after the crystals became hard to get due to the meth problem.

I'm glad I didn't have a mouth full of coffee when I read that.

I think the idea is that you squirt a little lighter fluid inside the tyre and ignite it, the expansion of the gasses produced as the fluid ignites forces the bead on to the rim. It can be overdone...

that is the worst scenario, but I have seen it done by a number of tire men over the years and it works.....

I wasn't trying to argue that it doesn't work, as I too have seen the technique used successfully, I was just using that clip to show that it is expansion pushing the bead back on to the rim rather than suction pulling it on.

I know that Gary. It was a good clip and I didn't for one second think you were argueing.
Always feel free to say your thoughts, give your opinions, disagree with me or agree with me and most importantly show another angle or view on anything I say.
It is all of these things that make a discussion stay alive, and we all learn from.... Mostly me most of the time...
I don't have an ego that says I am right all of the time or even a part of the time. (I sure hope I don't).

my 2 cents worth

Ok, here it a different view of what you said.

Bruce, I think you and I would get along...