Hi! So in the podcast found below, I made a mistake about blister plastering. What I was thinking of was a form of cupping, which when overdone can cause horrible blisters. I do apologize. According to the following website Medicine-in-Jacksonian America (http://tinyurl.com/983uqhc) blister plastering is:
“The application of blister plasters was another way of cleansing the system. These were usually made of mustard or Spanish flies (cantharides) which were powdered and mixed with liquids to make a plaster. The compound caused great irritation to the skin; when blisters discharged the pus, much of the harmful matter supposedly was expelled. Once cleansed of its irritants, the body could be restored to health by the use of tonics. Arsenic, mercury, lime, copper, iron, and nitric acid frequently were used as components of the various restorative solutions and compounds.”
Always something to learn here at the Nerdstorian!
The Nerdstorian 