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rx

patient handout (botanicals)

Compress or fomentation

botanicals

definition

compress or fomentation

» a compress or fomentation is a technique of applying botanical medicines to the skin to aid healing

» to make a compress:

1. take a clean cloth made of either cotton, linen, or gauze

2. soak in hot herbal infusion or decoction

3. place this, as hot as the person is comfortable with, upon the area to be treated

4. leave in place until cool; repeat if instructions specify

5. one may place wool fabric or a hot water bottle over the compress to help keep it warm; the fabric or hot water bottle may be protected by covering the compress with plastic wrap or wax paper

footnotes