No. 1. Linseed meal ½ lb.
Bran 3 quarts.
Hogs’ lard 4 oz.
Boiling water enough to make a soft poultice.
No. 2. Turnips thoroughly boiled and mashed; any quantity. Linseed meal
enough to form the poultice.
Either of the simple poultices may be converted into an anodyne poultice
by the addition of opium; into a fomenting poultice, by the addition of
yeast, and by substituting oatmeal for linseed meal: into an astringent
poultice, by the addition of Goulard’s extract, sugar of lead, or
powdered alum; and into a detergent poultice, by the addition of white
or blue vitriol.
In obstinate cases of virulent grease, where there is much pain, and a
stinking dark-coloured discharge, and especially when emollients are
found ineffectual, the detergent poultice has quickly cured the disease,
and in such cases even a solution of corrosive sublimate has been used
with the best effect.—_White._
POULTICE, _v._ To apply a poultice or cataplasm.
POULTRY, _s._ Domestic fowls.
POUNCE, _s._ The claw or talon of a bird of prey; the powder of gum
sandarach.
POUND, _s._ A certain weight, consisting, in Troy weight, of twelve,
in Avoirdupoise, of sixteen ounces; the sum of twenty shillings;
a penfold, an enclosure, a prison in which beasts are enclosed.
POWDER, _s._ Dust, any body comminuted; gunpowder.
POWDER FLASK, _s._ A flask to hold powder.
To obviate the danger of the powder being inflamed and communicated to
that in the flask whilst loading, have a brass top made to go over that
which screws on the flask, and which the opening of the spring supplies
from it; by putting the charge of powder into the detached brass
covering, and from that pouring it into the barrel; should there be any
tow, after cleaning and flashing off some powder, or, after discharging,
any wadding remaining on fire within, (which last may happen when paper,
but never can when hat or leather wadding is used,) the whole of the
powder that can explode will be the single charge in the brass covering.
Mr. Egg and Mr. Sykes have each got patents for powder flasks, in which,
if a charge is blown up, all communication is so effectually prevented,
that no farther damage can be done. I have seen the one of Mr. Egg
repeatedly tried by himself. To do this, he dropped a red hot nail into
the barrel, which, of course, instantly fired the measure put into it.
He then unscrewed the top, and showed me the remainder of the powder in
the horn, having only guarded his right hand by a shield of pasteboard,
to avoid being burnt by the charge from the barrel.
The principle of it is so secure as to render it impossible for the
powder in the flask to ignite, while in the act of loading, by the
passage being completely cut off, from the lever being placed on the top
of a strong plate instead of underneath. It also prevents the flash out
of the barrel from injuring the hand, as the charger is fixed in an
octant position, with a vent to let out the flame.
The springs of these powder horns must be kept very clean and free, or,
like many ingenious patents, they will fall victims to the abuse of
slovenly sportsmen. Mr. Egg says, he “begs leave to caution gentlemen of
a trumpery Sheffield flask (sold in the shops), with an upright charger,
not being calculated to answer the purpose intended, though it is an
infringement on his patent.”—_Hawker._
POWDERHORN, _s._ A horn case in which powder is kept for guns.
As to your horn, the best thing you can do, when it remains pretty full
at the end of a day, is to leave it in a very dry place in a warm room.
For my own part, being persuaded that so much depends upon this, I
always have my powder packed in half-pounds, a spare one of which I
usually carry about me, and never open it until my horn is empty; and I
am certain that more depends upon the quality and state of the powder
than is usually ascribed to it.—_Hints to Sportsmen._
POWDERMILL, _s._ The mill in which the ingredients for gunpowder are
ground and mingled.