Mary Kay writes: << My mother has told me some really good stories about using packer's pine tar salve to "draw" a boil to a head. >> Ah yes, pine tar etc... I was just thinking that we often hear the word "draw" meaning that the tar or oil seems to pull the icky stuff out, but Im guessing that what might actually be going on is that these substances are so thick, that they effectively seal the heat in for a long time, increase local circulation, and allow the body to push that stuff toward the surface to get rid of it. I would think the trick is to be careful so that the circulation is increased but not drive local inflammation so high as to make things worse instead of better... or does that not seem to happen in an otherwise healthy person? Judy LeVan Fram, Brooklyn, NY *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html