Boil or furuncle a painful nodule formed in the skin by circumscribed inflammation of the corium and subcutaneous tissue enclosing a central slough or “core.”
Vitiation of Pitta and blood can cause boils. They can be due to over exposre to sun, heat, stress, suppressed emotions, or various bacterial infections. They are associated with some systemic diseases like diabetes and erysipelas. Abscesses are usually bigger than boils; otherwise there is not much difference in pathogenesis. Treatment is the same for both.
Pitta type boils are red with lot of swelling and are usually with fever and thirst, Kaha type is usually very large with pus. Vata type is associated with lot of pain.
In acute condition, anti-ama and anti-pitta diet is ideal. Herbs of choice are azadrechta inica, tinospora cordifolia, hemidesmus indicus, and rubia cordifolia.
When these are not available, use western herbs like aloe, barbery, isatis, turmeric, burdock, cheekweed, and dandelion, golden seal, which has alliterative acion. Mixture of any of the two above herbs can be safely used in dose of 1 gm. twice a day for 1 month.
When boils are very small, they can be treated by tab. Guduchi 250 mgm. 3 times day, for 15days, Bowels should be kept open by giving laxatives that pacify pitta by giving owder of amalaki 1 part + avipattikara powder ½ parts in dse of 1 to 3 gms. A day for 15 days.
When big boils appear ion the skin, they should be teated like an abscess. When there is a high fever, use rasasindura in dose of 100 mgm, twice a day for 10 days. Fomentation should be done with hot medicated vapor or poultice should e applied. Medicated paste of dashana is also advised.
For recurrent boils it is better to carry out blood-letting after giing medicate ghee of any bitte herb and then give tab. Guduchi 250 mgm, 3 times a day with sarivadyaava 15ml.twice a day for one month.
