l-regulated fomentation improves the
general health, and prevents the diseased material spreading from the
foot or ankle through the body.

Take, then, a case in which the ankle bone has first become painful,
perhaps without any perceptible cause, or it may be as the result of an
injury to the part. It then swells and becomes inflamed. At this stage
two or three fomentations (_see_) well applied may very likely cure it
entirely. But if neglected, or leeched, blistered, and the skin spoiled
with iodine, what is called disease of the bone may set in, accompanied
with discharge of matter at one or more places on the ankle. This
discharge, where it is evidently lodging in the limb, may be assisted
to escape by careful lancing by a good surgeon. For such a case,
fomentation of as much of the limb as possible is the treatment. Let a
bath be procured, in which the limb may be immersed in hot water as
deeply as possible, even up to the very thigh. Let the water at first
be comfortably warm. Increase its temperature gradually until as hot as
can be borne without pain. Keep the limb in this bath for an hour, or
for such shorter period as the patient may be able to bear it. Gently
dry, and rub all over with warm olive oil. Wipe this gently off, and
cover the limb with clothing. Then syringe any sores with weak acid
(_see_ Acetic Acid; Wounds), and dress with bandage (_see_ Ankle,
Twisted). Do this twice each day, and persevere.

If it cannot well be bathed, let it be fomented by a large piece of
flannel soaked with boiling water, and placed round the diseased part.
We have seen a wasting bone healed entirely in a few weeks by this
means. We have seen a man with the bones of both his legs splintering
off and coming through the skin perfectly healed in a few months. It
stands to reason that it should be so. The bathing in his case, like
the fomenting in others, were so effectually done that the bones
themselves were heated, and strong healing action set in at once. We
saw lately a piece of dead bone above four inches long come out of a
young man's arm as the result of nothing else but fomentation. The arm
was soon as whole and as useful as could be desired, though it had been
to all appearance only fit to be taken off at the elbow. The steady
supply of moist heat does wonders in this way.

We have seen some most remarkable specimens of what was erroneously
thought sufficient fomentation. One was a case of diseased thigh-bone.
A b