Our gang has been sick the last couple of weeks, so I have been able to practice many different medicine making skills on them including using an onion poultice. My son has been coughing with lots of chest congestion. I decided to try using an onion poultice on him to loosen up the mucous in his lungs, causing his coughing to become more productive.
Making an onion poultice is very simple. You probably have the ingredients in your kitchen right now. All you need are a few onions and some type of oil to cook them in.
Directions on Making an Onion Poultice
Slice up several onions and sauté them in a bit of cooking oil. I used olive oil, but another good oil would be coconut oil. Cook the onions until they are translucent and limp. You don’t want them to get mushy or caramelized. Just somewhat clear and tender.
Next, cover the persons chest with a clean flannel or cotton cloth. We used an old white t-shirt. Let the onions cool slightly before putting them on the chest. You want them as warm as the person can handle, but you don’t want them to burn.
Cover the onions with plastic wrap, then place a blanket or towel over the person. Let the onions sit on the chest until they cool completely.
I ended up replacing the onions 3-4 times. Once we were finished with the onion poultice, I had him take a steamy shower to further loosen the mucous and help him cough it up.