The doctor finally gave up and told her to go home and soak the wound in coal oil twice a day and pray for healing. The remedy worked. As I suspected, a detailed search of the book did not show coal oil as a recommended remedy for any malady. I now believe use of the concoction was for purely psychological reasons.
Prickly heat causes an itchy rash of small red raised red spots with a prickling or stinging sensation. Prickly heat usually affects parts of the body covered by clothes, such as the back, abdomen, neck, upper chest, groin or armpits.
This in turn relieves the itching and inflammation associated with prickly heat. 1  Add one teaspoon of baking soda to one cup of cold water. 2  Soak a clean washcloth in the solution and wring out the excess water. 3  Put the washcloth over the affected area for five to 10 minutes.  Repeat four or five times a day for a week.