The splinter secret

"Do you know a good poultice??"  a friend asked this morning.  "I've got this enormous splinter in my thumb, it's been in there 3 days, is infected and I've tried...everything"  "Everything??"  "Well, first I did a bread poultice, then silicon paste...no luck.  Someone recommended soaking in cider vinegar for 30 minutes, which didn't work...finally I tried sunlight soap and sugar last night...and it's still there."
"Ah, yes, but it's really easy, all you need is...
"Salt and hot water", I announced confidently.  "Take about a cup of hot water (so hot you can't put your finger in), dissolve about a quarter of a cup of salt, then dip in the affected part.  It'll be too hot at the start to keep your finger in there, but gradually you'll be able to leave it in to soak.  Then with the help of a needle & tweezers I guarantee it'll come out no worries. 
And...sure enough, it worked!
Salt & hot water's also a winner for any infected fingers, toes, noses etc...