sand boil

"Whew!" said Tom, his eyes opening wide. "What must I do when I find a sand boil?" / "If you see a boil developing, grab a sack of dirt—we'll leave some at points a few hundred feet apart—put it right over the spout; pile on more as fast as you can and blow your horn for help, and keep blowing. We will get there and attend to it."

The boils called sand boils, which form on the front of the knee, are generally produced by small particles of sand being rubbed beneath the skin when the men are kneeling to holystone the decks. Very troublesome sores are thus produced. Great care should, therefore, be taken never to kneel with the bare knees upon a sanded deck. In treating a sand boil, all particles of sand must be removed, wet compresses applied for a day or two, the leg kept at rest, dry lint and adhesive plaster being afterwards used.