Recently, a friend related his experience with a medical problem. After lengthy waits to get medical attention, he went to the hospital ER. His complaints were low-grade fever and in general feeling bad. After being admitted to the hospital and receiving a battery of tests, no major problems were indicated. Finally it was determined that a boil on his rear was his only ailment. When I was a child, my dad lanced a big boil on my knee by sticking it with a sewing needle and mashed it until a core popped out.