HEALTHY SKIN

Rhus toxicodendron

The skin is red and covered with numerous vesicles.

There is great itching and tingling.

The skin is swollen and oedematous.

It is especially the remedy for vesicular erysipelas.

Apis differs from Rhus toxicodendron

Under Apis there is more burning and stinging than under Rhus.

There is also more oedema, and in erysipelas it is more especially indicated in the pale variety than in the vesicular variety.

Cantharis

Cantharis produces large blisters on the skin, and there is especially a great deal of burning and smarting.

The blisters are the characteristic.

Burns and scalds.

Croton tiglium

 The blisters are very small and numerous and itch terribly, and they form pustules which dry into yellow scabs, the characteristics being the confluent vesicles and the itching accompanying.

Hura Brasiliensis is a similar remedy here.

Ranunculus bulbosus

It forms vesicles of the skin, which are filled with serum and burn.

They sometimes have a bluish-black appearance, and it is especially indicated when these vesicles form along the course of the nerves, producing a disease known as shingles.Herpes zoster.

Mezereum.

There are numerous small vesicles with terrible itching, but the characteristic is that the secretion dries quickly, producing thick, high scabs, from which an acrid, thick pus oozes.

Crusts and itching are characteristic.

Chininum sulphuricum

 It causes erythematous eruptions, and resembles greatly scarlet fever.

 Ranunculus sceleratus resembles Cantharis in producing large blisters which burst and leave a raw surface.

Papulous eruption is characteristic of the Potashes.

Psorinum

Herpetic eruptions on the skin, accompanied by a great deal of itching, which is worse as soon as patient gets in bed.

The skin is dirty, greasy, and looks as if it had never been washed.

Tinea capitis ; oozing of offensive matter.

 Sulphur

 The troubles of the skin are apt to alternate with some internal trouble ; there is the great aggravation from washing, and the more the eruption is scratched the more it itches and burns ; the skin is rough, coarse and measly ; the eruptions are usually pustular, and there is tendency to soreness in the folds of the skin.
Great dryness and heat of the scalp, with. intense itching, and scratching, though it relieves, causes burning ; all the eruptions are greatly aggravated by washing and by being wet ; wetting produces burning ; there may be also an eruption of yellow crusts on the scalp.

Graphites

Moist, scabby eruptions, especially of the scalp, face, bends of joints, and in the folds of skin, as between the fingers, behind the ears, in the corners of the mouth or eyes ; they are cracked, bleeding, or oozing a gluey, honey like, thick and tenacious discharge ; the skin may be dry and horny ; there is absence of sweat, the hair is dry and falls out, the nails become loose.

Cicatrices are benefited by Graphites.

Lycopodium has dry, scaly eruptions.

 Mezereum has thick, hard, scabby and crusty eruptions.

Arsenicum

 Pains, itching, biting, gnawing and burning.

 Watery swellings, from puffiness to oedema.

 Eruptions, papules, nettle rash and pimples.

Painful ulcers, burning and sensitive, with offensive discharges.

Oleander

The skin is sensitive ; slight friction causes chafing and soreness.

It produces eruption on the scalp and back of the ears like a crusta lactea, which oozes a fluid and breeds vermin.

Vinca minor

This also produces an eruption which breeds vermin and it produces by the discharge a matted condition of the hair, and there is a very offensive odor arising therefrom.

Eczema of scalp and face.

Plica polonica.

Viola tricolor

 It is useful for crusts on the scalp where the exudation is very copious.

It mats the hair like Vinca minor and is distinguished by its urinary symptoms ; urine smells like that of a cat.

Staphisagria

 It is worse on the occiput, and the characteristic indication is that it itches terribly, but scratching changes the place of the itching.
Anacardium and Mezereum have this last symptom, though less marked.

Nux juglans and Arctium lappa are useful for Crusta lactea.

Petroleum
Petroleum has an eruption which particularly occurs behind the ears ; it is a pure eczema ; the skin is harsh and dry, and there are deep cracks and fissures which bleed and. suppurate ; the finger tips are cracked and painful and the hands chap.

 Petroleum distinguished from Graphites

Graphites pictures more of a herpes and Petroleum more of an eczema.

Natrum muriaticum
 It is a dry, scaly eruption, or a herpetic eruption of little watery blisters ; especially when in the bends of the knees ; also, it is a remedy for affections of the scalp accompanied by a falling of the hair and the brows.
Eruptions on flexor surfaces.

 Kreosote has eruptions on the extensor surfaces.

Apis in urticaria

The eruption suddenly appears on the surface of the skin in long pinkish-white welts, with terrible itching.

Urtica urens and Terebinthina are especially useful for urticaria caused by eating shell fish.

Sepia
It causes yellowish-brown spots on the skin with itching, redness and rawness.

It is especially a remedy for ring-worms.

Herpetic conditions about knees and ankles.

Tellurium and Calcarea carbonica  are useful for ringworms.


Belladonna in skin diseases

It causes a bright scarlet redness of the skin, which is extremely sensitive to the touch.

It has an erysipelatous condition, and there is a great deal of throbbing, as if the deeper parts of the skin were affected.

Anacardium

It is useful where the skin is covered with small blisters, which have an umbilicated center ; they discharge a yellow serum which hardens into crusts with extreme itchiness.

It is one of the antidotes to Rhus poisoning.

Croton tiglium, Ammonium carbonica. and Grindelia robusta  are useful for Rhus poisoning.

Anacardium occidentale is useful in a vesicular eruption on the skin, which is umbilicated and which itches terribly.

Antimonium crudum.

It produces thick, horny callosities on the skin ; it causes deficient growth of the nails, and the eruptions are crusty — the crusts being of a honey yellow character ; the skin cracks easily.

Kalium bromatum produces acne.

Arsenic, Arsenicum iodide and Rhus toxicodendron are beneficial in Psoriasis.

Thuja

It is a remedy for warts and diseases of the epidermal tissue, such as affections of the nails, etc.

Thuja differs from Causticum

The Causticum warts have a solid body and are very horny.

Thuja warts are fissured, cut up, having a cauliflower appearance.

Arnica

It produces a peculiar form of erysipelas — a dermatitis with much itching and soreness, dark blue in color.

Boils with great soreness.

Camphor antidotes the skin symptoms of Arnica.

Arnica should  be diluted before being applied externally.

Because the tincture is resinous and not only liable to produce the condition above referred to in sensitive skins, but this quality interferes with its easy absorption.

Calcarea
The skin is unhealthy ; small wounds suppurate easily ; it is useful for certain forms of eczema of the scalp with general Calcarea symptoms.

Comocladia dentata

It has many symptoms on the skin similar to Rhus toxicodendron , but its peculiar symptom is a pain in the right eye as if it were pushed out of the head ; worse near a warm stove.

Dolichos
A violent itching all over the body without any visible eruption ; useful in intense itching of jaundice, which is worse at night.

Dulcamara
It produces an eruption of large wheals, and it is useful if such be brought on by digestive troubles, with aggravation from cold air.

Hepar sulphur

The skin is sensitive to the open air ; inflamed skin ; injuries suppurate easily ; eruptions and ulcerations are sensitive, and bleed easily, and discharge a foul smelling excretion ; around the principal ulcerations there are little pimples.

Hippomane mancinella

It produces vesicles on the skin, with an intense erythema ; so irritating is it that water dropping from its leaves on the skin will produce vesicles. It has been utilized in scarlet fever when this intense irritation of the skin exists.

Hydrocotyle asiatica

Skin diseases, with an immense amount of desquamation.

Sarsaparilla

Sycotic eruptions looking like the roseola of syphilis and itching intolerably ; eruptions exuding an irritating pus ; moist eruption about genitals.

Is an anti-sycotic remedy.

 Silicea

There is a general unhealthy condition of the skin.

It suppurates easily and heals with difficulty.

In suppurative skin diseases it is our best remedy.

Antimonium tartaricum

It produces an eruption of pustules resembling those of smallpox, for which it is a remedy.

Urtica urens

Nettle rash, with intolerable itching and burning ; hives from eating shell fish.

Also indicated in absence of milk after confinement without apparent cause.

Viola tricolor

Crusta lactea, with copious exudation which mats the hair, and urine smelling like that of a cat.

Natrum carbonicum and Pix liquida are useful for eczema of the dorsa of the hands.