12. DIATHETIC DISEASES


In struma, syphilis, and leprosy the changes in the skin are but a small part of the whole disease, and only evidence of a disposition on the part of the tissues of the body, as a whole, to become changed and disordered….


I shall adopt the plan as outlined by Dr. Fox, and include under the head of diathetic diseases the strumous, the syphilitic, and the leprous diseases of the skin. There are some objections to this classification, but they do not outweigh the advantages of the arrangement. In struma, syphilis, and leprosy the changes in the skin are but a small part of the whole disease, and only evidence of a disposition on the part of the tissues of the body, as a whole, to become changed and disordered.

Scrofuloderma.

This disease does not require to be dealt with very elaborately. “It is scrofula of the skin,” and only a part of the general diathetic condition, which is evidenced by the ordinary signs of struma in greater or less degree of expression. As regards the skin, scrofula is generally characterized by the appearance at the outset of indolent, dull red, soft, tubercular formations, that rapidly suppurate, and are soon covered over with darkish scabs, from beneath which oozes an unhealthy pus. Ulceration to a greater or less degree takes place, with the formation of exuberant granulations at times, and the healing is accompanied by distinct scarring. The whole disease is of the most chronic character. One can scarcely mistake the strumous ulceration for any other disease; it may spread and cover a large extent of surface, and in this case the ulcerated surface is half covered by darkish irregular crusts, whilst the ulcers discharge a thin disagreeable dark pus, and granulations are flabby and pallid, bleeding freely on being touched; the edges of the ulcers are livid, and various attempts at repair are made. The mucous surfaces of the nose or eye may be inflamed and slightly ulcerated and onychia may be present. There are old scars of former strumous disease, and the whole aspect of the patient is a sufficient tell-tale of the disease.

The old school advises the use of cod-liver oil, iodide of iron, the phosphates of lime and iron, and locally an astringent ointment of tannin; or acetate of lead; or mercurial plaster; or iodide of lead ointment to the indolent ulcerated surfaces. Residence at the seaside is also advisable.

These patients should be allowed an abundance of fresh air, plenty of outdoor exercise, and a generous diet When the ulcers have formed, dress them with the iodide of starch paste.

Alnus rubra.-Enlargement of submaxillary glands, strumous enlargement of tonsils; obstinate impetigo and porrigo, chronic diarrhoea; scrofulous disease of hip-joint; disease of mucous membranes, which arise from or alternate with eruptions of the skin.

Arsen. iod.-Diseases of mucous membranes, characterized by a peculiar and persistently irritating corrosive character of the discharges; constant susceptibility to take cold; excoriated nostrils and lips; swollen and covered with scabs.

Arsen. met.-Great emaciation, clay-colored face, blue margin around the eyes; great weakness of all the limbs; want of disposition to do anything, and constant inclination to rest; lax muscles; swelling of the cervical glands; distended abdomen; diarrhoea; scurfy eruptions and ulcers; ophthalmia; carcinoma.

Asafoetida.-Glands hard, swollen, hot, and throbbing, with shooting jerking pains; soft enlargement of bones, with curvature; ulcers with high hard edges, sensitive to touch, easily bleeding, pus profuse, greenish, thin, offensive, even ichorous; phthisis when suppuration threatens; osteitis and caries; scrofulous ozaena; hardness of hearing, with thin purulent discharge of offensive odor; scrofulous, bloated, clumsy children, with phlegmatic temperament.

Asclepias tub.-Strong tendency to tubercular development; sharp pains in different parts of the body, with muscular soreness, changing from one part to another; impaired strength, rather feeble digestion and assimilation; glandular enlargement about neck; vesicles; pimples and pustules all over the body.

Aurum met.-Scrofula, ruddy complexion, light haired, sanguine temperament; glands painfully swollen; ozaena, with caries of nasal bones; fetid otorrhoea from caries of mastoid process; caries of cheek bones; tearing, boring, burning stitches in zygoma; red and swollen tonsils; profound ulceration in throat.

Badiaga.-Dandruff or dry, tetter-like appearance of scalp, with slight itching; scrofulous ophthalmia, with hardening of the Meibomian glands; tonsils red and inflamed; indurated glands; glandular swellings on left side of face, throat, and neck, some hard, some suppurating; small hard lumps along tibia; flesh feels sore as if it had been beaten, and very sensitive to touch or friction of clothes.

Baryta carb.-Physical and mental debility; atrophy, great weakness; face red and abdomen bloated, glands swollen, indurated; fatty or encysted tumors; coryza, nose, and upper lip swollen, scurfs under the nose; chronic induration of tonsils; sensation as of a plug in throat, worse swallowing solids; crawling in rectum, expulsion of ascarides; cannot retain the urine; chronic cough, with swollen glands and enlarged tonsils; worse after slightest cold, with soreness in chest and when coughing; chronic torticollis; pimples, ringworms, humid sores.

Bellad.-Hard, swollen, and ulcerated glands; muscular debility, with difficulty of learning to walk; photophobia, inflammation of eyes and eyelids; cough, with mucous rales; otorrhoea; emaciation and atrophy; ulcers; inflammatory swelling of nose and lips; frequent epistaxis; frequent sore throat, with swelling; distended and hard abdomen; enuresis day and night; premature development of mind; blue eyes and blonde hair.

Berberis aquifol.-This remedy is highly recommended by several physicians. Dr. Mallery uses the following prescription.

Rx. Fluid ext. berberis.

Syrup simplex, aa 3iv.

M.S. Teaspoonful every four hours.

Bromium.-Swelling and induration of the glands; enlargement of thyroid, in children with light hair, blue eyes, and fair skin; pimples and pustules; boils on the arms and face; hard swelling of left parotid, edges of opening smooth, discharge watery and excoriating, swelling remaining hard and unyielding; tonsillitis; swallowing of fluids more different than of solids; hard uneven tumor in right mammae, firmly adherent to its surroundings, with lancinating pains, worse at night; stiffness of neck.

Calcarea carb.-Malassimilation; tardy development of bony tissue; large head with open fontanelles; curvature of the back and vertebrae or other ricketic affections; herpes, tinea, crusta lactea; hard or suppurating glandular swellings; ulcers, exostosis, or caries; hard and enlarged abdomen, with swelling of mesenteric glands; emaciation and voracious appetite; thirst constant, even after drinking; profuse perspiration of head; thin and wrinkled face, with dim eyes; dry and flaccid skin; difficulty of learning to walk; difficult dentition; red swelling of nose; bronchocele; swelling of upper lip; frequent bleeding of nose; feet cold and damp; craves eggs.

Calcarea iod.-Tendency to alternate diarrhoea and constipation;no thirst; pustular eruption, sore and painful, with desire to rub and scratch it, though it makes it worse; abdomen enlarged, breath offensive; cold sticky perspiration, feet cold and damp; restless, fretful, and irritable; pus fro, abscesses thin and ichorous; granular inflammation of membrana tympani; scrofulous ophthalmia.

Calcarea phos.-Emaciation, dirty-white or brownish complexion; skull soft, thin, crepitating when pressed, especially in occiput; craves bacon, salt meat, and potatoes; swelling of the epiphyses, difficult teething, slow closing of the fontanelles; curvature of spine to the left, lumbar vertebrae bent forward; abscesses near lumbar vertebrae; incipient mesenteric tabes, with much fetid diarrhoea. Tendency to tuberculosis.

Chimaphila.-Glandular enlargement, especially of lymphatics; enlargement of mesenteric glands; ulcers of an indolent and flabby character; tumors in mammae.

Cina.-Child feels uneasy and distressed, does not want to be touched, is not pleased or satisfied with anything, leaves his head side-ways all the time, rubs nose constantly; pale sickly- looking face; hunger and thirst soon after eating, with gnawing sensation in stomach; abdomen hard and distended; itching at anus; ulcers with scanty discharge; inability to retain urine.

Cistus Can.-Glands swollen, inflamed, indurated, or ulcerated; drawing tearing pains in all joints; itching all over the body, without eruption; herpetic eruption of various parts; chronic scrofulous ophthalmia, feeling as if something was passing around in the eye, with stitches; watery, bad-smelling pus discharged from ears; tetters on and around ears; swelling of parotids; eczema of nose; caries of lower jaw, with suppurating glands in neck; cool feeling in stomach and abdomen; cool eructations; chronic diarrhoea; swelling and suppuration of glands of throat; scrofulous ulcers on back; desire for acids and acid fruit, but they cause pain and diarrhoea.

Conium.-Swelling of glands, with tingling and stitches; marasmus with frequent sour belching, worse during night; erratic itching of all parts of body; humid, burning, corroding, crusty herpes; blackish ulcers, with bloody, fetid, ichorous discharges, especially after contusions; ophthalmia with, photophobia; blennorrhoea bronchialis; asthma; carcinoma.

Melford Eugene Douglass
M.E.Douglass, MD, was a Lecturer of Dermatology in the Southern Homeopathic Medical College of Baltimore. He was the author of - Skin Diseases: Their Description, Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatment; Repertory of Tongue Symptoms; Characteristics of the Homoeopathic Materia Medica.