A fast-cure, as explained when speaking about eczema, is the best and most reliable treatment.
I recall many serious cases which I was able to cure definitely by a systematic fast-cure and about 4-5 weeks.
Once a week a Turkish Bath is useful.
The homoeopathic treatment should support the dietetic and hygienic treatment. Constitutional drugs like Arsenicum album, Arsenicum iodatum, Calcarea carbonica, Hydrocotyle, Mercurius vivus, Mezereum, Natrum arsenicum, Phosphorus, Selenium, and Sulphur should be considered on their indications.
ACNE VULGARIS
Acne is a very common affection of the skin amongst young people, especially during the years of puberty. It is due to an inflammation of the sebaceous glands and of the hair follicles. It is often located on the forehead, face, chin, on the back of the shoulders and trunk, or on the extremities.
The disease is characterized by blackish pointed comedones, commonly known as black-heads, papules and yellowish white pustules, varying in size from a pin’s head to a split pea. There are no subjective symptoms at all, except the irritation of “the spots”.
Some cases of acne are due to external irritations as tar, petrol, benzine, etc., other cases to the taking of drugs like Iodine, Bromides, etc., but in the majority of cases acne is only a symptom of a disarranged metabolism. I refer to the first chapter of this booklet.
The treatment must be based on these facts.
We must try to eliminate all causes of the disease, original as well as secondary. A thorough cleansing of the blood from all slags, the right diet, good action of the bowels and general hygienic measures have always proved of the greatest value.
The local treatment has to supplement these measures. Absolute cleanliness, using a non-irritating soap is the first rule. Patient with a sensitive skin may apply a dusting powder made up of boric acid one part to eight parts of finely powdered starch.
The homoeopathic treatment usually benefits the patient in every direction, but the recurrence of the spots sometimes renders the case long and tiresome. Frequent changes of linen is most desirable.
Drugs like Arsenicum album, Antimonium crudum, Hepar sulphuris, Graphites, Pulsatilla or Thuja are to be considered.
ICHTHYOSIS
Ichthyosis is an innate chronic disease and fortunately uncommon. It is characterized by dryness, roughness and hypertrophy of the skin, which becomes scale-like.
We differentiate between Ichthyosis simplex and hystrix. Ichthyosis simplex is more frequent. Its symptoms are dryness and scaling of the skin; the scabs are thin or thick. The disease is located either on the extensor surface of the extremities, or over the whole body. The patients always feel worse during the winter. The diseased spots of the skin are like the skin of fish.
Ichthyosis hystrix is the more advanced type of the disease. It is characterized by papillar hypertrophy of the skin; the diseased parts are covered with warts and scabs. The scabs are yellowish or bright-green. The disease may spread over the whole body, through the face, the inside of elbows and knees are usually not involved. The secretion of sweat is either greatly diminished or entirely suppressed. The disease is very rarely curable, its cause unknown, Nutritive disorders of the skin, probably due to disorders of the chemical and hormonal balance of the whole body, may be responsible.
Though the cure of ichthyosis is very difficult, we are able to alleviate the symptoms and thus to keep the patient in a fairly good state of general health. Our most reliable drugs are Petroleum, Arsenicum iodatum, Antimonium crudum, Calcarea carbonica, Graphites, Mercurius solubilis, Thuja, Thyroidin and Tuberculinum.
The dietetic and general hygienic treatment is even more important. Uncooked food, or a pure lacto-vegetarian diet is absolutely necessary. Meat in every shape is forbidden. I remember a case of a male patient, 60 years of age, who had been suffering from ichthyosis for 40 years. The disease developed after an attack of Bright’s disease. The ichthyosis was spread over the whole trunk and both extremities. The urine was diminished containing albumen and casts. Blood pressure 185. The tongue was very dry, coated, abdomen distended by flatulence, constipation.
A modified Guelpa-fast cure, extending over six weeks, combined with vapour baths and application of some leeches every week, followed by strict uncooked food diet cured the whole condition in a couple of months.
During the whole time the patient took Thuja 6x once a day, and Mercurius solubilis 6x twice daily. Once a week one dose of Thyroidin 200x.
After treatment for six months the patient felt like another person, all his objective and subjective symptoms had gone. The patient who had been unable to do any work for at least 14 years, was now working in his business as in his best years of youth.
Such results are, of course, an exception. Anyway, the right dietetic and hygienic treatment, together with the indicated homoeopathic drug, are able to do a lot of food when dealing with such a difficult disease as shown above.
WARTS
The wart is a tumour of the papillae of the skin. We differentiate between the ordinary, the senile, the handled, the pronged and the fig warts.
The ordinary wart is usually a small elevation with a horny and roughened surface; its colour is pink, yellow or grey. The wart is either slightly elevated above the surrounding skin, or it may be higher than 1/4 inch. They are frequent amongst children, either upon the hands or face. They often crack, giving rise to bleeding. They disappear spontaneously, but recur again and again.
The senile wart usually appears at the age of 40 years on the neck, shoulders, arms or face. We find these warts in people suffering, from seborrhoea and other senile changes of the skin. They are usually multiple, pigmented and of large size.
The handled wart is most common amongst the sycotic patients in the meaning of Hahnemann, that is, in patients who are constitutionally disposed to all kind of tumours and inflammatory conditions. These warts are located on the chest, neck or arms. They are slender, sessile growths, either isolated or multiple, varying in size, but usually small. They are common amongst people with oily skin and eczema of the head.
A peculiar form is met with in workmen as a dense warty growth along the margin of the finger-nails.
The fig warts are usually found around the genital organs and the anus. They are usually in groups and of a large size. Their colour is red or pink. They are moist, easily bleeding, smell foul and often suppurate.
The cause of the warts is unknown.
The therapy must be local and internal. Regarding local treatment: X-ray treatment is successful in a great number of cases. The local application of Thuja or of a dusting powder composed of Sabina, Resorcin or Calomel has proved to be very successful. In rare cases surgical treatment is advisable.
The constitutional and dietetic treatment is of the greatest importance. Dulcamara, Thuja Nitricum acidum, Calcarea carbonica, Lycopodium, Sulphur, Graphites in high potencies are indicated.
Patients suffering from warts should eat as much uncooked food as possible. All condiments must be discarded.
