PETROLEUM


Therapeutic symptoms of homeopathic remedy Patroleum, described by E.B. Nash in his book, Leaders in Homeopathic Therapeutics, published in 1898….


Eczemas, on scalp, behind ears, scrotum, anus, hands, feet, legs; hands chap and bleed; ALL worse IN WINTER; get better in summer.

Diarrhoea preceded by colic, ONLY IN THE DAY TIME.

Headache, or heaviness like lead in the occiput; sometimes with nausea on vomiting; worse by motion, as in riding in boat or carriage.

One of our best anti-psoric remedies. The eruptions that it causes and cures are very similar in appearance to those of GRAPH., They appear on different parts of the body, as scalp, behind ears, on scrotum, female genitals, hands, feet and legs, etc.

There is one very marked characteristic symptom that guides to this remedy out of a large list having similar eruptions, and that is that the eruption is worse during the winter season (ALOE., ALUM., PSOR.,) There is no other remedy that has this so prominently. The hands chap, crack and bleed, and are all covered with ECZEMA DURING THE WINTER and GET WELL IN SUMMER. I have cured a case of eczema of the lower legs of twenty years standing, always worse in winter, with one prescription of 200th. I have cured chapped hand the same way. I once had a very obstinate case of chronic diarrhoea, but as soon as the fact that he had eczema of the hands in winter came to light I cured him quickly of the whole trouble with PET., 200th. Chilblains (AGAR.,), which are moist, and itch and burn much in cold weather, are also cured by it. PET., also has a symptom similar to HEPAR., viz., the slightest scratch or abrasion of the skin suppurates. You remember that HEPAR., is also worse in cold weather or cold air. PET., has headache in the OCCIPUT, WHICH IS AS HEAVY AS LEAD, also vertigo in the occiput.

Again, PET., is one of our best remedies for sea sickness. In this it resembles COCC., Another curious symptom is cracking of the joints. This is like CAUST., Both of these remedies are valuable in chronic rheumatism, especially where this symptom is present. PET., has, with CHEL., and ANAC., a symptom, pain in stomach, RELIEVED by eating. Again it is valuable in diarrhoea and dysentery, which is worse DURING THE DAY. PET., deserves to be classed with the leading anti-psorics, such as SULPH., GRAPH.,CAUST., and LYC.

E.B.Nash
Dr. E.B. Nash 1838- 1917, was considered one of our finest homeopaths and teachers. He was Prof. of Materia Medica at the N.Y. Homoeopathic Medical College and President of International Hahnemannian Assoc. His book Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics is a classic. This article is from: :The Medical Advance - A monthly magazine of homoeopathic medicine - edited and published by H.C. Allen, M. D.