Petroleum

Weak and tremulous; feels sick internally. Internal itching. Emaciation, < chest. Dreads open air. .................... Excitable and quick temper. Death seems near. Irresolute. Sense of duality; loses himself. Worries but don't know why. VERTIGO; in occiput. Occiput; aching; heavy. Inflamed tarsi. Deafness. Moist spots behind ears. Dryness in ears, nose, throat, etc. Foul mucus in throat. Hunger, causing nausea; after stool. Aversion to meat. Gastric symptoms, > eating. Nausea; sea and train sickness. Abdomen inflated; coldness in. Diarrhœa by day only (Phyt.); < cabbage; then miserable emptiness. Involuntary urine on rising. Cough at night only or < then; shatters the head, > pressing temples. Cold air oppresses chest. Coldness at heart. Stiff or cracking joints. Limbs go to sleep. Ragged, chapped hands and fingers; bleeding; in house- maids. SKIN; fragile; cracks deeply, < in angles, nipples, figer-tips or palms. Psoriasis palmaris. DIRTY, HARD, ROUGH, THICKENED SKIN; like parchment; it gets raw, festers or won't heal, < in folds. Brown spots. Eruptions having thick, hard, moist or yellow-green crusts; on occiput or genitals, < cold. Eczema. Herpes. Vesicles. Itching; orifices; with burning. Cold spots. Chilly, with dry mouth. Hot palms and soles. Sweat in spots; foul on feet or in axillæ.

MOTION: CARS. CARRIAGE. BOAT. Weather: Cold; winter. Changing. Thunder-storms. Eating. Vexation. Cabbage.

Warm air.

OCCIPUT. SKIN: Folds. Scalp. Face. Genitals. Mucous membranes. Stomach. Bowels.

Complementary: Sep. Related: Grap. Sep.

Petroleum

Coal or Rock Oil. Anthracite.

Adapted to persons with light hair and skin; irritable, quarrelsome disposition (Nux) ; easily offended at trifles (Ign., Med.) ; vexed at everything.

Ailments: from riding in a carriage, railroad car, or in a ship (Coc., Sanic.).

Ailments which are worse before and during a thunderstorm (Nat. c., Phos., Psor.).

Symptoms appear and disappear rapidly (Bell., Mag. ]). — reverse of, Plat., Stan.).

During sleep or delirium : imagines that one leg is double; that another person lies alongside of him in same bed; that there are two babies in the bed (Val.).

Vertigo on rising (Bry.) ; in occiput; as if intoxicated ; like seasickness ( Coc. ) .

Headache: in occiput, zuhich is as heavy as leaa; pressing, pulsating pain; as if everything in the head were alive; numb, bruised; as if made of wood.

Gastralgia : of pregnancy ; with pressing, drawing pains ; whenever stomach is empty; relieved by constant eating (Anac., Chel., Sep.).

Diarrhoea: yellow, watery, gushing; after cabbage, sour krout; during pregnancy, stormy weather; always in the daytime.

Painful sensitiveness of skin of whole body; all clothing is painful; slight injury suppurates (Hep.).

Skin of hands rough, cracked; tips of fingers rough, cracked, fissured, every winter; tenderness of the feet, which are bathed in foul-smelling sweat (Graph., Sanic., Sib).

Herpes : of genital organs extending to perineum and thighs ; itching, redness ; skin cracked, rough, bleeding; dry or moist.

Heat and burning of soles of feet and palms of hands (Sang., Sulph.).

Sweat and moisture of external genitals, both sexes.

Painful, itching chilblains and chapped hands < in cold weather; decubitus.

Sensation of coldness about the heart (Carbo an.. Kali m., Nat. m.). ,

Relations. One of our best antidotes for lead poisoning.

The skin symptoms are worse in winter, better in summer^ (Alum.) ; if suppressed, causes diarrhoea.

Aggravation. — Carriage riding (Coc., Sanic.) ; during a thunderstorm; in winter (Alum.).

Lecture XLVII — Carbo animalis, Graphites and Petroleum

Petroleum.

This is a highly carbonaceous oil, but it is not pure carbon. Medicinally, it stands somewhat between Sulphur and Phosphorus on one hand, and Graphites and Carbo veg. on the other. We find that those who work in coal-oil are subject to eruptions on the skin. Thus a wheal appears across the face or body looking like a hive, and this itches and burns. Then, again, a vesicular eruption appears there which develops into a perfect picture of eczema, forming thick scabs and oozing pus. The skin soon grows more harsh and dry, and there form deep cracks and fissures which bleed and suppurate. These symptoms make Petroleum an excellent remedy for eczema wherever it may appear. We find it useful in rhagades, particularly when they occur in winter, when the hands chap, crack and burn and itch intolerably. Sometimes ulcers develop.

Again, Petroleum has been used in sprains of joints, especially in old rheumatic patients. It is particularly indicated in rheumatism, when the knees are stiff, this stiffness being associated with sharp sticking pains in them and with stiffness of the neck and cracking sounds when moving the head, owing to roughness of the muscular fibres.

Next we find Petroleum to be remembered in diseases of the mucous membranes. It may be used successfully in ozaena. Here the discharge is quite in agreement with the character of the eruption. Scabs and purulent mucus are discharged from the nasal cavities. The nose is sore and the nostrils are cracked as in Graphites. The post-nasal space is filled with purulent mucus, causing much hawking. Then, too, we find the eyes affected under Petroleum. It is especially useful in blepharitis marginalis. It is also indicated in inflammation of the lachrymal canal, when suppuration has commenced and a fistula has formed. This tendency to the formation of fistula is also seen in the gums, anus, etc. It is a general characteristic. The cough of Petroleum is also to be remembered. It is a dry teasing cough which comes on when lying down at night. We often find that cough in children with a diarrhoea which, however, appears only during the day.

Next we find Petroleum affecting the sweat itself, producing profuse offensive sweat in the axilla and on the soles of the feet. The only important chest symptom of Petroleum is cold feeling about the heart. This symptom is strong under Natrum mur. , which has it very well marked, especially when exerting the mind. It is also found under Kali chloricum, Graphites, Kali nitricum, Carbo animalis and Kali bichromicum.

Next we study Petroleum in its action on the stomach and bowels. It produces nausea and vertigo with vomiting of bile, worse in the morning, worse from riding in a carriage and worse during pregnancy. Then, too, Petroleum is useful in sea-sickness.

Petroleum produces a diarrhoea which is somewhat akin to that of Sulphur. The stools are offensive and watery, and often contain undigested food. They come early in the morning and are associated with emaciation of the body. They differ from Sulphur in coming on also during the day. We have another diarrhoea curable by Petroleum, and that is a diarrhoea with disordered stomach made worse by the use of cabbage, sauer-kraut and cole-slaw. There is offensive stool with great flatulence, #nd belching of gas, tasting of cabbage. Petroleum also acts as a nervous remedy. We sometimes find it indicated in typhoid fever, when there is a slight delirium. It also produces forgetfulness. The patient loses her way in well-known streets. If this symptom has been produced by exposure to great heat, then you should give Glonoin.

Another mental symptom curable by Petroleum is she imagines that she is double, or that somebody is lying beside her. This symptom has been utilized in this way: a lady in childbed imagined that she had had two babies, and she was very much concerned as to how she could take care of them both. Petroleum cured her.

Petroleum has also been used as an antidote to lead poisoning.

Marked aggravation from mental emotions. Loses his way in streets. Thinks he is double, or some one else lying alongside. Feels that death is near, and must hurry to settle affairs. Irritable, easily offended, vexed at everything. Low-spirited, with dimness of sight.

Crude Rock-oil Strumous diathesis, especially the dark type, who suffer from catarrhal conditions of the mucous membranes, gastric acidity and cutaneous eruptions. Very marked skin symptoms, acting on sweat and oil glands; Ailments are worse during the winter season. Ailments from riding in cars, carriages, or ships; lingering gastric and lung troubles; chronic diarrhœa. Long-lasting complaints follow mental states-fright, vexation, etc. Chlorosis in young girls with or without ulceration of the stomach.

Worse, dampness, before and during a thunder-storm, from riding in cars, passive motion; in winter, eating, from mental states. Better, warm air; lying with head high; dry weather.

Sensitive, as of a cold breeze blowing on it. Feels numb, as if made of wood; occiput heavy, as of lead (Opium). Vertigo on rising, felt in occiput, as if intoxicated, or like sea-sickness. Moist eruption on scalp; worse, back and ears. Scalp sore to touch, followed by numbness. Headache, must hold temples to

relieve; provoked by shaking while coughing. Use thirtieth.

Dry; feels constricted, as if covered with albumin.

Loss of eyelashes. Dim sight; far-sighted; cannot read fine print without glasses; blenorrhœa of lachrymal sac; marginal blepharitis. Canthi fissured. Skin around eyes dry and scurfy.

Noise unbearable, especially from several people talking together. Eczema, intertrigo, etc, in and behind ears, with intense itching. Parts sore to touch. Fissures in meatus. Dry catarrh, with deafness and noises. Ringing and cracking in ears. Chronic Eustachian catarrh. Diminished hearing.

Nostrils ulcerated, cracked, burn; tip of nose itches. Epistaxis. Ozæna, with scabs and muco-purulent discharge.

Heartburn; hot, sharp, sour eructation. Distention. Feeling of great emptiness. Strong aversion to fat food, meat; worse, eating cabbage. Hunger, immediately after stool. Nausea, with accumulation of water in mouth. Gastralgia when stomach is empty; relieved by constant eating (Anac; Sep). Ravenous hunger. Must rise at night and eat (Psorin). Odor of garlic.

Diarrhœa only in the daytime; watery, gushing and Itching of anus. After cabbage; with empty feeling of stomach.

Herpetic eruption on perineum. Prostate inflamed and swollen. Itching in urethra.

Before menses, throbbing in head (Kreos). Leucorrhœa, profuse, albuminous (Alum; Bor; Bov; Calc p). Genitals sore and moist. Sensation of moisture (Eup purp). Itching and mealy coating of nipple.

Hoarseness (Carbo; Caust; Phos) dry cough and oppression of chest; worse, cold air. Dry cough at night, coming deep from chest. Croup and laryngeal diphtheria.

Sensation of coldness (Carb an; Nat mur). Fainting, with ebullitions, heat and palpitation.

Pain in nape of neck, stiff and painful. Weakness in small of back. Coccyx painful.

Chronic sprains. Fetid sweat in axillæ. Knees stiff. Tips of fingers rough, cracked, fissured every winter. Scalding sensation in knee. Cracking in joints.

Itching at night. Chilblains, moist, itch and burn. Bed-sores. Skin dry, constricted, very sensitive, rough and cracked, leathery. Herpes. Slightest scratch makes skin suppurate (Hepar). Intertrigo; psoriasis of hands. Thick, greenish crusts, burning and itching; redness, raw; cracks bleed easily. Eczema. Rhagades worse in winter.

Chilliness, followed by sweat. Flushes of heat, particularly of the face and head; worse at night. Perspiration on feet and axillæ.

Compare: Carbo; Graph; Sulph; Phos. Complementary: Sepia. Antidotes: Nux; Coccul.

Third to thirtieth and higher potencies. Material doses often better.

Petroleum

Generals: It is one of the abused remedies. It is used externally in rheumatism, bruises and all sorts of troubles, and the amelioration that comes is the result of establishing a disease on the surface, by counter-irritation, and not by homoeopathic action. Crude Petroleum is extensively used in the oil regions on both man and beast as a "cure all."

Mind: It is a counter-irritant and, on the skin, produces irritation, eruptions and disturbances, like Turpentine.

Among the early things that Petroleum does to a prover is that it puts him in a state of confusion of mind and dizziness; he is dazed so that he loses his way in the street. She has strange imaginations that there are people near her who are not present; that the atmosphere is full of strange forms; that her limbs are double; that another person is in the bed with her. Such things are found in the fevers. A woman after childbirth imagines there is another child in bed with her, and she wonders how she will take care of the two. These ideas are found in many diseases, have been often verified. In typhoids and low forms of sickness; in diarrheas; when just awakening he is in confusion; in his dreams he had the idea of being two or more and the impression remains with him while he is in a semi-conscious state. He cannot reconcile the state, but when aroused to consciousness he is able to reason it away, and when semi-conscious again it returns. This annoys him day and night. Skin symptoms. The surface symptoms are striking. The tendency is to throw out vesicles, herpetic vesicles which are isolated, and the tendency of the vesicles is to form thick yellow crusts, with considerable moisture. The vesicles break early.

At times the vesicles do not form crusts, but break early and ulcerate underneath, and this changes into a phagedenic ulcer; this condition occurs about the fingers, scrotum, face and scalp. There is a special tendency to produce vesicular eruptions about the back of the neck. Papular, pustular, vesicular, dry, mealy eruptions, but most commonly moist; eruptions which extend deeply. It builds up eruptions on the site of old eruptions, with an increasing hardness in the base of the old eruption. When the crust dries down it indurates, and this induration takes place at the margin and builds up little rings about the margin. The induration cracks, bleeds, looks purple. Apply this to salt rheum, and eruptions about the hands. It is suitable when there are cracks about the ends of the fingers and on the backs of the hands. The skin is rough, ragged, exfoliates, cracks, bleeds; the tissues are hardened; this occurs sometimes about the palms of the hands and nails. This tissue ulcerates, and the ulcers eat and spread. All eruptions itch violently. He can not rest until he scratches the skin off, when the part becomes moist, bloody, raw and inflamed. There is also itching with no visible eruption. He scratches the skin until moisture oozes forth, and keeps on scratching until the skin bleeds and the part becomes cold.

(This word makes me remark here that coldness in spots is quite a feature of this remedy. Coldness in spots; coldness in the stomach, in the abdomen, in the uterus; coldness in a spot between the scapula; coldness in the heart sensation as if the heart were cold.). Various forms of eczema. Eczema of the scalp, especially of the occiput. Herpetic eruptions about the mouth (Nat. m.), about the genitals, lips, face, and the patches become crusty and ooze much.

The mucous membrane, or internal skin, has little patches of ulcers, with induration about the patch, and hence Petr. is useful in syphilitic ulcers. Ulcerous patches in the throat; aphthous patches in the mouth. There is inflammation of the mucous membranes everywhere, producing watery and finally thick yellow discharges. The nose is filled by tumefaction of the Schneiderian membrane. Old catarrhal complaints of the nose, crusts, thick yellow discharge, foetid odor from the nose.

The nose, posterior nares and pharynx become thickened and there is an accumulation of thick mucus, especially in the morning.

The larynx is involved and there is loss of voice, and the trouble extends to the chest, causing a catarrhal condition with cough. He coughs especially at night, and there is emaciation of the body with pain and soreness of the chest. Dry, hacking cough, alternating with copious expectoration; emaciation about the chest. A striking feature of this drug is that the cough is worse at night, and the diarrhea is worse during the day.

Catarrh of the stomach and bowels. Catarrh of the rectum, much mucus with the stools. Diarrhúa during the day time, ameliorated at night, while the patient is quiet and at rest. He cannot eat without pain, but he has a gnawing hunger which drives him to eat. (Lach., Graph.) There is an "all-gone," hungry feeling after stool, which drives him to eat. With the diarrhea there is constant hunger, yet he cannot eat without pain; emaciation, skin eruptions, unhealthy ragged fingers which never look clean; he cannot wash them, as this causes them to chap.

Urinary and genitals: Catarrh of the bladder and urethra; chronic catarrhal discharge chronic gonorrhea. Itching is common to the internal skin, and a striking feature in gonorrhea is the itching in the posterior half of the urethra with the discharge. It almost drives him wild, keeps him awake at night. He rubs and manipulates the perineum to relieve this itching. The gonorrheal discharge is white or yellow. It is useful in that "last drop."

Also in the early stages of gonorrhea when the itching is troublesome.

Sore bruised feeling all over the body, especially in the joint Rheumatic pain in the joints on motion; sore to touch; sensation as if bruised. It is analogous to Arnica in relation to bruises. Petroleum is suitable in old stubborn occipital headaches. Silicea is the routine remedy for offensive foot sweat and periodic occipital headaches. Petroleum has also offensive foot sweat; offensive sweats all over, and especially so in the axilla, where it is so pungent that it can be observed on the patient entering the room. The pain often remains in the occiput, but when very severe it extends up over the top of the head to the eyes and forehead (Silicea has that condition). Petroleum is not so closely related to Silicea as it is to Graphites and Carbo veg., which are carbonaceous substances; and all carbonaceous products affect the back of the head.

"Pain from occiput over head to forehead and eyes, with transitory blindness; he gets stiff; loses consciousness."

"Circumscribed pain in the occiput, aggravated on shaking the head."

This remedy, unlike Carbo veg., has oversensitiveness of the senses, bearing, touch and smell.

Ears: The Petroleum constitution produces a peculiar vertigo which comes on under regular circumstances, when on ship-board, or riding in a carriage, or on the ears.

It suits occipital headache from riding on the ears, or from such motions, with nausea like seasickness. Seasickness is a trouble we cannot always meet, yet most people, when constitutionally treated, can be directed into a better state, so that they will not be troubled under ordinary conditions, such as riding on the cars or in a carriage.

To a great extent the above condition is due to a lack of accommodation, a visual trouble; coming on, for example, from focusing the eyes on the waves as they retreat from the rear end of the ship, or on passing objects, the patient being relieved while in a dark state-room. Occipital headache, with the vertigo above mentioned, and an all gone hungry feeling or pain in the stomach, driving him to eat, will be mitigated by Petroleum.

The most common form of seasickness I have found to be the following:

Awful deathly nausea pallor, cold body, profuse sweat and exhaustion, ameliorated by fanning, by the open air, by closing the eyes, by quiet and darkness, and aggravated by warmth. Tabacum is generally the remedy of such cases. In Petroleum there is much disturbance of vision, but the catarrhal the eyes is striking. Vesicular formations, ulcerations, inflammation, redness and copious discharge; granular lids, thickening mucous membranes, cracks in the lids, fissures in the corners eyes with great itching. This itching is present in all congestions of the mucous membrane. Eustachian tubes. The mucous membrane is thickened, and deafness results. It is a catarrhal state, attended by great itching in the tube, which be cannot reach method; itching deep in the ear. He rubs the ear and tries to it, but he cannot reach it. Itching in the pharynx; also in the I canal of the ear. Ear discharges.

Induration and inflammation of the glands of the body. In ear troubles, the parotids enlarge; in troubles about the jaw, the sub-maxillary and sub-lingual glands are involved; they become hard and tend to remain so.

Face pale or yellow; sickly.

"Nausea and qualmishness all day".

Stiffness in the back. Pain in the back on rising from a seat.

Heat and burning. Skin hot in places; with sensation of coldness. Burning and itching of palms and soles; face and scalp. The itching and burning often go together; parts that burn much. Feet burn and have a sensation as if frozen. Chilblains itch, burn and become purple. Parts frozen will, years after, itch, burn, sting and become red and hot. The patient can tell when it will thaw because of the itching in the chilblains. Petroleum cures the itching and burning in frozen parts, but not as prominently as Agaricus leads all other remedies, especially when the condition affects parts where the tissues are thin over the bones, as over the back of the toes.

Paretic conditions, especially left-sided., Weakness of muscles, weakness of the lower extremities, especially left-sided.

The eruptions on the surface and the state of induration are like Graphites, but the oozing in Petroleum is thin and watery, and in Graphites it is gluey, honey like, sticky, viscid. You have indurations and cracks of the fingers, and rhagades in both remedies, but the horn-like warty growths, lifting up the quick of the nails, you will find only in Graphites.

It is of wonderful use and competes with Rhus in eczema of the genitals of either male or female. Eruption on the scrotum, penis, vulva. Rhus produces violent inflammation of the skin of the genitals in male and female; erysipelatous inflammation; nodules vesicles and large blebs. Petroleum produces small vesicles which itch, sting and burn.

Herpetic eruptions which tend to become erysipelatous. Petroleum and Rhus are the most common remedies for eruptions on the scrotum and genitals.

"Herpetic itching, redness and moisture on scrotum; skin cracked, rough and bleeding; extending to perineum, and thighs."

"Obstinate dry eruptions on genitals and perineum."

"Sweat and moisture of external genitals of both sexes."

Scurfy nipples; white, bran-like scurf; itching; always peeling off. If the woman is in run-down health, then the nipples inflame and become oversensitive to the touch of clothing. Very sensitive to change of weather, like Phos. and Rhod.; aggravated before a thunder storm. Often sensitive to air and cold. Lean, emaciated subjects; threatening consumption. Eruptions disappear of themselves or are suppressed. Hands and feet burn; wants the palms and soles out of bed.

Do not be too sure Sulphur because the soles burn, or too sure of Silicea because the feet sweat. Sweating of single parts. Eruptions in patches. Itching in patches. Coldness in parts. Complaints come in single parts.

The most striking offensiveness is about the feet and in the axillae. There are many strange sensations which are peculiar and striking. Study closely the skin symptoms and compare with Graphites and Sulphur.