Petroleum
Overview:
Petroleum is a key remedy for conditions aggravated by winter and motion. Its most prominent action is on the skin, producing deep, painful, bleeding cracks and fissures, especially on the fingertips and hands. Mentally, it addresses a state of profound confusion and disorientation; the person feels lost, irresolute, and may suffer from delusions of duality (e.g., feeling double or having an extra limb). This disorientation also manifests as a leading symptom of motion sickness (from cars, boats, etc.) with severe nausea and vertigo, often centered in the back of the head.
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E – Eczema, raw, moist
Description: Petroleum is indicated for eczema that is raw, moist, and may ooze a fluid. The eruptions often form thick scabs and crusts. Itching is violent, and scratching makes it worse, often leading to bleeding and ulceration.
Reference: [Boericke’s New Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory by William Boericke, M.D.]
T
T – Thick, green crusts
Description: Eruptions, especially on the scalp and behind the ears, are characterized by the formation of thick, hard, greenish or dirty-yellow crusts. There is often an offensive discharge from beneath these crusts.
Reference: [A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke, M.D.]
R
R – Rough, hard skin
Description: The skin generally becomes hard, rough, and thickened, resembling leather. This is often accompanied by a persistent dryness that does not respond well to lotions. It is a key feature in chronic skin ailments.
Reference: [Concise Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Remedies by S.R. Phatak, M.D.]
O
O – Occiput pain
Description : OCCIPUT HEAVY, AS OF LEAD.
Reference: [Boericke’s New Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory by William Boericke, M.D.]
L
L – Leucorrhea
Description: For female complaints, Petroleum is noted for a profuse leucorrhea that is albuminous, resembling the white of an egg. It is often accompanied by itching and soreness of the parts.
Reference: [The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica by Timothy F. Allen, A.M., M.D.]
E
E – Ear catarrh
Description: Chronic catarrhal conditions of the middle ear, especially the Eustachian tube, leading to deafness and various noises like roaring, cracking, or ringing. There is often a sensation of the ears being plugged.
Reference: [A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke, M.D.]
U
U – Urine dribbling
Description: Constant dribbling of urine after micturition. Discharge of mucus with the urine. Frequent emission of urine, with scanty stream of a red or brown and fetid urine. Urine bloody and turbid, it deposits a red, slimy sand, that adheres tightly to vessel, urine contains albumen, hyalin, and granulated casts, covered with a glistening film and with a red sediment. Involuntary discharge of urine. Emission of urine at night. Wetting the bed.
Reference: [A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke, M.D.]
M
M – Motion sickness
Description: One of the foremost remedies for seasickness or carsickness. It produces extreme nausea, vertigo, and faintness from any passive motion, like riding in a carriage, car, or boat. The nausea is often accompanied by a cold sweat and occipital headache.
Reference: [Concise Materia Medica of Homoeopathic Remedies by S.R. Phatak, M.D.]
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A – Anxious with fear
Description: "Anxiety with fear."Anxiety and apprehension about his family. Anxiety with fear. Fear, long lasting. Anxiety increases until he becomes inconsolable.
Reference: [Nature’s Materia Medica By Robin Murphy, Md]
S
S – Sense of duality
Description: "Sense of duality, thinks he is double or someone else lying alongside or one limb is double."
Reference: [Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak]
T
T – Tears Frequent
Description: "Frequent tears, on slightest provocation."
Reference: [Dictionary Of Practical Materia Medica (All 3 Vol.) By Clarke J. H.]
R
R – Resolution lost
Description: "Irresolute."
Reference: [Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak]
A
A – Angry after sex
Description: "Excited, irritable, after coition; with inclination to be angry and to scold."
Reference: [Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak]
Y
Y – Y worried
Description: "Worries but does not know why."
Reference: [Concise Materia Medica Of Hom. Remedies By S.R. Phatak]
Introduction
Constitution
Clinical
Mental Symptoms
Guiding Symptoms
Characteristic
Therapeutic Value
Modality
Remedy Relationship
Dose
Terminologies
Reference
Also Search As
Introduction
Introduction of Petroleum
Common name:
Coal oil, Rock oil[1]
Synonyms
Rock Oil
Family / Group / Class / Order
Mineral Kingdom
Habit and habitat / Description
It is found in India, Middle east, USSR, USA and other countries
where petrol is found. Petroleum is rock or coal oil. It is a colourless fluid of a
peculiar smell, somewhat like that of kerosine oil and is highly inflammable. It is a highly potent remedial agent. People working in petroleum factories are often
seen to suffer from diseases of the skin, malnutrition, anaemia and dyspepsia.[2]
Name of prover
Dr Hahnemann
Introduction and history
It is one of our leading antipsoric remedies and is very similar to Graphites in many of its indications. According to Dr Kent, Petroleum is one of the drugs abused by his colleagues of the orthodox school of
medicine.
Preparation
Mother tincture, 1/10; triturations, and dilutions.[3]
Constitution
Constitution of Petroleum
Irritable
Physical make up
It is best adapted to people of light hair and light skin, who suffer from cutaneous eruptions, gastrointestinal disorders
and catarrhal conditions of the mucous membranes.
Temperament
Quarrelsome
Diathesis
Scrofulous
Relation with heat & cold
Very chilly
Miasm
Psoric, Sycotic, Tubercular, Syphilitic
Clinical
Clinical conditions
Addison’s disease. Albuminuria. Anaemia. Angina pectoris. Anus, fissure of. Bed-sores, Breath, offensive. Burns. Chilblains. Chlorosis. Constipation. Cracks in skin. Deafness. Diarrhoea. Dysmenia. Dyspepsia. Ear, affections of. Eczema. Face, rough. Facial paralysis. Feet, soles painful, Fester, tendency to. Fistulae. Frost-bite. Gastric ulcer. Gonorrhoea. Haemorrhoids. Hands, chapped. Headache, occipital. Herpes. Herpes preputialis. Irritation. Jaw, easily dislocated. Myopia.Nose, sore. Otorrhoea. Perspiration, offensive. Pregnancy, sickness of. Presbyopia. Prostatitis. Psoriasis. Rheumatism. Sea- sickness. Skin, affections of. Sprains. Syphilis. Tabes mesenterica. Toothache. Urethra, stricture of, chronic inflammation of. Varices. Vomiting. Warts.[4]
Sites of action / Pharmacodynamics
Mind, nerves, mucous membranes, skin, gastrointestinal tract, occiput, etc.
Causation (Causes / Ailments from)
Riding in a carriage, car or ship, fright, vexation and eating
cabbage.
Physiological action
This agent produces tonic and clonic convulsions, with oppression, giddiness, palpitation of the heart and faintness. It renders the skin unhealthy and produces vesicular, erysipelatous and pustular inflammations.
Patho-physiological changes / Pathogenesis
1. Its acts especially upon the skin and mucous membranes producing irritation
and the usual secondary conditions.
2. It produces tonic and clonic convulsions with oppression, giddiness, palpitation of the heart and faintness.
Mental Symptoms
Characteristic Mental Symptoms (psychology) of Petroleum
1. Patient is confused and loses his way while finding a street.
2. He is full of imagination; imagines that some strange person is near her.
3. Everything looks double, imagines that her limbs are double. Thinks that
there are two babies in the bed. Imagines that another person lies alongside
him in the same bed.
4. Low spirited with dimness of vision.
5. Feels that death is near and must hurry to settle affairs.
6. Inclination to anger and to scold. Easily offended at trifles.
Guiding Symptoms
Guiding Symptoms of Petroleum
Generalities
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 diarrhoea. LONG-LASTING COMPLAINTS follow mental states-fright, vexation, etc. Chlorosis in young girls with or without ulceration of the stomach.
Head
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.
Eye
Loss of eyelashes. Dim sight; far-sighted; cannot read fine print without glasses; blenorrhoea of lachrymal sac; MARGINAL BLEPHARITIS. Canthi fissured. Skin around eyes dry and scurfy.
Ears
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.
Nose
NOSTRILS ULCERATED, CRACKED, BURN; tip of nose itches. Epistaxis. Ozaena, with scabs and muco-purulent discharge.
Face
Dry; feels constricted, as if covered with albumin.
Stomach
Heartburn; hot, sharp, sour eructation. Distension. 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.
Abdomen
DIARRHOEA ONLY IN THE DAYTIME; watery, gushing and ITCHING OF ANUS. After cabbage; with empty feeling of stomach.
Sexual Organ
Herpetic eruption on perineum. Prostate inflamed and swollen. Itching in urethra.Before menses, throbbing in head. [KREOS.] Leucorrhoea, profuse, albuminous. [ALUM.; BOR.; BOV.; CALC. P.] Genitals sore and moist. Sensation of moisture. [EUP. PURP.] Itching and mealy coating of nipple.
Respiratory System
Hoarseness. [CARBO; CAUST.; PHOS.] Dry cough and oppression of chest at night. Cough produces headache. Oppression of chest; worse, cold air. Dry cough at night, coming deep from chest. Croup and laryngeal diphtheria.
Heart & Pulse
Sensation of coldness. [CARB. AN.; NAT. MUR.] Fainting, with ebullitions, heat, and palpitation.
Neck & Back
Pain in nape of neck, stiff and painful. Weakness in small of back. Coccyx painful.
Extremities
Chronic sprains. Fetid sweat in axillae. Knees stiff. TIPS OF FINGERS ROUGH, CRACKED, FISSURED EVERY WINTER. Scalding sensation in knee. Cracking in joints.
Skin
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.
Fever
Chilliness, followed by sweat. Flushes of heat, particularly of the face and head; worse at night. Perspiration on feet and axillae.
Characteristic
Important characteristic features of Petroleum
Keynotes / Redline
1. Symptoms are < in winter, < before or during thunderstorm, > in summer especially skin symptoms.
2. Imagines another person lies alongside of him in the same bed that there are two babies in the bed.
3. Diarrhoea in daytime only and cough at night.
4. Coldness in spots – in abdomen, heart and even after scratching.
Guiding
Deep, painful, bleeding skin cracks, worse in winter.
Motion sickness from any passive motion (car, boat, train).
Occipital headache with severe nausea and vertigo.
Moist eczema with thick, greenish crusts, especially behind the ears.
Mental confusion, loses his way in familiar streets.
PQRS
Delusion that he is double or has an extra limb.
Feels death is near and must hurry to settle his affairs.
Diarrhea which occurs only during the daytime.
Ravenous hunger immediately after a bowel movement.
Sensation of a cold spot in the heart.
Confirmatory
1. Chilly disposition, takes cold easily, and are worse in winter.
2. Skin dry, rough, cracked, fissured, especially tips of fingers < winter. Discharges thin, watery.
3. Diarrhoea from cabbage < daytime.
Nucleus symptoms
– Suited to patients of chilly disposition, who are disposed to skin diseases in winter.
– They have an irritable, quarrelsome nature. Easily offended at trifles, vexed at everything.
– Emaciation, skin eruptions, unhealthy rugged fingers which never look clean, he can’t wash them as this causes them to chap. Scratches until it bleeds.
– Coldness in spots in abdomen, heart and after scratching.
– Suppression of skin eruption causes diarrhoea.
Therapeutic Value
Therapeutic Value of Petroleum
Abdominal disorders, Anaemia, Angina pectoris,
Constipation, Diarrhoea, Eczema, Haemorrhoids, Headache, Peptic ulcer,
Psoriasis, Rheumatism, Skin affections, Vomiting, etc.
Modality
Modality of Petroleum
Aggravation
From carriage riding
Before and during a thunderstorm
In winters
In dampness
Amelioration
In summer
Better in warm air
From lying with the head high
Better in dry weather
Remedy Relationship
Remedy Relationship of Petroleum
Complimentary
Sep.
Follows Well
Bry, Calc, Lyc, Nit-ac, Puls, Sil.
Antidoted By
Cocc, Nux-v, Phos
It Antidotes
Lead poisoning, Nit-ac.
Comparison
Lach, Med, Sang, Sep.
Dose
Dose of Petroleum
Third to thirtieth and higher potencies.
Potency
Third to thirtieth and higher potencies.
Duration of Action
40-50 days
Terminologies
Terminologies of Petroleum
Materia Medica:
A collection of books detailing the symptoms and clinical applications of homeopathic remedies. Each remedy has its own chapter describing the "drug picture."
Remedy:
A substance (like a plant or mineral) prepared according to homeopathic pharmacy rules to be used for healing.
Synoptic Key:
A condensed summary of the most characteristic and guiding symptoms of a remedy, often arranged mnemonically (like using the letters of the remedy’s name) for easy recall.
Leucorrhea:
A medical term for a white or yellowish vaginal discharge. In homeopathy, its specific characteristics (like being albuminous or "like the white of an egg" in Petroleum) are key to selecting the right remedy.
Catarrh:
Inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the nose or throat, causing increased mucus production. In the case of Petroleum, this affects the Eustachian tube in the ear.
Eruption:
A term for any outbreak on the skin, such as rashes, pimples, or sores.
Phlyctenular Keratitis:
An inflammatory condition of the eye characterized by the formation of small blisters or nodules (phlyctenules) on the cornea or conjunctiva.
Canthi:
The medical term for the corners of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet.
Occiput:
The anatomical term for the back part of the head or skull.
Reference
Reference of Petroleum
[1] Allen’s Keynotes
[2] Gems textbook of homoeopathic materia medica by Dr.Patil
[3] A Manual Of Materia Medica, Therapeutics And Pharmacology By Blackwood, Alexander Leslie
[4] Dictionary Of Practical Materia Medica (All 3 Vol.) By Clarke J. H.
[5] Materia Medica By Boericke W.
Also Search As
Also Search As of Petroleum
1. Search by Symptom (Problem-Based)
This is the most common method for patients or beginners. You search for a remedy based on the problem you have.
Physical Symptoms: "homeopathic remedy for deep skin cracks"
Mental Symptoms: "homeopathy for confusion and feeling lost"
Specific Sensations: "remedy for motion sickness in a car"
- 2. Searching Within Specific Homeopathic Websites
- For more reliable and detailed information, it’s best to search directly on established homeopathic websites. Most of these sites have their own search bars.
- Key Websites to Search:
- Hpathy.com: A large repository of articles, materia medicas, and case studies.
- HomeopathyCenter.org (National Center for Homeopathy): Provides articles and resources for both professionals and laypeople.
- ABCHomeopathy.com: Features an online materia medica and remedy finder.
- What to Search: Simply enter "Petroleum" in their search bar to find all related content on that site.
- 3. Consulting Online Materia Medicas
- These are digital versions of the classic homeopathic reference books. They provide the most detailed and traditional "drug pictures."
- How to Search:
- Go to a website that hosts classical materia medicas (like the ones mentioned above or specific online libraries).
- Navigate to their materia medica section.
- Look for "Petroleum" in the alphabetical remedy list.
- 4. Using Academic and Research Databases
- For scientific studies or more in-depth analysis, you can use databases, though homeopathic research can be limited.
- Databases to Use:
- PubMed
- Google Scholar
- Search Terms:
- "homeopathy Petroleum clinical trial"
- "Petroleum homeopathic research"
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the homeopathic remedy Petroleum mainly used for?
Uses
Homeopathic Petroleum is primarily used for chronic skin conditions like deep, bleeding cracks (especially on fingertips), eczema, and herpes. It is also a leading remedy for severe motion sickness (seasickness, carsickness) and for mental states of confusion, disorientation, and delusion.
What are the key skin symptoms that indicate Petroleum?
Skin Symptoms
The most characteristic skin symptom of Petroleum is thick, hard, and extremely dry skin with deep, painful fissures that crack open and bleed, particularly during the winter. The skin feels rough to the touch, and eruptions may form thick, greenish crusts.
Is Petroleum effective for motion sickness?
Motion Sickness
Yes, Petroleum is one of the most effective remedies for motion sickness. It is indicated when there is extreme nausea, dizziness, cold sweat, and a headache in the back of the head (occiput) caused by the passive motion of a car, boat, or train.
What are the mental symptoms associated with Petroleum?
Mind
The mental state of Petroleum is marked by profound confusion and disorientation. Patients may lose their way in familiar streets, feel as if they are double or that a stranger is in bed with them, and feel that death is near, compelling them to hurry and settle their affairs.
When do the symptoms of Petroleum typically get worse?
Aggravation
The symptoms of Petroleum are characteristically worse during the winter months. They are also aggravated by any form of passive motion (like riding in a vehicle), during a thunderstorm, and from eating cabbage.
What is the source of the homeopathic remedy Petroleum?
Source
The homeopathic remedy Petroleum originates from crude rock oil. Homeopathic pharmacies potentize this raw substance through a specific process of serial dilution and succussion (vigorous shaking). As a result, this process removes its toxicity while activating its curative properties, making it safe and effective for therapeutic use.
Can Petroleum help with hearing problems?
Hearing problems
Yes, Petroleum can address certain hearing issues. Specifically, it helps when there is deafness or ringing (tinnitus) linked to chronic Eustachian tube catarrh. Patients often describe a cracking or roaring in their ears, and these symptoms frequently worsen during the winter.
How does Petroleum's nausea differ from other remedies?
Nausea
Petroleum’s nausea is uniquely triggered by passive motion, such as riding in a car or on a boat. This nausea is intensely severe and is almost always accompanied by a heavy, painful headache in the back of the head (occiput) and a cold sweat. Unlike other remedies, the nausea persists long after the motion stops.
Is there a specific emotional state that points to Petroleum?
Indeed, a key emotional indicator for Petroleum is a state of irresolution and anxiety. The person feels constantly worried but doesn’t know why. Moreover, they can become extremely irritable and easily offended, often getting angry after the slightest provocation. This irritability, combined with confusion, creates a very distinct mental picture.
How can I differentiate Petroleum from Graphites for skin issues?
Difference
While both remedies treat cracked skin, the key difference lies in the discharge and location. Petroleum’s cracks are deep, raw, and bleed easily, especially on the fingertips, and are significantly worse in the cold. In contrast, Graphites is known for cracks in the folds of the skin (like behind the ears or in joints) that ooze a sticky, honey-like fluid.
