Treatment

The principal consideration in the treatment is the diet, which should be light, nutritious, and easily digestible. To allay the itching the eruption may be frequently dusted with toasted rye or wheat flour, or when the cuticle is not broken it may be washed with brandy and water, or salt and water. Warm vinegar and water lotions may be used to allay the itching and burning. Chloroform, one-half drachm to the ounce of cream, will frequently prove serviceable. Benzoic acid, grs. v-x, water 3j. is spoken of favorably.   A weak carbolic acid lotion at times acts well. The Turkish bath may help when other means fail.

In acute cases, especially those in which it is clear that the trouble has arisen from irritant ingesta, the indications for treatment are clear, and should be promptly carried out. A good emetic, or a free purge, will clear out the alimentary canal, and, thus removing the cause of the irritation, bring the affection to a speedy close.

In children, especially, the diet must be carefully regulated. In chronic cases, especially when caused by eating shell-fish, study Arsenicum; in cases of gastric origin, con­sult Kreosotum, Bovista and Pulsatilla; in children who are fond of eating salt, Natnvm mm.; candy eaters may be benefited by Argentum nitricum.

The indications for the homoeopathic remedies are as follows:                                                       ,
Aconite.- Red and broad vesicles with itching, and feverish symptoms. Urticaria febrillis. Great heat, thirst, frequent pulse, malaise, sleeplessness; fear or fright.
Allium cepa.- Nettle-rash on the thighs with stitches and burnings. Acute catarrhal symptoms.
Anacardium.- Nettle-rash from emotional causes. Dull pressure as from a plug in various parts. Weakness of memory.
Antimon. crud.- White blotches with red areolae, violent burning and stinging. Blotches and vesicles, as from stings of insects, on the face and joints, coming on with itching and disappearing in a few hours. Thirst, nausea, thick white coated tongue, gastric derangement.
Antimon. tart.- White lumps with red areolae, which itch; eruption comes and goes, makes him irritable, very hot and thirsty; worse after meals.
Apis mel.- Red and inflamed raised patches of hives, with stinging and.burning. Aggr. by heat, amel. by cold water. Itching and appearance of blotches after scratching. Stinging burning over the whole body, passing off after sleeping soundly; sudden stinging sensation over the whole body, with white and red spots in palm of hands, or arms and feet, on head and nape of neck; uterine catarrh; urine scanty and high colored.
Arnica.- Itching wheals, relieved by scratching.
Arsenicum alb.- Itch-like eruption. Wheals of a scarlet-color on the face and neck, the size of a half-dollar. Ob­stinate cases, intense burning. Itching better from external heat; worse from cold or from scratching. Irritability of the stomach.
Astacus fluv.- In chronic cases when other remedies fail. Clay colored stools.
Arum.- Dirty, yellow blotches on calves and legs with burning. Better in a warm room. Melancholy. In light-haired, scrofulous subjects.
Antipyrin.- Dr. Nicot reports in full four cases, all oc­curring in young women who had since early childhood been subject to attacks of urticaria, in which alkaline treat­ment had utterly failed to produce any relief. In one of these the eruption appeared periodically each day and Dr. Nicot recommended the use of Antipyrin in seven and a half grain doses two or three hours before the expected period of eruption. After four days of this treatment the eruption disappeared entirely and did not return. His other cases are somewhat similar to the above, with the excep­tion that the periodic element was not so well marked. In very chronic cases the improvement was less marked than in recent cases, though even then the cure was progres­sive and continuous.


A lady, 24, suffered for many years with recurring attacks of urticaria, from which she could obtain no relief. As an experiment  she  took Antipyrin.  One  dose  of five  grains mitigated the discomfort at once and entirely dissipated the attack. These cures are in accordance with the law of the similars, inasmuch as urticaria has been noted after the exhibition of this drug. Some observers have noted a thick crop of urticaria involving the skin that is not protected by the clothing. Others have discovered swelling of the face and body. A very common condition produced by the drug is "erythema, scarlatina-like redness, with itching and urticaria."

Belladonna.- Bright scarlet red elevated puffy spots, surrounded by a white border. Parts sensitive to the touch. After eating cabbage or sour-krout.
Berberis.- Blotches like nettle rash on the shoulder and right arm, accompanied with burning and stinging. Momentary cold sensation on the parts. Heartburn with soap-sud taste in mouth.
Bryonia.- Nettle-rash with rheumatic pains from atmospheric changes, with sleeplessness. Symptoms worse from motion and from exposure to the heat of the fire.
Caladium.- Nettle-rash on the chest alternating with asthma. Itching and sudden, violent corrosive burning, often on small spots. Worse at night.
Calcarea curb.- Chronic nettle-rash. White elevated hard nettle-rash which disappears in the cold air. Elevated red stripes on tibia, with severe itching and burning after rubbing. Children inclined to grow fat. During dentition. Symptoms aggr. by drinking milk. Acidity.
Carbo veg.- Blotches on the calves of the legs, wrists and feet. Burning in various places on the skin at night in bed. Bloating of the abdomen after a meal. Frequent eructations. In cachectic individuals, accompanying dyspepsia.
Causticum.- Chronic nettle-rash, coming out more fully in fresh air, with decided aggr. and itching from the heat of the bed. Rash on the thighs just above the knees. Worse during days, better during wet weather.
Chloral.- Eruption on arms and legs, exactly like nettle-rash, in large raised wheals, with intense irritating, itch­ing, oedematous swelling of face, cheeks, eyelids and ears, coming on suddenly from a chill, not from heat. Aggr. by the smallest quantity of wine, beer or spirits. In grain doses in obstinate cases.
Cinchona.- Nettle-rash coming out after scratching. Frightful swelling of the face, forearms and hands in the morning. Debility after loss of animal fluids. Malarial complications.
Cimicifuga.- Urticaria from menstrual or rheumatic disorders. Excessive muscular soreness. Brain feels too large for cranium. In nervous hysterical females.
Cina.- White wheals surrounded by erythematous redness, first on the nose, then all over the body. From worms.
Cocculus.- Hard blotches, surrounded by red areolae, on the limbs, wrists and back of the fingers. Burning itching as from nettles.
Conium.- Stinging like flea-bites, only one stitch at a time. Evanescent itching.
Copaiva.- Urticaria, at first on the face, especially the forehead, then on the back of the hands, and finally in isolated patches all over the body. Large red blotches, with constipation and fever. Violent chills, headache, and general malaise; red, hot skin, nettle-rash all over the body, delirium, drowsiness, scanty urine, which is dark, with brick-dust sediment. Great restlessness.
Condurango.- Chronic urticaria. Gastric pains, mostly at the cul-de-sac of the stomach.
Cosmoline.- Its effects, when applied to the skin in cases of urticaria, eczema,  psoriasis, herpes, and in nearly all cutaneous diseases in which the skin is dry and irritable, is certainly very soothing and often curative.
Dulcamara.- White blotches, with red areolae, on the arms and thighs, stinging and itching with burning after rubbing. After taking cold. Nettle-rash over the whole body without fever. Eruption preceding the menses. Griping pains in the bowels, with nausea and diarrhoea.
Fagopyrum.- Sore, red blotches inducing scratching, which aggravates. Swelling, the size of a hen's egg, on the neck and shoulder. Dreadful stinging itching.
Graphites.- Red spots like flea-bites all over, especially on the calves of the legs. Itching worse in the evening and at night. Skin dry, never perspires, and is inclined to crack. In females with disposition to delayed menstruation.
Hepar.- Chronic nettle-rash on the fingers and hands. Burning and itching of the skin after scratching.
Hypericum.- Eruption like nettle-rash on both hands at 4 p.m. Crawling in the hands and feet, they felt fuzzy.
Ignatia.- During chilly stage of intermittent fever. Fre­quent discharge of much watery urine. In nervous subjects.
Kali carb.- Urticaria during menstruation. Worse in warm weather. In persons with dry skin, or who are inclined to pulmonary troubles.
Lycopus.- Troublesome urticaria, especially affecting the left forearm and right leg, before eating.
Lycopodium.- Itching with nettle-rash eruption on the extremities. Desire to eat, but a small quantity of food fills him up. Inclined to constipation. Urticaria from eating oysters, or shell-fish.
Magnesiacarb.- Hard blotches as if from nettle-sting, worse during menstruation. Menstrual flow more profuse at night.
Mercurius.- Small flat light red blotches on the sexual parts, abdomen, chest and inner side of the thighs. Easy perspiration without relief.
Natrwnniur.- White blotches on the arms and hands, turning red on scratching. Red blotches over the whole body. Violent itching.
Nuxvom.- When accompanied by constipation, vertigo and headache.
Podophyllum.- Intolerable itching of the skin on the body and arms; on scratching it raises up in blotches like hives.
Vsorinum.- After suppressed itch, frequent attacks of urticaria, with fine vesicles on the top which dry and peel off in fine scales. Coming on after any exertion.
Puisatillanig.- Red, hot spots like nettle-rash. After eating fat pork, fruits or buckwheat.
Puisatilla nut.- Blotches on the right breast, standing out like measles, with red base, turning white on scratching. Violent itching, worse at night before bed time.
Rhus tox.- Vesicular urticaria from getting wet, during the rheumatism, with chills and fever, worse in cold air. Rheumatic pains worse at rest. Skin swollen and red; itching all over, worse on hairy parts, burning after scratching.
Robinia.- Burning itching wherever a part of the face is touched. Itching of skin where anything rests upon it. Sour stomach.
Sarsaparilla.- Blotches as from nettles. Burning itching with chilliness after abuse of mercury.
Sepia.- Chronic form. Red, lentil-sized blotches on the hands. Eruption breaks out in the open air and disappears in a warm room, especially on the face, arms, and thorax. After milk and pork.
Solatium oler.- Urticaria febrilis.
Spigelia.- Small elevations like hives on the lower ex­tremities after scratching.
Stannum.- Small, itching hives below the waist through the day. Itching aggravated by rubbing. In patients with phthisis.
Sulphur.- Eruption, itching and burning over the whole body, with febrile symptoms, or when the indicated remedy does not act well. Itching aggravated by; the warmth of the bed. Chronic cases.
Tetradymite.- Nettle-rash on face after eating crabs.
Triosteum perf.- Nettle-rash with gastric derangement.
Urtica wrens.- Nettle-rash attending or preceding rheumatism. Itching swellings all over the fingers. Aggravated every year at the same time. Itching and burning of the skin, as if scorched; raised red blotches; fine stinging points; pale rash requiring constant rubbing, consequences of suppressed nettle-rash; eruption and itching disappear as soon as she lays down and re-apear immediately after rising.
Ustilago.- Terrible itching at night; menstrual irregulari­ties from ovarian irritation. During the climaxis.
Veratrum alh.- Nettle-rash, about the joints only.
Zincum met.- Stinging itching in the skin with nettle-rash eruption after rubbing. Itching rash in hollows of the knees and bends of the elbows. After moderate wine drink­ing.


The following case, reported by Dr. Hoyne, is very instructive : Female, complained of itching all over the body, but especially bad upon the back. No eruption was to be seen, but writing a word upon her arm it stood out in blaz­ing red a moment or two afterward, a certain diagnostic sign of urticaria. Her other symptoms were: Urine quite scanty but clear, and of good color; no appetite of conse­quence; meat does not agree with her; sour things disagree;  drinks  a large  quantity of water  daily; her limbs swell, principally about the ankles; dreams frequently and they are decidedly unpleasant; alternate constipation and diarrhoea; nearly every morning she has nausea and dizziness; shortness of breath when lying down, especially on her back. The urine, on examination, showed no disease of the kidney. She received Apis, and in three weeks was entirely relieved of all her sypmtoms.