Ringworm & Tinea
Ringworm & Tinea
Ringworm is a common contagious itching skin disease, caused by various fungal species and affecting usually the Scalp or Feet. It forms round, scaly lesions, that may be red and itchy lesions. It is contagious.
It is named after the area affected:
- Body: Tinea corporis
- Scalp: Tinea capitis, also called Scald-Head
- Feet: Tinea pedis, Athlete’s foot
- Groin: Tinea cruris, or Jock itch
It was especially common in Children traditionally where it was known as Scald Head. Round, red, itchy patches would form on the scalp with pustules and hair loss.
Two main types were recognized: the Dry and the Moist.
Other Therapies:
- Avoid Phlegm and Melancholic Foods
- Avoid Wine, Cured and Salted Meats
- Purging and Bloodletting are indicated if they are strong
Bleeding the Veins of the Forehead and Behind the Ear were recommended for loss of Hair.
| Fumitory | Dodder |
| Senna | Wormwood |
Formulas
Syrup of Fumitory
Oxymel fo Squill Compound
Pills of Cochia
Topically:
1. Oil of White Lilies mixed with Oil of Camomile
2. Wash the Head with Wormwood Wine
3. Fry Egg yolks and add as much Turpentine to let them dissolve, then dry gently and apply.
4. Beat Sage, add a little Pig fat, salt and vinegar and heat to form a salve.
5. Decoct Mallow and Dock root, use as a wash.
6. Shave the Head, then apply a mix of equal parts Oil of Walnut, Castor oil and Oil of Camomile. (Wirtzung)
7. After doing the preceding for 3 days, they prick the head all over, then wash with a decoction of Fumitory, Dock root and Camomile. After, add garlic to the same decoction, boil a while, then use as a wash.
8. Burnt Butter, Chimney soot, Salt (equal parts). Stir well together until the butter is stiff. Apply topically. ‘Certain’
9. Turpentine washed well with water (2 oz.), Fresh Butter washed (1 oz.), Salt (half oz.). the Juice of one Orange, 3 Egg Yolks, Oil of Roses (half oz.). Mix together over a gentle Fire. ‘This is a certain Salve, it may be used for all Itches and Scabs’ (Wirtzung)
10. Oil of Roses, Juniper Oil (half ounce each), Sulphur, Verdigris, Pigeon dung (3 drams each), with a little Wax, make an ointment. ‘Very certain… healing all scales’. (Wirtzung)
Chinese Classification
Simples
| Melia Ku Lian Pi | Elm cake Wu Yi |
Formulas
Xiao Feng San
Special Formula
| 1. Pills for Dry Scald Head: | 6. A Powerful Salve for Chronic Ringworm |
| Prepared Black Hellebore | Galls |
| Senna | Realgar |
| Dodder of Thyme | Birthwort 3 drams each |
| Mastic 1 dram each | Hemlock seed 2 drams |
| Agaric 1.5 drams | Chimney soot |
| Aloe half ounce | Sulphur |
| Form pills with Celery juice. Dose up to 1 dram (Wirtzung) | Bitter Almonds |
| 2. Pills for Moist Scald Head (1) | Colocynth |
| Pil. Cochia 1.5 drams | Capers root |
| Dodder of Thyme half dram | Fig leaf |
| Form pills for 2 doses. (Wirtzung) | Elm tree leaves |
| 3. Pills for Moist Scald Head (2) | Verdigris |
| Agaric | Plume Alum |
| Colocynth | Myrrh |
| Mastic 1 dram each | Aloe |
| Aloe half ounce | Frankincense |
| Form pills with Garlic juice. Dose: 1 dram (Wirtzung) | Pitch 1.5 drams each |
| 4. Compound for Ringworm | Beat what is to be beaten, mix them all with vinegar and leave in the sun for a week or more until well mixed. |
| Chebulic Myrobalan | 7. A Salve for Chronic Ringworm (‘of many years’) |
| Dodder | Black & White Hellebore |
| Senna leaf | Sulphur |
| Mix and form a powder. | Vitriol |
| 5. To Restore the Hair: | Litharge |
| Hair ashes 1 oz. | Unslaked Lime |
| Burnt Hazel nuts 1.5 oz. | Shoemakers black |
| Dregs of Olive oil 4 oz. | Aloe |
| Clarified Honey 3 oz. | Gall |
| Myrrh 1.5 oz. | Chimney soot |
| Aloe 0.5 oz. | Wood ashes half oz. each |
| Saffron 3 drams | Killed Mercury |
| Mix to form a Salve. (Wirtzung) | Verdigris quarter oz. each |
| Boil juices of Borage, Scabious, Fumitory and Dock (2 oz. each), mix with dregs of old Olive oil, Vinegar (3 oz. each); seethe them together on a mild fire for half an hour, add the rest in powder, and with Turpentine and Wax, form a Salve. (Wirtzung) |
