Section 2
Skin

BLISTERS

SYMPTOMS—Rounded, fluid-filled spots on the skin.

CAUSES—They are most frequently caused by wearing different shoes or the excessive handling of tools.

TREATMENT—

• Decide whether or not you want to prick it and let out the fluid. It is generally best to prick large ones, and ignore small ones. But if it is likely to break, you do better to drain it ahead of time. Sterilize the area before doing this. Leave the roof on afterward; this protects the skin while healing occurs.

ENCOURAGEMENT—Take the hand of Christ and hold it firmly. He will hold you with a grip that will not let go—unless you choose to wander away after the devil's trinkets.

SYMPTOMS—Included here are sores that will not heal, and abscesses, which are large and also have pus. But they do not seem to heal, so become open skin ulcers. The swollen part becomes inflamed and tender. There may be alternate fever and chills. Also see "Boils."

An abscess can form on the surface of the skin or within the body—in the sinuses, teeth, gums, tonsils, lungs, brain, abdominal wall, intestinal tract, breasts, kidneys, etc.

CAUSES—Causes include poor living and bad diet; enervation; lack of rest; worry; exhaustion; as well as toxic poisoning. It may also be caused by an infected wound, an illness, lowered resistance, certain drugs, food allergies, stress, or junk foods. Drugs containing sulphur can produce boils.

Leg ulcers are a special problem; they are open sores which develop on the legs. They are more likely to occur in those with varicose veins. Poor circulation causes the skin tissue to break down. Because we have here a circulatory problem, the following treatment may, or may not, benefit the patient.

TREATMENT—

• For sores that will not heal: vitamin E: 200 units a day. Apply a dressing of fresh comfrey leaves and root or a paste made from raw garlic on gauze for 8-10 hours.

• For a boil (furuncle), or carbuncle, follow the directions below for an abscess.

• For a surface abscess: Keep the infected area clean with soap and water. Bring it to a "head" by placing hot compresses on it. This will make it soft in the center. (Hot compresses or ice bags will also help relieve the pain; hot compresses also promote healing.) A poultice with 3% boric acid can be used or a hot Epsom salt compress (dissolve Epsom salt in hot water and apply as a compress all night). Echinacea can be used, or a clay poultice. Some use a flaxseed poultice to soften and mature the head. Either it will open itself or, when "ripe," you can open it with a sterile needle. Then flush it clean with a syringe with pure water or one of the above solutions. If bits of puss or dead flesh still remain, apply 3% hydrogen peroxide; then flush out with pure water. The cavity will gradually fill in and heal.

• Take vitamin C orally to bowel tolerance, along with A, B complex, and E. Get plenty of bed rest, and drink lots of fluids to help flush the system. Clean the bowels with an enema once a week. Stay on a vegetarian diet, avoiding heavy starches, chocolate, excess sweets, too many saturated or hydrogenated fats. Brief juice fasts of one to three days are very helpful, especially if you are overweight. Take alternate hot and cold showers every morning and evening (or cool baths every evening). Also good: chlorophyll, garlic, and kelp.

• Drink distilled water with fresh lemon juice, plus 3 cups of goldenseal or echinacea tea, each day.

• Go on a liquid fast for 24 to 72 hours and stay in bed as much as possible during that time. This will cleanse the system and prepare it for a nourishing diet.

• A nutritious diet with adequate vitamins and minerals is needed to correct the problems in the body which led to the abscessed condition.

• A slippery elm bark and lobelia poultice soothes and helps promote healing.

• Apply honey externally to the area. It is believed that honey destroys bacteria by drawing the moisture out of those sores.

• On such open skin ulcers, you can also place herbal poultices, such as German chamomile, marigold, arnica, euphorbia, cliff rose, snake root, and/or witch hazel. Also helpful is red clover tea and carrot and beet juice. Also useful: Burdock root, cayenne, and yellow dock root.

• Applying chlorophyll water to the area several times a day will keep it cleansed.

—Also see "Boils."

ENCOURAGEMENT—Christ revealed the love of God to mankind. As Jesus was in human nature, so God means His followers to be. In His strength we are to live the life of purity and nobility which the Saviour lived.

CANKER SORES (Aphthous Ulcers)

SYMPTOMS—Small oval or round white ulcers that can be very painful. They appear on the tongue, gums, inner or outer lips, or on the insides of the cheeks.

At first it appears as a red, warm spot, which then ulcerates and has a yellowish border. Next, a yellowish mixture of fluid, bacteria, and white blood cells is seen. There is often burning or tingling at the place.

Canker sores are different in appearance than cold sores, in that canker sores do not form blisters.

CAUSES—The Greek word, aphthae, means "to set on fire." Allergies, stress, vitamin deficiencies, endocrine imbalance, and viral infections are considered to be possible causes.

You are more likely to have them if your parents had them. They generally do not begin appearing till the age of 20, and occur equally among men and women. Older people have them less frequently. Canker sores generally heal by themselves within a week or two. It is said that as much of 40% of the adult population experiences them. Some people seem to have one after the other. People with Crohn's Disease (an illness of the bowels) are more likely to have them. Vaccines and antibiotics may cause them.

TREATMENT—

• Goldenseal powder or a moistened goldenseal tea bag applied over the ulcer is one of best treatments. It may also bring relief of the pain.

• Wash your mouth with plain hot water, to draw healing blood and help relieve pain. This is a simple hydrotherapy treatment.

• Squeeze vitamin E oil on the sore several times a day.

• As soon as the first tingle is felt, take 500 mg of Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 3 times a day, for 3 days.

PREVENTION—

• Careful thought will teach you things you do which tend to cause them. This might include mouthwashes, citrus fruit, coffee, or certain other foods—especially sharp, highly seasoned, or tart foods. Do not smoke or chew snuff!

• Onions help reduce their number; include them in your food preparation. Lysine, vitamin B12, and folic acid help also.

• Do not eat meat for two weeks. Meat increases body acidity. Stop eating it entirely, and you are less likely to have canker sores.

• Avoid sugar and processed foods. Citrus fruit cause them in some people.

• Avoid physical damage to the area immediately in, and around, the mouth. Avoid sharp foods, such as peanut brittle. Use a soft toothbrush with no toothpaste.

• Try not to bite the tongue or cheek. Do not talk or turn your head while chewing.

• A hair analysis will help you determine your mineral and pH balance. Maintaining a proper balance can help you avoid canker sores.

• In the Midwest, they put a little earwax on the sore to help heal it.

• If you have repeated attacks of canker sores, something is wrong. With careful checking, you should be able to find it. For example, with some people, it is simply a matter of not overeating on sweet foods, even naturally sweet fruit.

• Beware! If you have a mouth sore which does not heal, see a dentist. There are certain other diseases which first appear somewhat like canker or cold sores—yet which are much more dangerous.

—See also "Cold Sore." You may also wish to turn to "Syphilis," which often initially appears around the mouth. However, the appearance of the hard chancre of syphilis is much different than that of canker or cold sores.

ENCOURAGEMENT—God is pleased when we keep our faces turned toward the Sun of Righteousness. When we are in trouble and pressed down with anxieties, the Lord is near, and He bids us cast all our care upon Him, because He cares for us.

COLD SORES (Fever Blisters)

SYMPTOMS—These are thin-walled inflamed pimples which have a tendency to recur in the same area, most frequently at the borders of the mouth, but sometimes on the gums or conjunctiva (the lining of the inner surface of the eyelid). It tends to occur at, or close to, where the skin and mucous membrane meet. First comes a local tenderness with a small bump. Then this bump changes into a blister, and the tenderness may increase. Nearby lymph nodes may become swollen. After about 48 hours, the blisters crust over. Sometimes pus oozes, making eating difficult. Cold sores appear 3-10 days after exposure and may last up to 3 weeks, but generally only 7-10 days.

CAUSE—This is an infectious disease caused by herpes simplex (herpes simplex virus I; Herpes virus hominis). But, for practical purposes, there are other causes as well:

Some people never have cold sores, and others have them frequently. Stress is a significant cause. Eating too much sugar is another. Excess ultraviolet light or acid foods cause them in some people. For some women, the onset of menstruation can be a cause. Alcoholic drinking and poor diet also bring them on. Local irritation can be an incipient factor. For some, cold sores tend to occur with a fever, infection, or cold, after exposure to the sun and wind, or when the immune system is depressed.

If cold sores occur frequently, the problem may be low thyroid function.

Cold sores seem somewhat like canker sores (which see), but they are different in several ways. They form blisters, but canker sores do not. They can form anywhere on the body, although especially on the mouth area or on the genitals. Whereas we are not certain of the bacterial or viral origins of canker sores, cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus I.

TREATMENT—

• Trust in God and stop worrying about so many things. Eat better, take time to walk outside, and get enough sleep at night.

• Eat plenty of raw vegetables.

• Apply ice for 15-20 minutes at the first sign of tingling. If possible, repeat it frequently. Apply vitamin E between applications. Get enough vitamin A (50,000 units) and B complex. Zinc is also important (zinc gluconate lozenges); dissolve in mouth every 3 hours for 2 days or take 25-50 mg daily. Daily take 2,000-3,000 mg of the amino acid lysine till the cold sore is gone. Protect your lips from sunburn and wind. Exercise plus adequate rest bolsters the immune system, so it can better resist cold sores.

• Also helpful is goldenseal, echinacea, red clover, and pau d'arco.

• If it is not bothering you very much, leaving a cold sore alone is a good idea.

—Also see "Canker Sores."

ENCOURAGEMENT—We can only see a little way before us, but God sees everything. He knows all about our needs, and He cares for us. He sits above the confusion and distractions of the earth, and all things are opened to His divine survey. From His great and calm eternity, He orders that which His providence sees is best.

BOILS (Furuncles; Carbuncles)

SYMPTOMS—Itching, mild pain, and local swelling, often on the scalp, buttocks, face, or underarms. Within 24 hours, the boil becomes red and filled with pus. Fever and swelling of the lymph glands nearest the boil may occur. Boils are tender, red, painful, and appear suddenly.

CAUSES—Boils are small pus-filled bumps. The medical name for them is furuncles.

Carbuncles are many-headed boils which tend to combine and enlarge. They begin as a painful, localized infection, producing pus-filled areas in the deeper layers of the skin. Carbuncles are slower healing than boils. They are both treated alike.

Boils are contagious. Do not let the draining pus get on the skin elsewhere! When it spreads to nearby areas, the result is a carbuncle.

Untreated boils tend to exude their poisons and disappear within 10-24 days. But, given careful treatment, they are contained and less severe.

Keep in mind that if the body is trying to expel a poison (especially sulphur!) through the skin, you may continue to have a string of boils for a time. The body is trying to cleanse itself of something bad. Inorganic sulphur in the body is especially prone to come out in skin boils.

TREATMENT—

• Go on a brief cleansing fast, to rid the system of impurities. The problem may be toxins, but it may be chemical poisoning. One example would be sulphur. Whenever it is taken into the body, it tries to leave—not through the bowels or kidneys—but through the skin.

• While on this liquid fast for a couple days, you may drink 3 cups of an herb tea daily of one or more of the following: comfrey, red clover blossoms, yellow dock root, chickweed, plantain, and wild cherry bark.

• Every night apply a poultice of raw potato mixed with flaxseed. If you apply a poultice during the day, use whole wheat flour and stiffened it with enough honey so it will not run.

• Apply moist heat (a clean towel, cloth, or gauze that is wet in warm water) 3-4 times daily to the boil. This will reduce pain and help bring it to a head more quickly. Avoid irritating the area or spreading the pus. Avoid exercise which might cause sweating until it heals.

• Keep the skin clean by washing it several times a day. Place honey directly over the boil. Alternates would be clay, charcoal, and/or chlorophyll.

• Apply vitamin E oil to the area.

• Some boils are large and persistent. Some type of poison in the body is trying to get out. Bed rest, a short fast, followed by a light, nutritious diet will greatly help.

• Helpful herbal teas include oat straw, goldenseal, dandelion, and burdock root.

—Also see "Abscesses."

ENCOURAGEMENT—If we were left to ourselves, we would make mistakes. But we can go to God, our kind Father in heaven, and receive all the help in time of need.

BED SORES (Pressure Sores)

SYMPTOMS—These are deep skin ulcers—especially found on buttocks, hips, sacrum, shoulder blades, elbows, and heels.

CAUSES—These ulcers form during periods of prolonged bed rest, as pressure is continually applied to bony parts of the body. The bedridden elderly, the unconscious, and the paraplegic are those most likely to experience this problem.

Such individuals generally have a high pH (too alkaline), and are deficient in vitamins A, B2 (riboflavin), E, and C, as well as zinc.

TREATMENT—

• Apply sugar or honey poultice to the sore; it will help draw out the poisons. Local applications can also include zinc oxide ointment, aloe vera, wheat germ oil, or comfrey. Avoid meat products. Make a paste out of crushed comfrey leaves and slippery elm, and cover the sores. Wash the sores 3-4 times a day with a combination tea (witch hazel and myrrh or goldenseal). Mix powdered comfrey leaves and slippery elm in equal parts, mix with water, make a paste, spread on a cloth, and tie it over the sore. It can be left on overnight. When dry, sprinkle some powdered goldenseal or echinacea over the sores to disinfect the area; cover with cotton or wool (not a synthetic fabric).

• Improve the diet; this is crucial to solving the problem. Drink enough liquids, even when not thirsty. Avoid processed, fried, and junk food. Do not eat meat.

• The diet should include enough fiber. Oat bran is especially good. The bowels should move every day. Lower the pH with acid foods (such as cranberries).

PREVENTION—Prevention is much easier than treatment.

• Use protective padding on the bed, massage the skin to stimulate the circulation, and keep the skin dry and clean. Turn the patient regularly. Watch for signs of redness. Occasional sunlight to the skin is beneficial. Sponge bathe daily with a mild herbal soap (never with harsh soaps). The bed must be kept clean and the sheet without wrinkles. Sheepskin bed covers help disperse weight more evenly. The use of air or water mattresses can be helpful. Sponge baths are helpful. Loose-fitting clothing allows air to penetrate to the skin (cotton is best). If the patient can sit up, have him do it 3-4 times a day. Sometimes prop him up with a pillow.

• Give a well-balanced, adequate diet. Give plenty of greens and carrot juice. Give vitamins A, B, C, E, and zinc.

• Apply vitamin E oil to the skin area.

• The alternate hot and cold compress is very helpful. This is a fomentation application with the application of a cold compress after it.

ENCOURAGEMENT—Whatever may be the burdens that you bear, cast them upon the Lord. He can solve your problems, He can provide your deepest needs.

BURNS (Scalds)

SYMPTOMS—There are first degree burns (redness), second degree burns (redness and blisters), and third degree burns (the entire skin and some of the underlying muscle is destroyed). For third degree burns, immediately go to a doctor or an emergency room. Even more extreme is a fourth degree burn: Instead of oozing flesh, the area is dry and charred.

CAUSES—Tissue damage to the skin as a result of heat, chemical, electrical, or radiation injury. First degree: usually from sun or water; second degree: generally from hot metal objects, flame-contact burns and severe sunburn; third: hot fluid burns, steam from a pressure cooker, electrical burns, or high flame contact.

TREATMENT—

• First degree: Mix equal parts of white vinegar with water and cover the burn surface, twice a day. Also apply aloe vera or vitamin E oil locally. Tannic acid has been used in clinics for surface burns that have begun to heal, so you can use white oak bark tea. Apply locally as a tea and wet compress.

• Second degree: Apply vitamin E oil or zinc oxide. Take vitamin C to bowel tolerance. Apply aloe vera after healing begins.

• Third and fourth degree: Immediately take the person to a professional. Do not try to remove clothing stuck to the burned area. Apply aloe vera after healing has begun.

• Soak the clothes, so the hot cloth will not increase the burn. Apply cold until the pain subsides.

• Cold water or cold, wet cloths on the area reduce pain and swelling. Cover the burn, to reduce likelihood of infection. Mix and apply olive oil with baking soda to the area. Elevate the area, to reduce swelling, and keep it out of the sun. Do not break the blisters, and never put salves or butter on burns. Watch for indications of infection, odor, pus, or angry redness. Cold clay poultices are useful.

• Second degree, on up, requires a high protein diet and 5,000 calories per day. Increase fluid intake. Also important: vitamins A, B, C, E, and F.

• Applying vitamin E and spraying on a 1-3% solution of vitamin C every 2-4 hours is very helpful. This reduces pain and accelerates healing. Take 1,000 mg of vitamin C orally, every hour.

• Have the patient breathe deeply every so often. He needs the vital oxygen for healing of the burn.

• Fresh aloe vera juice is outstanding on burns, to hasten healing. But this can only be done if you have a growing plant to cut the leaves from.

HYDRO—The following hydrotherapy treatments are listed in the author's book, Water Therapy Manual (see order sheet): Ice Pack (p. 46), Neutral Full Bath (p. 122), Evaporating Compress, and the Cool Irrigating Compress (p. 242). Extensive burns can be treated with the Prolonged or Continuous Neutral Bath (p. 242, 122). Old burns can be treated with the Paraffin Bath (p. 79).

ENCOURAGEMENT—He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is kept in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on God. By His enabling grace, you may obey all His will for your life.

LEG ULCERS

SYMPTOMS—Open sores which develop on poorly appearing skin areas of the legs.

CAUSES—Leg ulcers occur when the blood circulation to the legs is inadequate. Skin tissue tends to erode and ulcers can form. Individuals with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, or other conditions caused by poor circulation are most likely to develop this problem.

TREATMENT—

• Eat a light nourishing diet with adequate vitamins and minerals. Much of it should be raw. Leafy, dark green vegetables and garlic are important.

• Do not eat meat, and avoid alcohol and nicotine!

• Make a gallon of goldenseal tea (stronger than you would drink); and, after straining out the herb, put the leg in it for an hour. When finished, let it dry for 10 minutes; apply olive oil in, and around, the ulcer. Dust a little powdered goldenseal on it. If needed to keep out insects, put a light gauze bandage over it while letting the air in. It will heal, but slowly. As much as two months may be required.

—Also see "Abscesses" and "Boils."

ENCOURAGEMENT—God is pleased when we keep our faces turned toward His Son, Jesus Christ, our only Saviour. When we are in trouble and pressed down with anxieties, the Lord is near. He bids us cast all our care upon Him, for He careth for us.