Petroleum is a homeopathic drug and is extensively used for eczema of hands, feet, scalp, back of neck and behind ears. Eruptions are generally dry, skin is cracked and itching is also there. Eczema occurs in winter and disappears in summer. There are many other medicines having the same type of eczema but other symptoms decide to choose remedy. Graphites also has the same type of eczema but it has marked constipation. Merc Solubilis has eczema, dry in nature but perspiration doesn’t relieve it and symptoms of mouth decide its choice.
Petroleum has diarrhea also that occur only in day time and is preceded by colic. Dr Nash cured two cases of eczema of long standing with the miraculous power of it. I also have treated some cases of eczema with it and got good reputation by virtue of it.
Petroleum contains a symptom of car sickness, seasickness, riding on a railroad car sickness. For that it is an effective remedy. Once I was going to a hill by a hired taxi, from Kathgodam to Jageshwar Jyotirlinga; Nainital comes on the way of it. On the way, Mira my wife had constant nausea and sometimes vomiting as she forgot to take the medicine for it. I asked the driver about car sickness. He revealed one important fact, ‘It is a common problem on hills. I as a driver was also the sufferer of this ailment. My trainer gave me two drops of petrol to drink for the sickness whenever I got it. After some days I got rid of this ailment and it is the common practice in hills though we use it in crude form but in a smaller dose.’ I was surprised to know that they use petrol as a remedy which is already present in homeopathy in potentized form though they don’t know about this system of medicine.
Petroleum has a power of curing rheumatism too. Patient has cracking in the joints which is due to stiffness of the concerned muscles. Rheumatism with eczema is the key note symptom for prescribing it. It is also used in other complaints as it is a polycrest remedy.