Page | 1AN IMPROVED VERSION OF THE SKIN CHAPTER OF KENT REPERTORYDr. Mohit Mathur. B.H.M.S., M.D (Hom) Reader , Dept. of Practice of Medicine. Nehru Homoeopathic Medical Collage & Hospital, B-block, Defence colony, New Delhi (India) PIN-110024. Phone-0129-4133988 E-mail: drmohitmathur@gmail.comAbstract: The rubric Skin, Eruptions is the most frequently consulted rubric in the chapter SKIN of the Kent repertory. It contains several subrubrics some of which are poorly defined. Subrubrics describing skin diseases and skin eruptions are intermixed. The rubric needed a complete over-haul to make it user friendly. The subrubrics were reexamined and all the subrubrics representing clinical skin disease and skin eruptions were segregated. Introduction: The rubric Skin, Eruptions is perhaps the most frequently consulted rubric in the chapter SKIN of the Kent repertory. This rubric has around 89 subrubrics which are arranged in alphabetic order. This arrangement may appear systematic but is not user friendly. This is because the subrubrics, which represent various skin diseases, various types of eruptions and various sensations associated with skin eruptions, are all intermixed together. Certain terms used in subrubrics are now obsolete and are largely replaced by modern scientific terminology; for example- Eruptions, indolent, Eruptions psoriasis, inveterate. Many rubrics do not convey precise meaning and create confusion, for example- 1. The rubric Eruptions- pocks creates confusion. It appears to be a clinical rubric related to infection caused by pox viruses such as smallpox virus and molluscum contagiosum virus. But the author has included a separate rubric Eruptions, small-pox therefore it must connote any disease which leaves pockmarks and caused by pox viruses.2. The rubric Eruptions, herpetic is ill defined as there is no skin eruption called by this name. It may suggest disease conditions caused by herpesviruses such as herpes zoster or herpes simplex. Both these conditions are also covered under subrubrics: Eruptions, herpetic, fever in and Eruptions, herpetic, zona zoster. There is a separate rubric for chickenpox, namely Eruptions, chicken-pox. Since all these diseases are characterized by vesicles the author might have referred the rubric Eruptions, herpetic to similar type of eruptions, although there is a separate rubric for this- Eruptions, vesicular. Besides this the rubric Eruptions, herpetic: have several subrubrics such as Eruptions, herpetic, chapping; Eruptions, herpetic, crusty. Many of these subrubrics lack clear meaning. 3. The rubric rash (see granular) is imprecise in meaning as the word rash is a synonym of eruption and does not mean a particular type of eruption. In order to overcome above mentioned limitations the subrubrics mentioned under the rubric Skin, Eruptions are segregated under the heads: A. Clinical diseases: various clinical diseases mentioned incorrectly as eruptions under the rubric Skin, Eruptions are segregated. Rubrics describing the eruptions and other clinical features of these diseases are also mentioned under these clinical diseases. Clinical rubrics mentioned outside the rubric Eruptions are also included to make the data more user-friendly.B. Primary skin eruptionsC. Secondary skin eruptionsIt was found that this single rubric contain subrubrics representing 24 types of skin diseases, 13 types of primary skin eruptions and 3 types of secondary skin eruptions which are mentioned below:Clinical diseasesAcne vulgarisa. Skin, eruptions, pimples (including its subrubrics)b. Face, acnec. Face, greasyd. Face, eruptions, comedonesInfections of hair follicle1) Furuncles (boils)a. Skin, eruptions, boils (including its subrubrics)2) Carbuncle a. Skin, eruptions, carbuncle (including its subrubrics)Bacterial infections of skin1) Impetigoa. Face, eruptions, impetigo2) Ecthymaa. Face, eruptions, ecthyma3) Erysipelasa. Skin, erysipelas4) Cellulitisa. Skin, Inflammation 5) Lupus vulgarisa. Skin, lupusb. Eruptions, tubercles (including its subrubrics)6) Leprosya. Skin, leprosy7) Scarlet fevera. Eruptions, rash, scarletViral infections of skin1) Chickenpoxa) Eruptions, chicken-pox2) Measles a) Eruptions measles3) Smallpoxa) Eruptions, smallpoxb) Eruptions, pocks (including its subrubrics)4) Molluscum contagiosuma) Eruptions, pocks (including its subrubrics)5) Herpes simplexa) Eruptions, herpeticb) Eruptions, herpetic, fever in6) Herpes zostera) Eruptions, herpeticb) Eruptions, herpetic, zoster, zonaFungal infections of skin 1) Pityriasis a) Eruptions, scaly2) Tinea (ringworm) infectionsa) Eruptions, herpetic, circinateb) Eruptions, herpetic, itching3) Intertrigo a) Skin, intertrigoSkin infestation1) Scabiesa. Eruptions, scabies (including its subrubrics)b. Skin, excoriation, after scratching (must scratch it raw) Gangrene 1) Skin, gangrene (including its subrubrics)2) Skin, ulcers, gangrenousIchthyosis 1) Skin, eruptions, scaly (including its subrubrics)Autoimmune disorders of skinPemphigus1) Skin, eruptions, pemphigus2) Skin, eruptions, blisters3) Skin, eruptions, blisters as from a burnPsoriasis1) Skin, eruptions, psoriasisHypersensitive immune reactionsUrticariaa. Skin, eruptions, urticaria (including its subrubrics)

Primary Skin Lesions and their corresponding rubrics1. Papulesa. Skin, eruptions, papular2. Vesiclesa. Skin, eruptions, vesicular (including its subrubrics)3. Pustulesa. Skin, eruptions, pustules (including its subrubrics)4. Plaquea. Skin, eruptions, flat5. Blistersa. Skin, eruptions, blistersb. Skin, eruptions, blisters, as from a burn6. Crustsa. Skin, eruptions, crusty (including its subrubrics)7. Scalesa. Skin, eruptions, scaly (including its subrubrics)8. Nodulesa. Skin, indurations, nodules, etc.9. Petechiaea. Skin, eruptions, petechiae10. Frecklesa. Skin, freckles11. Melanocytic naevi (Moles)a. Skin, molesb. Skin, naevic. Skin, discoloration, blackish, spotsd. Skin, discoloration, bluish, spotse. Skin, discoloration, brown, liver spots12. Telangeictasiaa. Skin, network of blood vessels13. Ulcera. Skin, ulcers (including its subrubrics)Secondary skin lesions and their corresponding rubrics1. Excoriations a. Excoriations, after scratching2. Prurigo papulesa. Skin, eruptions, scratching, after3. Lichenification a. Skin, thick, skin becomes, after scratchingb. Skin, hard, thickening with

References 1. Kent JT. Repertory of the homoeopathic materia medica. New Delhi; B Jain publishers, Reprint edition, 1996, p 1308-1323. 2. Marks R. Roxburghs common skin diseases. London; Chapman & Hall, 16th edition, 1993.