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AN IMPROVED VERSION OF THE SKIN CHAPTER OF KENT

REPERTORY
Dr. Mohit Mathur. B.H.M.S., M.D (Hom)
Reader , Dept. of Practice of Medicine. Nehru Homoeopathic Medical Collage & Hospital, Bblock, Defence colony, New Delhi (India) PIN-110024. Phone-0129-4133988
E-mail: drmohitmathur@gmail.com

Abstract: 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 example1. 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.

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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 eruptions
C. Secondary skin eruptions
It 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:

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Clinical diseases
Acne vulgaris
a.
b.
c.
d.

Skin, eruptions, pimples (including its subrubrics)

Face, acne
Face, greasy
Face, eruptions, comedones

Infections of hair follicle

1) Furuncles (boils)
a. Skin, eruptions, boils (including its subrubrics)
2) Carbuncle
a. Skin, eruptions, carbuncle (including its subrubrics)
Bacterial infections of skin
1) Impetigo
a. Face, eruptions, impetigo
2) Ecthyma
a. Face, eruptions, ecthyma
3) Erysipelas
a. Skin, erysipelas
4) Cellulitis
a. Skin, Inflammation
5) Lupus vulgaris
a. Skin, lupus
b. Eruptions, tubercles (including its subrubrics)
6) Leprosy
a. Skin, leprosy
7) Scarlet fever
a. Eruptions, rash, scarlet
Viral infections of skin
1) Chickenpox
a) Eruptions, chicken-pox
2) Measles
a) Eruptions measles
3) Smallpox

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a) Eruptions, smallpox
b) Eruptions, pocks (including its subrubrics)
4) Molluscum contagiosum
a) Eruptions, pocks (including its subrubrics)
5) Herpes simplex
a) Eruptions, herpetic
b) Eruptions, herpetic, fever in
6) Herpes zoster
a) Eruptions, herpetic
b) Eruptions, herpetic, zoster, zona
Fungal infections of skin
1) Pityriasis
a) Eruptions, scaly
2) Tinea (ringworm) infections
a) Eruptions, herpetic, circinate
b) Eruptions, herpetic, itching
3) Intertrigo
a) Skin, intertrigo
Skin infestation
1) Scabies
a. Eruptions, scabies (including its subrubrics)
b. Skin, excoriation, after scratching (must scratch it
raw)
Gangrene
1) Skin, gangrene (including its subrubrics)
2) Skin, ulcers, gangrenous
Ichthyosis
1) Skin, eruptions, scaly (including its subrubrics)
Autoimmune disorders of skin
Pemphigus
1) Skin, eruptions, pemphigus

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2) Skin, eruptions, blisters

3) Skin, eruptions, blisters as from a burn
Psoriasis
1) Skin, eruptions, psoriasis
Hypersensitive immune reactions
Urticaria
a. Skin, eruptions, urticaria (including its subrubrics)

Primary Skin Lesions and their corresponding rubrics

1. Papules
a. Skin, eruptions, papular
2. Vesicles
a. Skin, eruptions, vesicular (including its subrubrics)
3. Pustules
a. Skin, eruptions, pustules (including its subrubrics)
4. Plaque
a. Skin, eruptions, flat
5. Blisters
a. Skin, eruptions, blisters
b. Skin, eruptions, blisters, as from a burn
6. Crusts
a. Skin, eruptions, crusty (including its subrubrics)
7. Scales
a. Skin, eruptions, scaly (including its subrubrics)
8. Nodules
a. Skin, indurations, nodules, etc.
9. Petechiae
a. Skin, eruptions, petechiae
10.
Freckles
a. Skin, freckles
11.
Melanocytic naevi (Moles)
a. Skin, moles
b. Skin, naevi

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c. Skin, discoloration, blackish, spots

d. Skin, discoloration, bluish, spots
e. Skin, discoloration, brown, liver spots
12.
Telangeictasia
a. Skin, network of blood vessels
13.
Ulcer
a. Skin, ulcers (including its subrubrics)
Secondary skin lesions and their corresponding
rubrics
1. Excoriations
a. Excoriations, after scratching
2. Prurigo papules
a. Skin, eruptions, scratching, after
3. Lichenification
a. Skin, thick, skin becomes, after scratching
b. 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.