Pix liquida
Made from pine tar — the black distillate of the timber kiln, a genuine dermatological drug of the old pharmacopeias and still, and the classical remedy of the chronic, itchy skin.
The whole picture, in one breath
Think of skin that itches through the winter: the chronic eczema and psoriasis of the books, the oozing, crusted surfaces that tar was painted on for a century, the unbearable itching worse at night, and the black distillate of the timber kiln. The tar-paint remedy: that is Pix liquida.
The substance, in plain words
Pine tar is the black distillate of the timber kiln — a genuine drug of the old pharmacopeias and of modern dermatology alike: tar preparations remain real, effective treatments for psoriasis and chronic eczema, among the oldest remedies still in the dermatologist's dispensary. The proving gave the tar its chronic-skin portrait.
The traditional picture Classical sources
The inner state
- Anxiety and despondency. The misery of the chronic, itching skin — worse at night, worse in the winter.
- Irritability. Cross from the constant itching.
- Restlessness. Tossing at night with the itch.
The body
- Chronic eczema and psoriasis. The keynote: the chronic, crusted, oozing skin states — the very conditions tar is painted for.
- Unbearable itching, worse night. The night-owning itch of the books' description.
- Oozing, crusted surfaces. The weeping, crusted patches tar was the standard dressing for.
- Worse cold damp and winter. Wet weather and the winter thicken the skin and the itch.
- Better for tar and warmth. The tar dressing itself, and warmth, ease the chronic skin.
Modalities (worse and better factors)
| Worse from ⬇ | Better from ⬇ |
|---|---|
| cold damp weather; winter; night; scratching. | tar applications; warmth; dry weather. |
Where it acts (organ affinities)
Skin (chronic eczema, psoriasis), general vitality, sleep.
Where the classical picture comes from
The timber kiln's distillate proved the chronic-skin portrait; Pix liquida became the classical remedy of the eczema and psoriasis tar served — the black paint of a century's dermatology recorded as a remedy.
The substance in real medicine Pharmacology
What this section is: the pharmacology and toxicology of the source substance. It is not clinical evidence that a homeopathic preparation of it treats any condition. What controlled trials do and do not show is set out on the Evidence page.
Pine tar is genuinely still in dermatology: tar preparations remain effective, real treatments for psoriasis and chronic eczema — among the oldest remedies the modern dermatologist still prescribes, their mechanism of slowing skin-cell turnover well understood. The black distillate of the kiln has outlasted most of its century; few remedies in this library share their portrait's treatment so directly.
Look-alikes (how the classical authors told it apart)
| Remedy | Looks similar because… | Tells it apart because… |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | Winter skin | Petroleum cracks in winter cold; Pix liquida is the tar-painted chronic eczema. |
| Sulphur | Itchy, hot skin | Sulphur is hot, red and bath-hating; Pix liquida is the chronic, tar-serving eczema. |
| Chrysarobinum | Psoriasis | Chrysarobin is the silvery-scaled plaque; Pix liquida the tar-painted chapter of the same disease. |
| Graphites | Oozing crusted skin | Graphites oozes sticky honey; Pix liquida is painted on the oozing crusts. |