Favus   This is sometimes spoken of as crusted ringworm. It is due to a parasite and is regarded as contagious. The susceptible skins are those that have lost their natural immunity; not all members of a community will get this complaint, which shows that there is a natural barrier to it. Individuals who suffer in this way are usually of poor nutrition, and urgent body-building measures are required in addition to the local treatment. It is characterized by a small saucer-shaped yellowish crust that forms around the hair follicles and may give off a musty odour.
HerpesEverybody is familiar with this eruption on the skin. It appears as a little group of vesicles that form but give no particular trouble. They are generally connected with an elevation of the bodily temperature, and often follow feverish colds, appearing around about the lips. These are sometimes called cold sores. Their appearance in children often indicates that there has been an unsuspected temperature. They clear up as the general condition of the body improves.
IchthyosisThis is sometimes called fish-skin and is a difficult condition to overcome. Some authorities are inclined to the view that it may be hereditary, but that is no reason for instituting despair in the patient. It is true that external applications are not of much avail, but a systematic health-building regimen should be adopted and carried out with great persistence. If neglected, the surface of the skin may become very hardened and wart-like growths may appear.
*29/154/5*

• The relief of anxiety may greatly lessen pain.     Anxiety is a normal and universal emotion. As with depression, the distinction of abnormal anxiety in patients with physical illness is poorly defined. The clinical features and signs of anxiety are numerous. Patients with cancer may have fears relating to the uncertainty of the future, to bodily dysfunction, unrelieved pain or other symptoms, or it may be the fear of death itself. Panic attacks can occur which consist of sudden, unpredictable attacks of intense fear and physical discomfort, usually lasting 15 to 20 minutes.     Normal anxiety-Anxiety occurs normally in response to the stress and crises associated with cancer and its treatment. These episodes settle with time and general supportive care.     Adjustment disorder-reactive anxiety. Anxiety lasting longer than expected (more than 7 to 14 days) or exceeding the level regarded as normal and adaptive, may be classified as an adjustment disorder. Reactive anxiety follows a defined incident or stress and depressive symptoms frequently coexist.     Organic anxiety syndromes-In patients with cancer, anxiety can occur secondary to other medical problems.     Anxiety disorders-Generalised anxiety, panic disorders and various phobias may be precipitated or aggravated by cancer or its treatment. These patients have more severe and disabling symptoms which appear inappropriate and out of proportion to the medical situation. A generalised anxiety disorder is characterised by chronic unrealistic worries with autonomic hyperactivity, apprehension and hypervigilance.     Treatment-Patients with normal anxiety responses simply require good supportive care. Temporary use of a hypnotic at night and an anxiolytic by day is appropriate if the symptoms are severe. Brief supportive psychotherapy is frequently beneficial. Behavioural techniques including distraction, relaxation therapy and stress management techniques will help some patients. If significant depression is present, an antidepressant should be considered.     Benzodiazepines are the drugs used most frequently to treat anxiety. Drugs with short and intermediate half-lives (alprazolam, lorazepam, oxazepam) are preferred to longer acting drugs such as diazepam. Lorazepam has the advantage that it can be given sublingually. Midazolam can be given subcutaneously and can be included in a subcutaneous infusion with morphine.*80\55\2*

The effect of tranquillizers and sleeping pills on the gut is unclear, but there is no doubt that a very high percentage of users develop the Irritable Bowel Syndrome and chronic candidiasis either during therapy or during withdrawal. The symptoms can persist for many years after complete withdrawal from the drugs.More gastro-intestinal problems were reported in people taking lorazepam (Ativan) than other drugs in the same group, such as diazepam (Valium). It is known that these drugs block the absorption of zinc so it is possible that they hinder the absorption of other vital nutrients, thus allowing the body to become depleted; Candida thrives in these circumstances. Here is the typical experience:June had been off diazepam (Valium) for two years. The first six months had been very rough but she coped well and was pleased with her progress. She had much more energy and felt she was coming alive again; the depression she had experienced for years had gone. When she had been drug-free for about ten months she started to have digestive troubles – constipation, bloating and pain. She was fully investigated at the hospital and told she had the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The high-fibre diet made her symptoms worse, everything she ate seemed to upset her, the skin around her anus itched and became sore and her ears itched and discharged a watery fluid. When this touched her face it caused a rash. Altogether she was very low and could not understand what was happening to her. When she saw a television programme about tranquillizer withdrawal she rang the counselling line and things began to fall into place. They recommended a book and in it she read about the Candida connection and the large numbers of people who have been on these drugs and then experienced bowel problems.At her local health food shop she found a book on Candida and she bought the supplements it recommended. She was unable to tolerate these in the suggested doses so she started with a small dose and gradually increased it. A relative paid for her to have a week at a health farm and she felt this helped her a great deal. She was givenan 80 per cent raw diet and was astonished to find that many of the vegetables she could not digest when they were cooked proved no trouble when they were raw. (This is quite a common experience.) She continued with the diet at home and tried to take more care of her general health. She washed her hair frequently with an antifungal shampoo and used an anti-fungal nappy rash cream on her face. She felt much better after a few weeks and felt well six months later although she did notice if she strayed too far from the anti-Candida diet her bowel symptoms returned.*83\326\8*