Low and High Temperature Coal Tars in the Treatment of Eczema and Psoriasis

THE USE of as a panacea for cutaneous afflictions was described nearly two thousand years ago by Dioscorides. 1 It is true that it was not coal tar but that Dioscorides had in mind, for coal tar was not known at that time. The healing properties and usefulness of for preserving the beautifying qualities of the complexion are recorded by Samuel Foote. 2 The words asphalt, pitch, and were used loosely and often interchangeably until recent times. Coal tar was first discovered and described by Becher and Serle 3 in 1681. This substance was a natural successor of asphalt in the treatment of cutaneous diseases. Today the word has a more restricted meaning than it formerly had. According to Abraham 4 the term is applied to pyrogenous condensates obtained by the destructive distillation of organic materials. He stated that it is dark in color and