It has been occasionally employed in medicine, chiefly externally in itch and porrigo, made into an ointment with lard.

It often succeeds in porrigo or scald-head when all other remedies have failed.

To remove the scurf in porrigo furfurans, applied twice a day diluted with warm water.

There is favus or scall-head, called also “porrigo,” which has its primary seat in the hair follicles.