This example in the book is the story of how she Dr. Millard eventually found a way to treat it, which she did for a while with acupuncture to reduce the stress effect, and eventually subcutaneous injection of subcutaneous staph toxin (after he became infected with it). After an initial sever flare-up, things dried up and the problem subsided. "He was free of infection for the first time in years."Dr. Millard wrote:Severe skin disease... blotchy angry-looking eruption on his face, chest, and back, which flares up with renewed intensity every time he wants to look his best. We know that it is aggravated by stress. The sight of his face, back, and chest covered with scars and pustules is really quite dreadful, and no one knows jhow to treat it, for it is thought to be due to an imbalance of the glands, and who would want to interfere with the surging hormone tied of youth?
...Shortly after Michael's eighteenth birthday, which occurred in the summer when he was working outside and [for various reasons this could be expected to improve] his immune system seemed to break down, and he became secondarily infected with staphylococci...
For diagnosis, I find the analysis quite straightforward.
MY ANALYSIS: Michael is a Cancer-Scorpio. The only background hard aspect is a partile Venus-Mars conjunction (0°46') in Leo!
This is a perfect explanation. As Millard wrote above, extremely severe adolescent acne is a consequence of raging hormones. The affliction is really dual here: the physical inflammatory eruptions and the psychological effect of disfigurement. Both of these are described by Mars' conjunction with Venus.
As it is in Leo, we would expect an affliction on his legs (which is wrong), but it seems to psychologically impact ideas of vanity. I do think, though, that Leo corresponds to the back, since we have so many back injuries. But it doesn't correspond to the face or chest, so I don't think signs are a factor here besides the vanity or pride issue. It's just a matter of inflammation related to the hormones (endocrine system = Venus), and the sex hormones in particular (Venus-Mars) and the scarring that impacts vanity (affliction to Venus).
I don't know how to analyze the breakdown of his immune system. As the immune system is essentially adaptive, I think it is lunar (though the "fighting force" defense aspect seems martial). His Moon is background in its fall, Scorpio, but I haven't previously noticed Scorpio Moon people having problematic immune systems. There is at least a severe (potentially health afflicting) factor soon after his 18th birthday which does indeed involve Moon: His 18th SSR had a 1°05' Sun-Saturn conjunction foreground with natal Moon precisely at Midheaven. I don't know the exact mechanism of how this would work, but I note the right planets and appropriate symbolism for a sudden bad turn of health. The natal planets that are all at 100% strength are Moon, Mercury, and Neptune.
As an aside, I find it fascinating that with Moon in Scorpio the eventual cure was injection of a toxin. There are other cases where strong Scorpio symbolism is associated with injections of snake venom and other poisons. Just an idle observation, I suppose.
I also note the Cancer Sun. In previous discussions on this site we've discussed the possibility that Cancer corresponds to the skin. Against this observation, I note that Sun doesn't seem to be implicated in his original skin condition.