# Magnesia Sulphurica ## Remedy Classification - **Type:** Homeopathic Remedy - **Miasm:** Syphilitic Miasm - **Temperament:** Chilly - **Aggravation Time:** Morning ## Keynote Indications The ancient reputation of Mag -s. as a “refrigerant cathartic” under the familiar name of “Epsom Salts,” or “salts” par excellence, has overshadowed its homeopathic uses. Recently old -school authorities have discovered in this “cathartic” a remedy for dysenter y. It is the chief ingredient in many laxative mineral waters and popular saline aperient mixtures. Mag-s. is of diagnostic and therapeutic value in gallstone colic. The physiological dosage from 2 to 4 teaspoonfuls in glass hot water taken at onset of a colicky attack may abort or stop the colic. Epsom salts is one of the most active sa line cathartics, operating with little pain or nausea, especially if pure. Its action causing a rush of fluid into the intestine, which by producing a distention of the bow el produces evacuation. It causes little or no irritation in the in testine. In common with the other salines, it is the classical évacuant to be employed in connection with mercurials and anthelmintics and in cases of poisoning. It usually acts within fr om one to two hours, more quickly if taken in hot water and in the morning before breakfast. The ordinary dose as a mild laxative is a heaping teaspoonful, as a cathartic, two to four teaspoonfuls. The taste may be im proved, if necessary, by the addition of a little lemon juice and sugar. Use on compresses saturated with solution. Besides Mag-s. chief use as a saline cathartic, magnesium sulphate is used to a considerable extent externally in saturated solution as an antiphlogistic and anti-itching in erysipleas, poison ivy poisoning, cellulitis and other local inflammations. Percy Wilde noted that the purgative action of Mag -s. is not a quality of the drug, but a quality of its physical state, which renders its absorption impossible. The properties inherent in the substance itself can only be discovered by potency. The skin, urinary and female symptoms are most marked. Greenish urine with red sediment. Profuse dark intermittent menses. Thick leucorrhea as profuse as menses. As of a lump between shoul ders. Back feels broken. Left arm and foot numb. Crawling in fingertips. Small pimples all over the body which itch violently. Warts, large, soft. Mag-s. has a depressive condition with hypersensitivity. Dysthyroidism. Tendency to spasms in the hollow organs. Liver weakness. Intermittent discomfort with prolonged periods of relief. COMMENTS - Poisonings from Mag -s. hav e occurred from overdoses, death apparently occurring from collapse. The provings of the salts produced many symptoms of utter prostration. The provings bring out effects common to the other magnesia. Tearfulness, restless uneasiness, pains in facial bones, sensitive- Magnesia sulphurica ness to touch, better by walking. The diuretic action of the drug with great thirst has led to its successful use in diabetes. Diarrhea, accompanied with great thirst. Toothache, worse coming into a room out of cold air, worse by contact with food, whether cold or warm, better in bed. Chill, accompanied or followed by thirst. Shud dering in back from below upward. According to Med. Press in Sept. 9,1891, eight cases of new growth having all the outward characters of epithelioma were cured by Graves with teaspoonful doses of a solution of three drachms to the pint. Warts are allied to epithelioma, and H. T. Webster cured many cases in children, giving as much of the salts as would lie on a dime three times a day. One bo y was literally covered with warts, his face being much disfigured. One girl of 16 was cured of large warts on her hands. F. H. Pritchard gave his experience with Mag-s. (1/2 grains in a teaspoonful of water) in summer diarrhea with vomiting of food, copious yellowish, slimy and stinking stools and later merely watery serum. The first sign of improvement was that the stools became bile-tinged after which they soon became of thicker consistency. The copious stools seemed to be the cardinal indication. Temperature - Chill from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Chilliness with thirst, early in morning after waking. Shaking chill with violent headache in evening, succeeded by thirst. Shuddering in back, heat in one part and chill in another. Cold feet all day, although otherwise he feels hot. Heat of head with coldness of rest of body. Alternation of heat and shuddering, redness and paleness of face. Sharp pains in left hypochon drium. Tension, hardness and fullness of abdomen after a meal. Violent shooting pains in whole abdomen, around the navel. Painful drawing in abdomen. Rumbling in abdomen with emission of flatulence. Itching of left inguinal region, not removed by scratching. Intense thirst, morning and evening. Want of appetite and repugnance to all food, even when thinking of it. Desire for fruits, green salad and refreshing dishes. Aversion to sausages, meat, fats and fatty foods. ## Modalities (Aggravations / Ameliorations) Better from movement in the fresh air. Better from wash ing in cool water. Better from rubbing. Better walking. Worse morning. Worse on awaking. Worse from traveling on a train. Worse in a closed vehicle. ## Symptoms by System ### Mind - Apprehensive. - Anxious, as though about to be struck by misfortune. - Prostration from anxiety. - Foreboding anxiety, as if some accident would happen. - Irritable with a fear o f dying. - Hypersensitive to pain (Cham., Mag-p.). - Depression. - Melancholy and disposition to weep and restlessness. - Bad -tempered with nervous tension. - Tendency to fly into a passion, every thing is taken in bad part. - Misunderstands everything. - Errors of imagi- nation. - Sees people who are absent. - Apprehensive. - Anxious, as though about to be struck by misfortune. - Prostration from anxiety. - Foreboding anxiety, as if some accident would happen. - Irritable with a fear o f dying. - Hypersensitive to pain (Cham., Mag-p.). - Depression. - Melancholy and disposition to weep and restlessness. - Bad -tempered with nervous tension. - Tendency to fly into a passion, every thing is taken in bad part. - Misunderstands everything. - Errors of imagi- nation. - Sees people who are absent. ### Vertigo - Vertigo, heaviness and numbness of the whole head. - Vertigo during menses. ### Head - Headache with feeling of fullness in the head, blood in the head and a prickling, drawing, piercing sensation. - Headache with feeling of fullness in the head, blood in the head and a prickling, drawing, piercing sensation. ### Eyes - Burning in eyes. - Shooting pains in eyes. - Pains in eyes, as if protruding from orbits. - Lachrymation with photophobia. - Dimness of eyes with frequent drowsiness. - Supra-orbital neuralgia, left side. ### Ears - Noises, tinkling in ears. - Shooting pains in ears. ### Face - Face discolored, gray. - Earthy color o f face. - Tearing in bones of face. - Dryness and burning in lips, in evening. ### Mouth - Dryness and sweetish bitterness of the mouth, especially in the morn ing. - Dryness of mouth with sensation of numbness. - Roughness of tongue. - Vesicles on edges of tongue with incisive pains. - Toothache. - Nose - Congestive pain. - Nasal discharge with painful ulceration inside the nose. - Copious secretion of thick and yellow mucus in nose. - Fluent coryza with l oss of smell. - Nosebleed, at night. - Rough voice and frequent flow of water from nose. - Perspiration - Perspiration at night or in morning, accompanied by thirst. - Hands moist from sweating. ### Throat - Deep, hollow, bass voice. - Sore throat on swallowing and pricking pains spreading to the ear. - Sore throat, with shooting pains at night, worse by swal lowing. - Dryness and sensation of numb ness in throat. - Accumulation of mucus in throat. ### Chest - Pricking pain in the heart, ame1 iorated by sitting and resting and aggravated by heat. - Palpitations and breathlessness from physical exercise. - Wakes at night with palpitations, following sleep filled with nightmares. ### Stomach & Abdomen - Frequent belchings, tasting like bad eggs. - Regurgitation of fluid, preceded by a quivering in stomach. - Disgust and nausea with accumulation of water in mouth. - Vomiting, first of food, then of mucus. ### Urinary & Genital - Kidneys - Stream intermits and dribbles. - The urine passed in the morning copious, bright yellow, soon becomes turbid and deposits a copious red sediment. - The urine is greenish as passed is of a clear color and in a large quantity. - Diabetes (Ph-ac„ Lac-ac.). - Stitches and burning in the orifice of the urethra after urinating. - Respiration panting after exercise. - Laryngeal cough on waking, sometimes spasmodic and dry, sometimes with spu tum. - Dry and shaking cough after waking in morning, and which c ompels sitting up. - Expectoration of sour mucus. - Urethritis. - Prostatitis. - Frequent stinging about penis when sitting or walking. - Erections without amorous fancies or sexual desire. - Premenstrual nausea. - Menses too early or late, scanty or heavy. - Blood thick and black. - Discomfort during menses. - Thick leucorrhea, as profuse as the menses with weary pain in the small of the back and thighs, on moving about. - Some blood from the vagina between the menses. ### Extremities - Sciatic pains, aggravated at night and during rest, ameliorated by walking. - Chronic, non-inflammatory rheumatism of the hip. - The left arm and foot fall asleep in bed in the morning after waking. - Liver - Pain in the liver region, especially on breathing. - Painful sensitivity in the region of the gallbladder. - Nightly attacks on the liver and gallbladder. ### Neck & Back - Pains in the lumbar region. - Lumbago. - Violent pain in the small of the back, as if bruised and as before menstruation. - Bruised and ulcerative pain between the shoulde rs with a feeling as of a lump as large as the fist, on which account she could not lie upon her back or side, relieved by rubbing. - Constitutions - Allergic, tubercular types with nervous hyper-excitability. ### Skin - Generalized itching over the whole body, worse in bed. - Eczema and vesicular eczemas. - Miliary eruptions with burning and itching. - Small pimples over the whole body, that itch violently. - Boils. - Suppressed scabies (Sulph.). - Crawling in the tips of the fingers of the left hand, better on rubbing. - Warts. - Erysipelas. - Dropsy. - Acne on the back. - Epithelioma. ### Sleep - Extreme sleepiness in the daytime. - Sleepy, early in evening. - Sleeplessness at night, caused by violent pains in head, abdomen and loins. - Wakes at 3 a. - m. - with difficulty in falling asleep again. - Many dreams at night, sometimes disagreeable and anxious. - Sleep with worrying, with palpitations.