The skin, urinary, and female symptoms are most marked. The purgative action of Sulphate of Magnesia 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 attenuation (Percy Wilde).
MAGNESIUM SULPHURICUM
HOMOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA by William BOERICKE, M.D. Presented by Médi-T
Natural
Clinical Applications
It is claimed that the addition of a small amount of Magnes. Sulph to the usual hypodermic of Morphine increases the value of the hypodermic from 50 to 100 %.
Key Symptoms & Indications
-
The skin, urinary, and female symptoms are most marked. The purgative action of Sulphate of Magnesia 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 attenuation (Percy Wilde).
Physical Symptoms
Head
Apprehensive; vertigo; head heavy during menses. Eyes burn, noises in ears.
Stomach
Frequent eructations, tasting like bad eggs. Rising of water in mouth.
Urinary
Stitches and burning in the orifice of the urethra after urinating. 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 ( Phos ac; Lact ac; Ars brom ).
Female
Thick leucorrha, 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. Menstruation returned after fourteen days; the discharge was thick, black, and profuse. Menses too early, intermit.
Neck and Back
Bruised and ulcerative pain between the shoulders, with a feeling as of a lump as large as the first, on which account she could not lie upon her back or side; relieved by rubbing. Violent pain in the small of the back, as if bruised, and as before menstruation.
Extremities
The left arm and foot fall asleep in bed, in the morning after waking.
Skin
Small pimples over the whole body, that itch violently. Suppressed itch ( Sulph ). Crawling in the tips of the fingers of the left hand; better on rubbing. Warts . Erysipelas (applied locally as a saturated solution). Dropsy (physiological doses).
Fever
Chill from 9 to 10 am. Shuddering in back; heat in one part and chill in another.
Physiologic Dosage
Magnes. Sulph is of diagnostic and therapeutic value in Gallstone colic. From 2 to 4 teaspoonfuls in glass hot water taken at onset of a colicky attack may abort or stop the colic. Epsom salt is one of the most active saline cathertics, operating with little pain or nausea, especially if pure. It has but little if any effect on intestinal peristalsis, its action causing a rush of fluid into the intestine, which by producing a distention of the bowel produces evacuation. It causes little or no irritation in the intestine. In common with the other salines, it is the classical evacuant to be employed in connection with mercurials and anthelmintics and in cases of poisoning. Epsom salt usually acts within from 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 improved, if necessary, by the addition of a little lemon juice and sugar. Besides its chief use as a saline cathartic, magnesium sulphate is used to a considerable extent externally in saturated solution as an antiphlogistic and antipruritic in erysipelas, ivy poisoning, cellulitis and other local inflammations. Use on compresses saturated with solution.
Mentions in Classic Materia Medicas
Explore detailed descriptions for this remedy across famous historical textbooks:
MAGNESIUM SULPHURICUM
Apprehensive; vertigo; head heavy during menses. Eyes burn, noises in ears.
Frequent eructations, tasting like bad eggs. Rising of water in mouth.
Stitches and burning in the orifice of the urethra after urinating. 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 (Phos ac; Lact ac; Ars brom).
Thick leucorrhœa, 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. Menstruation returned after fourteen days; the discharge was thick, black, and profuse. Menses too early, intermit.
Bruised and ulcerative pain between the shoulders, with a feeling as of a lump as large as the first, on which account she could not lie upon her back or side; relieved by rubbing. Violent pain in the small of the back, as if bruised, and as before menstruation.
The left arm and foot fall asleep in bed, in the morning after waking.
Small pimples over the whole body, that itch violently. Suppressed itch (Sulph). Crawling in the tips of the fingers of the left hand; better on rubbing. Warts. Erysipelas (applied locally as a saturated solution). Dropsy (physiological doses).
Chill from 9 to 10 am. Shuddering in back; heat in one part and chill in another.
It is claimed that the addition of a small amount of Magnes. Sulph to the usual hypodermic of Morphine increases the value of the hypodermic from 50 to 100 %.
Magnes. Sulph is of diagnostic and therapeutic value in Gallstone colic. From 2 to 4 teaspoonfuls in glass hot water taken at onset of a colicky attack may abort or stop the colic.
Epsom salt is one of the most active saline cathertics, operating with little pain or nausea, especially if pure. It has but little if any effect on intestinal peristalsis, its action causing a rush of fluid into the intestine, which by producing a distention of the bowel produces evacuation. It causes little or no irritation in the intestine. In common with the other salines, it is the classical evacuant to be employed in connection with mercurials and anthelmintics and in cases of poisoning. Epsom salt usually acts within from 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 improved, if necessary, by the addition of a little lemon juice and sugar.
Besides its chief use as a saline cathartic, magnesium sulphate is used to a considerable extent externally in saturated solution as an antiphlogistic and antipruritic in erysipelas, ivy poisoning, cellulitis and other local inflammations. Use on compresses saturated with solution.
The pure salt to the third potency. Locally 1:4 in water in septic conditions, erysipelas, orchitis, boils, etc.
Magnesia Sulphurica.
Cough. Diabetes. Diarrhœa. Dysentery. Dysmenorrhœa. Enuresis. Epithelioma. Eyes, pains in. Hernia. Intermenstrual hæmorrhage. Leucorrhœa. Lumbago. Menorrhagia. Neuralgia. Toothache. Warts.
The ancient reputation of Mag. sul. as a "refrigerant cathartic" under the familiar name of "Epsom Salts," or "salts" par excellence, has overshadowed its homœopathic uses. But Mag. s. is something more than a "refrigerant cathartic." Fatal poisoning has occurred from an overdose, death apparently occurring from collapse; and the proving of the salts produced many symptoms of utter prostration. Recently old-school authorities have discovered in this "cathartic" a remedy for dysentery. It is the chief ingredient in many laxative mineral waters and popular saline aperient mixtures. The provings bring out effects common to the other Magnesias: Tearfulness; restless uneasiness; pains in facial bones; sensitiveness to touch; > by walking. The diuretic action of the drug with great thirst has led to its successful use in diabetes. The diarrhœa is accompanied with great thirst. The chill is accompanied or followed by thirst. Shuddering in back from below upward. The toothache is < coming into a room out of cold air, < by contact with food, whether cold or warm. It is also > in bed. According to Med. Press (Sept. 9, 1891), eight cases of new growth having all the outward characters of epithelioma have been cured by Graves with teaspoonful doses of a solution of three drachms to the pint. Warts are allied to epithelioma, and H. T. Webster (quoted H. R., x. 542) has cured many cases in children, giving as much of the salts as would lie on a clime (sixpenny piece) three times a day. One boy 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 (H. M., xxxv. 691) gives his experience with Mag. s. (1/2 gr. in a teaspoonful of water) in summer diarrhœa, 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 copiousness of the stools seemed to be the cardinal indication.
Compare: Mag. c., Mag. m., Mag. p. In diabetes, Nat. s. Sadness, weeping, foreboding anxiety, Act. r., Pul. Stinging in fauces between acts of deglutition, Ign. Eructations, Hep. Apprehension, Lyc.
Melancholy and disposition to weep, with apprehension, and restless uneasiness.─Tendency to fly into a passion; everything is taken in bad part.─Prostration; almost beside herself with anxiety; she thought she would die; with earthy colour of face.─Foreboding anxiety, as if some accident would happen.─Errors of imagination; patient believes that he sees persons who are absent.
Stupidity; head feels as if it were compressed in a vice.─Vertigo (with heaviness of head and spontaneous closing of eyes), causing a tendency to fall forwards in morning, and after dinner.─Boring in vertex.─Pressive headache, and sensation as if head were squeezed in a vice, much < by moving eyes.─Compressive pain in head, with heat in head, and redness of face.─Tearing and shooting in head, esp. in temples.─Congestion, with pressive pain and heat in forehead.─Sensation in forehead on stooping as if something would fall forward.─Sensation of wavering and shaking of brain at every movement.─Shivering during the violent pains in head.
Pains in eyes, as if protruding from orbits when looking aside.─Violent pains in eyes, esp. r., as if it would start out of socket.─Dimness of eyes, with frequent drowsiness.─Burning in eyes, pains in evening and in morning, but chiefly by candle-light.─Shooting pains in eyes.─Lachrymation, with photophobia.─Supra-orbital neuralgia, l. side.
Shooting pains in ears.─Tinkling in ears.
Pain, as from ulceration in nose, esp. when it is touched.─Epistaxis, at night (with diminution of the headache).─Copious secretion of thick and yellow mucus in nose.─Fluent coryza, with loss of smell, indistinct speech, and pain, as from excoriation, in nose and chest.─Rough voice and frequent flow of water from nose.
Earthy colour of face.─Tearing in bones of face (r. facial bones or in l. malar bone).─Dryness and burning in lips, in evening.
Odontalgia, generally in evening, sometimes on returning from a walk, or caused by hot or cold things, as well as by contact of teeth with food; the pains are generally jerking, pricking, or throbbing, and disappear in bed.
Dryness of mouth, with sensation of numbness.─Roughness of tongue.─Vesicles on edges of tongue, with incisive pains.
Sore throat, with shooting pains at night, < by deglutition.─Stinging in fauces, more between than during acts of deglutition.─Dryness and sensation of numbness in throat.─Accumulation of mucus in throat.─Frequent mucus in throat, which can neither be swallowed nor hawked up.─Expectoration of sour mucus.
Bitterness or sweetish bitterness in mouth, esp. in morning.─Thirst, esp. morning and evening.─Thirst early in morning on rising, going off after breakfast.─Thirst in evening, particularly during menses.─Want of appetite and repugnance to all food, even when thinking of it.─Dislike to meat.
Empty, mucous, bitter, and putrid risings.─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.─Sensation of coldness in stomach, with inclination to vomit, in bed, in morning.
Lancinating pains in l. hypochondrium, esp. when sitting, or in evening, before and after a meal.─Tension, hardness, and fulness of abdomen even after a moderate meal.─Violent shooting pains in whole abdomen, but esp. round the navel.─Painful drawing in abdomen.─Tension in abdomen, pressure towards groins, as if they were going to burst, when stretching body.─Rumbling in abdomen, with emission of flatulence.─Itching of l. inguinal region, not removed by scratching.
Fæces at one time hard, at another soft.─Acid diarrhœa of children.─Liquid stools with tenesmus.─Diarrhœa preceded by rumbling in abdomen.─Soft stools early after rising.─Loose evacuations, with violent thirst.─Ejection of ascarides during every evacuation.─Neuralgia of rectum, stabbing pain, comes on two days after a material dose of Epsom salts.
Increased secretion of urine.─Emission of urine at night (involuntary).─Emission of urine, drop by drop.─Urine of a clear or greenish colour.─Shootings in orifice of urethra, after emission of urine.
Frequent stinging about penis when sitting or walking.─Erections without amorous fancies or sexual desire.
Catamenia too early and too copious, with thick, black menstrual blood.─Catamenia too feeble.─Flow of blood in the intervals of catamenia.─During the catamenia, heaviness of head and shivering; bruised pain in small of back; pain in groins.─Thick and copious leucorrhœa, with contusive pain in sacrum and thighs.─Burning leucorrhœa, esp. during movement.
Deep hollow bass voice (as in catarrh).─Dry cough, with burning from larynx to pit of stomach.─Dry cough in evening in bed, during which he falls asleep.─Dry and shaking cough after waking in morning, and which compels sitting up.─Cough in morning with expectoration, and pain as from excoriation, in chest, throat, and palate.
Pressure on chest, with impeded respiration, esp. in morning, or in bed, at night.─Burning pains in chest, sometimes when coughing.─Painful burning in chest when coughing, as if a piece of the lungs would come out.─Oppression of chest with burning in chest when walking.─Burning in middle of chest.─Burning in sternum.
Tension in nape of neck and between shoulders with stitches, particularly in morning, on rising, with great sensitiveness to touch, > by walking.─Contusive pain in back, on waking in morning.─Tearings in back, at night, which compels movement from side to side.
Jerking in arms.─Tearing in shoulders and arms.─Rheumatic pains in l. elbow, in l. wrist-joint.─Tingling in fingers, going off by rubbing.─Tearing and shooting in hands and fingers, with contraction of these parts.─Trembling of hands.─Tearing in tips of fingers, at nigh.
Nocturnal pains in legs and loins.─Heaviness, at one time in hips, at another in loins.─Rheumatic pain in hip, in l. femur.─Tearing in legs, and esp. in thigh-bones, and shootings in toes, which are contracted.
Tearings (rheumatic) in limbs, esp. at night.─Great lassitude and soreness in whole body, with trembling, and weakness of the feet.─Great languor, with staggering gait.─Bruised sensation.─A peculiar sick feeling, like exhaustion and prostration, with dry Warmth of skin and drawing pains.
Itching blotches, either hard or as from nettles, with burning, after scratching.─Small red tetter (on arms), with violent itching.─Stinging itching spots on skin with tendency to boils, < when undressing.─Warts.
Sleep, early in evening.─Sleeplessness at night, caused by violent pains in head, abdomen, and loins (which do not allow him to lie on his back).─Many dreams, sometimes disagreeable and anxious (with starting).
Shivering and shuddering (in back from below upwards), esp. in evening, disappearing in bed.─Chilliness with thirst, early in morning after waking.─Shaking chill with violent headache in evening, 9 p.m., going off in bed, succeeded by thirst.─Cold feet all day, although otherwise he feels hot.─Shivering at night, with thirst until noon; perspiration in afternoon, or after lying down.─Heat on sitting up in bed, with vertigo, perspiration on forehead, and redness of face.─Heat of head, with coldness of rest of body.─Alternations of heat and shuddering, redness and paleness of face.─Perspiration at night or in morning, often accompanied by thirst.
Magnesium sulphuricum
Magnesium sulphuricum
• Skin, urinary and female symptoms are marked.
• Diarrhoea with diuresis.
• Greenish urine with red sediment.
• Profuse dark, intermittent menses.
• Thick leucorrhoea as profuse as menses.
• As of a lump between shoulders.
• Back feels broken.
• Left arm and foot numb.
• Crawling in finger tips.
• Small pimples all over the body which itch violently.
• Warts; large, soft.
• Morning; on awakening.
• Rubbing.
• Walking.
• Nat-s.
Magnesia Sulphurica.
Mind and Disposition.
Sad and weeping mood, with foreboding anxiety, as if some accident would happen.
Ill-humor, irritable.
Head.
Vertigo with heaviness of the head ; with spontaneous closing of the eyes.
Dull or stupid feeling of the head, as if bandaged or screwed in.
[5] Feeling of heaviness of the head with vertigo.
Stitches, stabbings in the head.
Boring in the vertex.
Sensation in the forehead on stooping as if something would fall forward.
Eyes.
Violent pains in the eyes, especially the right, as if it wood start out of its socket.
[10] Stinging in both eyes.
Dimness of the eyes with frequent drowsiness.
Burning of the eyes, especially at candle-light.
Lachrymation with photophobia.
Nose.
Bleeding of the nose (at night) with diminution of the headache.
[15] Fluent coryza, with rough voice, pain in the chest and frequent flow of water from the nose.
Pain in the posterior nares as from air pressing through with violence, when coughing or talking.
Face.
Tearing in the right facial bones or in the left malar bone.
Burning of the lips in the evening, with dryness.
Mouth and Throat.
Toothache on entering the room from the cold air, aggravated by contact of food, and by cold and warm things.
[20] Mouth and throat are very dry, as if numb.
Stinging in the fauces, more between than during the act of deglutition.
Frequent mucus in the throat, which can neither be swallowed nor hawked up.
Thirst early in the morning on rising, going off after breakfast.
Thirst in the evening, particularly during the menses.
Stomach and Abdomen.
[25] Rising of water from the stomach, also with loathing and nausea.
Vomiting (in the afternoon), first of the ingesta, then of mucus.
Trembling of the stomach, with subsequent gulping up of water, which sometimes has a putrid taste.
Feeling of coldness in the stomach with inclination to vomit.
Sticking in the left hypochondriac region, particularly when sitting or in the evening.
[30] Distention, fulness and hardness of the abdomen, even after a moderate meal.
Rumbling in the abdomen with emission of flatulence.
Itching of the left inguinal region, not removed by scratching.
Stool and Anus.
Alternation of hard and soft stools.
Liquid stools with tenesmus.
[35] Diarrhoea preceded by rumbling in the abdomen.
Soft stools early after rising.
Discharge of ascarides at every evacuation.
Urinary Organs.
Increased emission of clear, greenish urine.
Nocturnal micturition (involuntary).
Sexual Organs.
[40] Men. Frequent stinging about the penis when sitting or walking.
Erections without amorous fancies or sexual desire.
Women. During menses, great heaviness in the head ; bruised pain in the small of the back ; pain in the groins.
Discharge of blood between the menses.
Burning leucorrhoea particularly during motion.
[45] Thick leucorrhoea, with bruised pain in the small of the back and thighs.
Respiratory Organs.
Deep hollow bass voice (as in catarrh).
Dry cough with burning from the larynx to the pit of the stomach.
Dry cough in the evening in bed, during which he falls asleep.
Loose cough with soreness in the mouth and throat.
[50] Painful burning in the chest when coughing, as if a piece of the lungs would come out.
Oppression of the chest, with burning in the chest when walking.
Burning in the middle of the chest.
Burning under the upper part of the sternum.
Back and Neck.
Nightly pain in the small of the back and thighs.
[55] Rheumatic pain between the shoulders.
Tension in the nape of the neck and between the shoulders, with stitches, particularly in the morning on rising, with great sensitiveness to the touch, relieved by walking.
Extremities.
Upper. Rheumatic pains in the left elbow, in the left wrist-joint.
Trembling of the hands.
Tingling in the fingers ; going off by rubbing.
[60] Lower. Rheumatic pain in the hip, in the left femur.
Cracking of the tarsal joint at every step.
Generalities.
Rheumatic pains in the limbs, particularly at night.
Great languor with staggering gait.
Languid weakness of the feet with trembling of the whole body.
[65] Bruised feeling of the whole body.
Sleep.
Sleeplessness from violent headache, colic, pain in the small of the back which does not allow him to lie on his back.
Anxious dreams, with starting.
Fever.
Shuddering in the back, in the evening, from below upwards.
Chilliness with thirst, early in the morning after waking.
[70] Chilliness in the evening going off in bed.
Shaking chill with violent headache in the evening, 9 P.M., going off in bed, succeeded by thirst.
Chill from 9 P.M. till 10 A.M., followed by perspiration in the afternoon.
Alternation of heat and shuddering, with alternate redness and paleness of the face.
Heat and vertigo on raising the head in bed accompanied with perspiration on the forehead and redness in the face.
[75] Heat of the head with coldness of the rest of the body.
Cold feet all day, although otherwise he feels hot.
Skin.
Itching blotches, either hard or as from nettles with burning, after scratching.
Small red tetter (on the arms), with violent itching.
MAGNESIA SULFURICA
REGION:
Intestines.
Urine.
Female sexual organs.
WORSE:
Morning on awaking.
BETTER:
Rubbing.
Walking.
Diarrhœa, with diuresis. Greenish urine; with red sediment. Profuse, dark, intermittent menses. Much, thick leucorrhœa. As of a lump between shoulders. Back feels broken. Left arm and foot fall asleep. Crawling in fingertips (l). Warts.
REMEDY RELATION
Related: Nat-s.
Clinical Tips & Practitioner Insights
"In pericarditis with effusion, you may give SULPHUR with great confidence when there is plastic exudation,if the inflammation seems to linger."
"We know that in Paris, some 30,000 or 40,000 children were vaccinated. After each was given a dose of SULPHUR, and this is supposed to prevent the vaccinia itself."
"SULPHUR when taken at night produces insomnia."
"The skin eruptions of SULPHUR are dry, itching and not sensitive to touch."
"Schizophrenic patients are notoriously dirty and careless of personal appearance. SULPHUR and PSORINUM are medicines to be considered."
"In chronic indigestion such as coeliac disease, SULPHUR, if persisted in, clears up many of the symptoms of the disordered nutrition as well as the diarrhoea."
"When there is marked trembling of the lower jaw in pneumonia, think of SULPHUR."
"SULPHUR is the most universal remedy for asthma. There is scarcely a case of asthma where SULPHUR is not used."
"SULPHUR is the head remedy for colitis (chronic dysentery). Treatment should be started with this remedy. It would cure a very large number of cases without the help of any other remedy."
"SULPHUR is indicated in conjunctivitis from irritation of foreign bodies when ACONITE fails."
"Always remember SULPHUR in debility after tonsillitis."
"SULPHUR is a good finisher of relapsing colds. PSORINUM also is very useful for the same purpose."
"When BRYONIA did not relieve the bronchial cough in influenza, SULPHUR did; for the dry persistent, worrying cough that remains after BRYONIA,"
"SULPHUR is a general remedy to begin with in those cases where the symptoms are not perfectly clear for another."
"SULPHUR would cure 9 out of 10 cases of chronic gastric ulcer, with CARBO VEG. coming next."
"Solar dermatitis, which is a condition of great sensitivity to the rays of the sun, is benefitted by SULPHUR."
"Chillblains"
"Kidney failure (Avoid dialysis). To be used alternately with Syph, Calc, Lyc, Thuj three times a day. Will surely relieve the patient and after few days, no need of dialysis"
"Leucoderma. Alternate with Ars-s-f in acute"
Remedy Profile
- Type Remedy
- Common Name HOMOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA by William BOERICKE, M.D. Presented by Médi-T
- Origin Source Natural
Dosage & Potency
The pure salt to the third potency. Locally 1:4 in water in septic conditions, erysipelas, orchitis, boils, etc.
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