Magnesium Sulphuricum

The ancient reputation of Mag. sul. as a "refrigerant cathartic" under the

familiar name of "Epsom Salts," or "salts" par excellence, has overshadowed its homceopathic

• ▸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 diarrhoea 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 diarrhoea, 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.

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.

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.

Apprehensive; vertigo; head heavy during menses. Eyes burn, noises in ears.

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, 1.
• ▸side.

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 |.
• ▸malar

bone).—Dryness and burning in lips, in evening.

Dryness of mouth, with sensation of numbness.—Roughness of tongue.—Vesicles on

edges of tongue, with incisive pains.

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.

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.

Frequent eructations, tasting like bad eggs. Rising of water in mouth.

• ▸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 1. 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 |.
• ▸inguinal

region, not removed by scratching.

Feces at one time hard, at another soft——Acid diarrhoea of

• ▸children.
• ▸—Liquid stools with tenesmus.
• ▸—Diarrhoea 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.

• ▸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 leucorrhoea, 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.

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 leucorrhcea, with contusive pain in sacrum and thighs.—Burning leucorrhcea, esp.

during movement.

Frequent stinging about penis when sitting or walking.—Erections

without amorous fancies or sexual desire.

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.

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.

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 1.

• ▸elbow, in |.
• ▸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 |.
• ▸femur.
• ▸—Tearing in legs, and esp.
• ▸in thigh-bones, and

shootings in toes, which are contracted.

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).

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).

Chill from 9 to 10 am. Shuddering in back; heat in one part and chill in another.

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.

• ▸Cough.
• ▸Diabetes.
• ▸Diarrhoea.
• ▸Dysentery.
• ▸Dysmenorrhcea.
• ▸Enuresis.
• ▸Epithelioma.
• ▸Eyes,

• ▸pains in.
• ▸Hernia.
• ▸Intermenstrual hemorrhage.
• ▸Leucorrhoea.
• ▸Lumbago.
• ▸Menorrhagia.
• ▸Neuralgia.

Toothache. Warts.

• ▸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.

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 %.

The pure salt to the third potency. Locally 1:4 in water in septic conditions, erysipelas, orchitis, boils, etc.

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.