Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

Magnesia phos. is best known for its spasmodic conditions and neuralgias.

The pains: are very violent and may affect any nerve. A pain localizes itself in a nerve and becomes worse and worse, sometimes coming in paroxysms, but becoming so violent that the patient becomes frantic.

The pains are ameliorated by heat and pressure. The patient feels better in a warm place; and his neuralgias are also better, he is miserable, and his pains are brought on when he becomes cold or is in a cold place. Pains are brought on from riding in the cold, and in cold, damp weather. Exposure for a long time to cold winds causes neuralgia of the face,

The pains are felt everywhere. Pain in the bowels, enteralgias, cramps in the stomach and bowels, with the same modalities. Pains in the spinal cord under the same rule - amelioration from heat. There are times when a nerve, in which there is considerable pain, becomes sensitive to pressure, becomes sore. The spinal cord becomes sore.

Convulsions, with stiffness of the limbs. Convulsions in adults or children, followed by extreme sensitiveness to touch, to wind, to noise, to excitement, to everything. Such convulsions, as children have during dentition. Colic; three months'colic, cramps, bilious colic.

But the special feature is its power to debilitate, to cause irritation of the nerves and muscles. Cramps from prolonged exertion. Stiffness numbness, awkwardness and deadness of a nerve from prolonged exertion.

Fingers: Thus it applies to long use of the hands and fingers in writing, and gives a fair sample of writer's cramp. It is especially useful in the cramps that come in the fingers, from writing, playing instruments and piano practice.

Pianists suddenly break down, with stiffness of the fingers, after several hours' labor every day for years. The fingers give out. In playing the harp a cramp comes on and the fingers cannot perform their use. Other parts are affected in the same way from prolonged exertion. A laborer's hand will sometimes cramp and become almost useless. As soon as he undertakes to do that particular thing his hand cramps and he clutches the implement or loses hold. The carpenter after prolonged use of a tool has a cramp. This is a strong feature of the remedy in all sorts of over-exertion.

Violent cramps in dysentery and cholera morbus, that make him scream out. Twitching of the muscles all over the body, as in cholera. It was Schuessler's main remedy for chorea, but we can only use it by its proving. Schuessler prescribed it in all nervous conditions, but its proving justifies its use in neuralgia ameliorated by heat and pressure, cramps and twitchings.

Shooting pains along the nerves, but these are not so common as violent pains in paroxysms - a tearing pain as if the nerve were inflamed and put on a stretch. Shaking as in paralysis agitans and complaints resembling it. Amelioration from heat and pressure, and aggravation from cold, cold bathing, cold winds, cold weather, lack of clothing. Pains all over, but more likely pain located in one part.

Mind: The mental symptoms have not been brought out to any extent. It has been used clinically when diarrheas have ceased suddenly and brain troubles have come on. Congestion of the brain, but this is clinical.

Head: Neuralgia and rheumatic headaches ameliorated by heat. Excruciating pains. Violent attacks of headache ameliorated by hard pressure, heat and in the dark.

I have seen this mitigation of the symptoms in chronic congestive headache, when the face was red and there was throbbing, almost like Bell .; those headaches give way to Magnesia phos., when there is relief by heat and pressure. He wants the head. bandaged with a tight-fitting cloth, a warm room, and he is aggravated by cold.

Eyes: Spasms and jerking about the eyes, or prolonged tonic spasms producing a strabismus. Violent supra and infra-orbital pains with amelioration from heat and pressure. It has cured more face-aches than other pains.

Face: Neuralgia of the face, worse on the right side, and ameliorated by heat and pressure, and aggravated by cold. Tic douloureux. Chronic jerkings of the face. It favors rheumatic and, gouty subjects who suffer with neuralgia. It is a wonderful remedy for spasmodic hiccoughing. I have sometimes given Magnesia phos. for hiccoughing when I could not get any other symptoms to describe on.

Stomach and abdomen: Pain at the pit of the stomach. Spasms of the stomach with clean tongue. Colic ameliorated by doubling up, like Coloc., and ameliorated by heat.

The colic is not so markedly relieved by heat in Coloc., but is relieved by pressure. Distension of the abdomen and flatulence, with much pain. Radiating pains in the abdomen. Compelled to walk and groan from pain. Meteorism. It is said to cure cows of this condition. Colchicum will cure cows when they are distended with gas after being turned into clover patches.

Cutting, darting pains in hemorrhoids. If well proved we would probably have many liver symptoms, because both Magnes. and Phos. have liver symptoms.

Violent pains in acute rheumatism, ameliorated by heat. Neuralgic pains in the limbs. Rest relieves many complaints, and the least motion brings them on. Pains changing place.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

Phosphate of Magnesia, Hydric magnesia phosphate. (MgHPO47H2O.) Trituration.

Clinical.─Catheterism. Chorea. Colic. Convulsions. Cough. Cracks. Cramps. Dentition. Dysmenorrhoea. Headache. Intercostal neuralgia. Locomotor ataxy. Membranous dysmenorrhoea. Meningitis. Menstruation, painful. Neuralgia. Rectum, prolapse of. School-headache. Sciatica. Stomach, cancer of. Sobbing, spasmodic. Tic-douloureux. Toothache. Vaginismus. Whooping-cough. Writer's cramp.

Characteristics.─Mag. Phos. is one of the most important of Schüssler's original additions to the materia medica. It has had a very fine proving in the potencies, conducted by H. C. Allen (Med. Adv., xxxiii. 386-415), but I will first give Schüssler's own account: Phosphate of Magnesia is contained in─blood-corpuscles, muscles, brain, spinal marrow, nerves, teeth. Disturbance of its molecules results in─pains, cramps, paralysis. The pains are─shooting like lightning, or boring; often combined with or alternating with a sensation of constriction; at times wandering; > by warmth; > by pressure; < by light touch. It will cure: Headache, toothache, pains in limbs when of this kind; also cramps in stomach, pains in abdomen usually radiating from umbilical region, > by hot drinks, by bending double, by pressing on abdomen with the hand, sometimes accompanied with watery diarrhoea. Spasms of various kinds─of glottis, whooping-cough, lockjaw, cramps of calves, hiccough, tetanus, chorea, spasmodic retention of urine, etc. In caseous tuberculosis and lupus Mag. p. has a place. When the cells near the caseous masses are too weak to expel them, it is because they are deficient in Mag. p., and Mag. p. given medicinally will enable them to do it.─This sketch of Schüssler's is confirmed in every point by Allen's proving, and by the clinical use of Mag. p. in the highest attenuations. Moreover, there is a very strong family resemblance between these features and those of Mag. c. and Mag. m. But it is only right to say that Schüssler arrived at them by a way of his own, which shows that there are other means besides provings of finding the keynote symptoms of remedies. Allen adds to the above that the pains rapidly change place; that cramping is the most characteristic type of the Mag. p. pains. Dread of cold air; of uncovering; of touching the affected part; of moving; of cold washing. It is best adapted to: thin, emaciated persons of a highly nervous organisation, of dark complexion; to affections on the right side of the body; to complaints from standing in cold water; complaints of dentition; headaches of school children; professional neuroses (e.g., writer's cramp); after-effect of catheterism. Nash says Mag. p. is in the first rank as a pain remedy, and it has all kinds of pain (though cramping pain is the most characteristic) except burning pain, and this distinguishes it from Ars., since both have > from heat. Allen's proving brought out canker sores in mouth, sore lips, and cracked lips. A patient of mine who suffered intensely from cracks at the corners of the lips found nothing relieve so well as Mag. p., and it did it best in the ix strength. Higher were tried. Hering says it is suited to: Young and very strong persons; teething children. Allen says that though it is best adapted to emaciated persons, it acts promptly in stout, fleshy persons when well indicated. The attacks (of pain, etc.) are often attended with great prostration, and sometimes with profuse sweat. "Languid, tired, exhausted; unable to sit up." Mag. p. is more often called for in men than Mag. c., but the indication, "worn-out women," answers for both. The affections of Mag. p. are often periodic. I cured with Mag. p. 6x a very severe attack of chorea in a girl of six. The spasms were general, but they affected the speech to such an extent that she could not make herself intelligible. Rappaz, of Montevideo (quoted H. M., xxix. 178) cured with Mag. p. a young man of 17 of cerebral meningitis which began with violent pain and inflammation in left eye, with terrific pains in head and delirium and intense fever. He was at first treated allopathically, without success. When Rappaz first saw him he was hemiplegic, with frequent and alarming convulsions, crying out violently, involuntary passage of faeces and urine; dilated pupils, dropped jaw, escape of saliva, speech and comprehension difficult. Under Mag. p. 6x in water general improvement set in. Later the 12x was given, and in two months he was well. W. T. Ord cured Miss G., 48, of pain in back extending down right sciatic nerve and up spine, following influenza, with Mag. p. 3x, 5-gr. doses. The pains were shifting, > by rest, < at night. The parts were tender to pressure and numb. Pains sometimes tense in paroxysms, compelling her to cry out. Anxiety; depressed vitality. Skinner has cured with Mag. p. a case of prolapse of rectum with feeling as if rectum were torn, the symptoms being > by heat. The symptoms are < by: Motion; cold air; draught of air; cold wind; COLD WASHING; TOUCH; lying on the back stretched out; when eating. > By: HEAT; WARMTH; PRESSURE; BENDING DOUBLE (the italics and capitals are H. C. Allen's). < Walking; especially in open air; abdominal pain compels walking about, which >.

Relations.─Antidoted by: Bell., Gels., Lach. (cough). Compare: Cham. (vegetable analogue; but Cham. has < from heat). Shifting pains, Puls., Lac c. Neuralgia recurring violently every night, > warmth, Ars. Dysmenorrhoea, Caul., Act. r., Xanthox., Cact., Lil. t., Col. Colic > bending double, Col. > From hot drinks, Lyc. Meteorism, Lyc. Hydroa, cracks on lips, Nat. m. Headache from occiput to eye > warmth, Sil. Chemical relatives: Mag. c., Mag. m., Mag. s. Horizontal double vision, Gels. Neuralgia from standing in cold water, Calc. Spasms during dentition, Bell. (Bell. has fever, Mag. p. not). Dysmenia, Puls. (Puls. < by heat, Mag. p. >).

Causation.─Dentition. Cold winds. Cold bathing. Standing in cold water. Working with cold clay. Study. Catheterism.

SYMPTOMS.

1. Mind.─Illusions of the senses; sobbing, crying, lamenting all the time about pain in affected parts; with hiccough.─Mental depression and anxiety.─Drowsiness on every attempt to study.─Very forgetful.─Dulness and inability to think clearly.─Indisposition to study; to mental effort.─Mind seems clearer; can think and study more clearly after a few doses of Mag. p.─Persistent depression of spirits.

2. Head.─Headache: pains shooting, darting, stabbing, shifting; intermittent and paroxysmal.─Headache: excruciating; spasmodic; neuralgic or rheumatic; always > by external application of warmth.─Nervous headache, with sparks before eyes; diplopia.─During the night, severe throbbing pressure on vertex, l. side, deep in brain.─Dull headache, as if brain too heavy (after protracted mental effort).─Headache > towards evening, but changes to a pressure above eyebrows, esp. r.─Headache beginning in, or worst in occiput, and constant whilst attending school.─Severe headache; face flushed, red; pain began in occiput, extended over whole head; sick at stomach; aches all over; < 9 or 10 a.m. to 4 or 8 p.m.─Pressive pain in head down through middle of brain.─Pain through temples, top and back of head, with sensation of fulness, < lying down.─Sensation of a strong shock of electricity beginning in head and extending to all parts of body.─Severe headache began in occiput on waking, extending over head, located over both eyes, with severe nausea, and terminated 5 p.m. in a pronounced chill.─Severe pricking over head and forehead, as if rubbed with a fine brush (after becoming warm from eating).─Pustules or large pimples (like blood-boils), with redness and rawness, appeared on r. side of scalp, but did not suppurate.─Large, white, shining scales can be combed out in handfuls twenty times a day.─Scalp feels rough like a grater, and the fine particles combed out feel like sand.

3. Eyes.─Double vision (horizontal); sparks; rainbow colours; photophobia.─Pupils contracted.─Dark spots before eyes on attempting to read.─Dull vision from weakness of optic nerve.─Nystagmus; strabismus, spasmodic; ptosis, < r. side.─Twitching of lids.─Neuralgia: supra-orbital or orbital; intermittent, darting, lightning-like pains, < (or entirely) r. side, > by warmth, exquisitely sensitive to touch; with increased lachrymation.─Itching and heat in lower l. lid.

4. Ears.─Nervous otalgia, intermittent and spasmodic; > by heat.─Sharp intermittent pains behind r. ear, greatly < by cold air or washing face in cold water.

5. Nose.─Alternate stuffing and profuse gushing discharge (of a white, thin substance), < from l. nostril.─Smarting and raw feeling in l. nostril.

6. Face.─Neuralgia: supra- and infra-orbital, r. side, intermittent, spasmodic, lightning-like pains, < by touch and pressure, > by warmth.─Neuralgia of r. upper jaw and teeth, begins with greatest fierceness 2 p.m., and lasts till he gets warm in bed; pains sharp, lightning-like, < by cold, > by heat; face swollen as if stung by bees.─Boring, pinching, nipping pains, driving him out of bed, soon spreading over entire r. side of face.─Pains radiating all over r. side of face from infra-orbital foramen, < by touch; by opening mouth to eat or drink; by cold air; by walking or riding in cold wind.─Faceache < when body gets cold.─Face distorted from pains and weakness; cramping colic.─Lock-jaw.─Hydroa on upper lip.─Convulsive twitching of angles of mouth.─Neuralgia from washing or standing in cold water.─Sensation of painful contraction of jaw-joint for several days, with a nervous backward jerking.

7. Teeth.─Toothache; < after going to bed; changes place rapidly; < eating or drinking, esp. cold things, > by heat; teeth sensitive to touch or cold air.─Severe pinching, stabbing, neuralgic pain over root of r. bicuspid; can be covered with point of finger; < by cold, > by heat; could not brush teeth with cold water for months.─Neuralgic pain in a filled tooth which had never ached before.─Complaints of teething children; spasms during dentition, without febrile symptoms.─Ulceration of teeth, with swelling of glands of face, throat, and neck, and swelling of tongue.─Severe pain in decayed or filled teeth (in seven persons; three of them had to discontinue the proving and be treated by a dentist).

8. Mouth.─Tongue: coated slightly yellow, crampy colic; clean or slight coating, with pain in stomach; coated white with diarrhoea; a bright red, rawness in mouth; coated heavily; coated white all over; sticky and coated a dirty yellow.─L. side of tongue sore; biting, burning, smarting like a canker-sore; eating is painful.─Taste as of sour bread; slightly bitter; as of bananas (a bit of one had been eaten the day before).─Bad taste in mouth on waking; rawness in mouth; feels as if cankered; warm food seems hot and burning.─Bad taste; food does not taste right; coffee tasteless; fulness in bowels; belching of gas.─Sour taste on waking in night.─Mouth very sore; eating difficult; sores red and raw-looking on inside of cheeks, gums, (l.) lips, tongue, not in corners of mouth; < by touch, particles of food caused smarting and burning.─Mouth feels scalded, or as if he had been smoking strong, hot cigars.─Mouth coated with a sticky substance that rolls up in little shreds.─Mouth full of water tasting like potato water.─Taste of magnesia and chalk (after each powder of 200 and 1,000, the prover not knowing what she was taking).

9. Throat.─Spasmodic constriction of throat on attempting to swallow liquids, with sensation of choking.─Throat very red and sore, muscles of r. side of neck esp. sore, must hold head to r. side, without >.─Flow of mucus through posterior nares into throat; with sneezing and tingling in nose and on tongue.─Sensation of a corn-husk lodged in upper part of throat, with constant inclination to swallow.

10. Appetite.─Appetite: small, with faceache; unusually good, but food disagreed, leaving an uncomfortable feeling all forenoon.─Aversion to coffee.─Acids taste stronger than usual.─Appetite remains good, though food does not taste right.

11. Stomach.─Spasmodic sobbing (like a hiccough) for three days, ceasing with the second dose in water.─Hiccough thirty times a minute; for sixty days life in danger (Mag. p. soon restored health).─Hiccough with retching day and night for three days; ejected matter was coagulated milk, bile and mucus, with great pain causing lamentations.─Burning, tasteless eructations come on about three hours after eating in the evening; < by physical exertion, > by drinking hot water; heartburn.─Eructation of food tasting of injesta.─Constant nausea.─Bilious vomiting, at times streaked with blood.─Nausea and vomiting attend headache and flatulent colic.─Gastralgia: soreness and extreme sensitiveness of epigastrium to touch; some eructation and sour vomiting; at 12 every day; > by eating.─(Cancer of stomach; intolerable burning pain; vomiting; hiccough;─after Ars. failed, Mag. p. made the patient comfortable for six months.).─Distension of stomach; very restless.─Fulness after eating.─Spasmodic pains in stomach, with clean tongue.─Intense cutting, shooting, cramping pains in region of stomach and epigastrium, extending sometimes towards back and abdomen.─Flatulent distension of stomach, with constrictive pain, > by warmth and bending double.─A drink of cold water starts a colicky pain in stomach, which radiates to bowels, very severe, > by doubling up; by walking about; by rest; by belching.

12. Abdomen.─Sharp twinges in r. hypochondrium, on border of lower ribs.─Constrictive, aching pain around body at lower margin of ribs, as of a lameness from lifting.─Severe griping colic-pain, at times shooting up towards stomach, > by hot applications.─Abdominal pains caused great restlessness; walked about hurriedly, said he must have relief; lying on stomach gave short relief, the pains compelled him to walk again.─Abdominal muscles sore, with tendency to constipation.─Colic: generally radiating from navel, > bending double, or from pressure with hand; often accompanied by a watery diarrhoea.─Incarcerated flatulence.─Cramps in abdomen, pains round navel and above it towards stomach, thence radiating to both sides, towards back; now violent cutting compelling screaming; then shooting and contracting, like a spasm; cannot bear to lie on back stretched out, must lie bent over.─Swelling of r. abdomen over ascending colon; on lying down a marked ridge became prominent, painful on pressure, continued four weeks.─Pain begins in bowels to r. of navel while walking in cold air, > warmth of room.─Sharp, cutting pain in r. abdominal ring, as if hernia would protrude, > hard pressure.─Sharp, burning pain in a spot about an inch in diameter.─Bloated, full sensation in abdomen, must loosen clothing, < sitting, > walking about.─Much flatus in bowels, passing off freely on walking; < after evening meal.─(Cramps and wind-colic in horses; wind-colic of cattle, meteorism of cows).

13. Stool and Anus.─Immediately after breakfast, sudden diarrhoea; stools frequent; at first thick, dark brown, mushy; then lighter; almost white and watery; finally mixed with blood.─Next day, 9 a.m., same diarrhoea returned in milder form; > of pain while at stool, followed by chilliness; stools light brown, then lighter and more watery.─Dysentery: with cramp-like pains, > by pressure or bending double; with spasmodic retention of urine; cutting, darting, lightning-like pains in haemorrhoids.─Pains so severe as to cause fainting.: pains very severe in abdomen and rectum, esp. latter; pain like a prolonged spasm of abdominal muscles.─Constipation in infants, with spasmodic pains at every attempt at stool, indicated by a sharp, shrill cry; much rumbling and flatulent colic.─Itching and scratching feeling in anus.─Tedious stool, hard at first, soft afterwards, followed by burning in anus.─Chronic constipation in rheumatic subjects.─At 7 a.m. profuse stool, like yellow clay mixed with water (enough for three ordinary movements), followed in an hour by one neither so large nor so loose, which > the pain in bowels.

14. Urinary Organs.─Spasm of bladder; of neck of bladder; spasmodic retention; tenesmus, with constant and painful urging.─Nocturnal enuresis from nervous irritation.─When urinating, violent, shooting, burning pains; mucous discharge from urethra.─Vesical neuralgia after use of catheter.─Sensation as if no muscular contraction.─(A bright, shiny discharge from urethra for three years, in an old man.).─Deficiency or excess cif phosphates.─Gravel.─Cutting pain in bladder before urinating.─Restless sleep from urging.

15. Male Sexual Organs.─Almost constant sexual desire since beginning of proving, with no bad effects from indulgence (which is unusual with the prover).

16. Female Sexual Organs.─Menstrual colic; pain precedes flow.─Menses six to nine days too soon.─With menses: great weakness; intensely sore, bruised feeling all through, abdomen, could hardly be up at all, but was much < lying down.─Labiae swollen and at times intensely painful.─Flow dark, fibrinous, stringy.─Dysmenia; pains (cutting, drawing, pressing, cramping) severe, intermittent, < r. side, > from heat; > by flow.

17. Respiratory Organs.─Cough: dry, spasmodic, violent; constant, can't speak for cough; face crimson from violence of cough; uncontrollable, seemed she would choke; retching choking with cough < warm room, > open air.─A violent dry cough came on after the headache left; not excited by anything in particular.─(Spasmodic, convulsive sobbing.)

18. Chest.─Darting pains in chest, < r. side; which radiate from pain in bowels.─Oppression: desire to take deep breath; < on first entering warm room, > after being in it a short time; < walking.

20. Neck and Back.─Sore pain in head, back of neck, and lower part of back.─Aching in small of back; sensation as if a section of vertebra was missing.─Dorsal spine, for about six inches, very painful and sensitive to touch for weeks.

21. Limbs.─Sensation in limbs like a streak of electricity, followed by soreness of muscles.─Aching feeling in arms and legs; weak and trembling.

22. Upper Limbs.─Rheumatic pain in l. forearm from elbow to hand, < from wrist to knuckles.─Darting pain in arms.─Skin of fingers feels as if stretched too tightly; followed by pain in elbow-joint, then in wrist.─Throbbing pain in r. wrist near ulna.─R. shoulder-joint lame.─Rheumatic, aching pain in r. shoulder, going to arm; > heat, < motion; coming on when retiring, disturbing sleep; lasts all night, disappearing in morning after moving about (every night for three weeks).─Tingling in fingers of l. hand.─Stinging pain in first joint of l. thumb, extending to next, like that of a panaritium.─First joint of fingers of both hands swollen, though painless.

23. Lower Limbs.─Every night neuralgia, now in lower limbs, in tibia or in thighs, now on l. now on r. side, mostly with spasmodic muscular contractions; during day perfectly well.─R. hip lame, < walking.─Sharp pain in l. knee, followed by numbness.─Tingling in l. toes.─Legs ache after getting into bed.─Burning, stinging pain in bunion on l. foot.─Feet so tender and corns so painful could not wear her ordinary shoes.─Burning, stinging, smarting, lancinating pain in corns.

24. Generalities.─Convulsions: whooping-cough.─Spasms without fever.─Crampy contraction of fingers; staring, open eyes.─Every twenty-three days, spasms.─Tires easily.─Shooting, tingling, electric pains all over body.

25. Skin.─Barber's itch.─Herpetic eruption, with white scales.

26. Sleep.─Drowsy; fall asleep and awake as from an electric shock, then fall asleep again.─Sleepy when attempting to study.─Spasmodic yawning, severe, as if it would dislocate the jaw; caused tears to flow.─Drowsy at time of rising.─Sleep disturbed by troublesome dreams; wakes with impression that some one is in the room; saw some one standing near.─Restless sleep from pain in occiput and back of neck.─Feels sick and prostrated on waking in the night.─(Relieves sleeplessness in flatulent and gouty subjects.)

27. Fever.─Chilly after dinner in evening, 7 p.m.; chills run up and down back, with shivering, wants more clothes.─Chilliness, evening, when going from warm room into open air; shaking and chattering of teeth as with an ague chill; > entering warm room.─A crop of boils took possession of him, terminating in a five weeks' attack of remittent fever.─Severe chill 9 a.m.; lasts three hours; was compelled to go to bed, where he lay and shook; neither heat nor sweat followed.─Creeping chills up and down spine, followed by suffocating sensation; must throw off covering; no thirst.─Exhausted sensation compelled him to go to bed; chill for an hour, at end of which exhausted feeling passed off; cough and catarrhal symptoms followed chill; no fever.─Bilious fever.

Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of Some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica (Allen's Keynotes), Henry Clay Allen

Phosphate of Magnesia

Is best adapted to thin, emaciated persons of a highly nervous organization; dark complexion. Affections of right side of body; head, ear, face, chest, ovary, sciatic nerve (Bell., Bry., Chel., Kali c., Lyc., Pod.). Pains: sharp, cutting, stabbing; shooting, stitching; lightning-like in coming and going (Bell.); intermittent, paroxysym becoming almost unberable, driving patient to frenzy; rapidly changing place (Lac c., Puls.), with a constricting sensation (Cac., Iod., Sulph.); cramping, in neuralgic affections of stomach, abdomen and pelvis (Caul., Col.). Great dread: of cold air; of uncovering; of touching affected part; of cold bathing or washing; of moving. Languid, tired, exhausted; unable to sit up. Complaints from standing in cold water or working in cold clay (Cal.). Ailments of teething children; spasms during dentition, no fever (with fever, hot head and skin, Bell.). Headache: begins in occiput and extends over head (Sang., Sil.); of school girls; face red, flushed; from mental emotion, exertion or hard study; < 10 to 11 a. m. or 4 to 5 p. m.; > by pressure and external heat. Neuralgia; of face, supra-orbital or infra-orbital; right side; intermittent, darting, cutting < by touch, cold air, pressure > by external heat. Toothache: at night; rapidly shifting; < eating, drinking, especially cold things; > by heat (> by cold, Bry., Coff., Fer. p.). Spasms or cramps of stomach, with clean tongue, as if a hand was drawn tightly around body. Colic: flatulent, forcing patient to bend double; > by heat, rubbing and hard pressure (Col., Plumb.); of horses and cows when Colocynth fails to >. Menses: early; flow dark, stringy; pains < before, > when flow begins (Lach., Zinc.); pains darting, like lightning, shooting, < right side, > by heat and bending double; vaginismus. Enuresis: nocturnal; from nervous irritation; urine pale, copious; after catheterization. Cramps: of extremities; during pregnancy; of writers, piano or violin players.

Relations. - Compare: Bell., Caul., Col., Lyc., Lac c., Puls.; Cham. its vegetable analogue. Sometimes acts best when given in hot water.

Aggravation. - Cold air; a draft of cold air or cold wind; cold bathing or washing; motion; touch.

Amelioration. - Bending double; heat; warmth; pressure (burning pain > by heat, Ars.).

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

Cramping pains everywhere, also lightning-like in coming and going.

Spasmodic affections without febrile symptoms. Colic, whooping cough, cramps in calves, etc.

Modalities: < cold air, cold water, touch, > heat warmth, pressure, bending double.

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Now we come to the prince of the Magnesias. It is comparatively new and has never been accorded a place in our Materia Medica according to its importance and merits. Dr. H. C. Allen gives the best rendering of it in the transactions of the International Hahnemannian Association for 1889. Magnesia phos. takes first rank among our very best neuralgia or pain remedies. None has a greater variety of pains. They are sharp, cutting piercing, stabbing, knife-like, shooting, stitching, lightning-like in coming and going (Belladonna), intermittent, the paroxysms becoming almost intolerable, often rapidly changing place and cramping. This last is in my opinion most characteristic, and is oftenest found in stomach, abdomen and pelvis. For colic of infants it ranks with Chamomilla and Colocynth and for dysmenorrhoea of the neuralgic variety, with the characteristic crampy pains, I have found no remedy equal to it. In this last affection I habitually prescribe the 55m. made by myself upon the gravity potentizer, so that I know exactly what it is. So often are we confronted with the question when we report cures with the high potencies, where do we get them, and are you sure they are what they purport to be? Now let me say right here, if I have not done so before, that we have potencies as high as the m. m., made by ourselves upon this accurately self-registering potentizer, that are marvelous for their curing powers. We (Dr. Santee and myself) invented the machine for our own individual use and have never yet offered the potencies for sale. So we can hardly be accused of mercenary motives in reporting cures, from them. Alongside the characteristic cramping pains of this remedy is its characteristic modality – relief from hot applications. No remedy has this more prominently than Arsenicum alb., but you will notice that among all the various kinds of pain we have mentioned as belonging to Magnesia phos. the one conspicuous for its absence is the one most characteristic of Arsenicum, viz. – burning pains. I watched this difference and found that if burning pains were relieved by heat, Arsenicum was almost sure to relieve, while those pains not burning but also relieved by heat were cured by Magnesia phos. I think that this will be found a valuable diagnostic between the two remedies. At least I have found it so. During painful menstruation Magnesia phos. is quicker in its action than Pulsatilla, Caulophyllum, Cimicifuga, or any other remedy that I know. The Cimicifuga seems to me to cover better, cases of a rheumatic character or in a rheumatic subject, while Magnesia phos. cures those of a purely neuralgic character. The pains cease when the flow begins, for Magnesia phos. In facial neuralgia this remedy has made many cures. In fact, it seems to be applicable to neuralgic pains anywhere if the proper conditions are present. So far as its power to control spasms or convulsions is concerned, I have no experience that proves it unless its power over cramping pains is proof. I have no faith in the Schuesslerian theory in regard to it. Similia similibus curantur has stood the test with other remedies and will with the so-called tissue remedies regardless of theories.

Now in regard to the cramping pains so characteristic of Magnesia phos.; when such a symptom stands out so prominently, it is a great leader, and narrows down the choice to a class of remedies having the same. Let me illustrate:

Cramping pains. Cuprum, Colocynth, Magnesia phos.

Burning. Arsenic, Canthar, Capsic., Phosphorus, Sulph. ac.

Coldness (sensation). Calc. ost., Arsenic alb., Cistus, Helod.

Coldness (objective). Camphora, Secale, Veratrum alb., Heloderma.

Fullness (sensation). Aesculus hip., Chian, Lycopod.

Emptiness (sensation). Cocculus, Phos., Sepia.

Bearing-down. Belladonna, Lilium tig., Sepia, etc.

Bruised soreness. Arnica, Baptisia, Eupatorium perf., Pyrogen, Ruta.

Constriction. Cactus grand., Colocynth, Anacard.

Prostration or weariness. Gelsemium, Picric acid, Phos. ac.

Numbness. Aconite, Chamomilla, Platina, Rhus toxicod.

Erratic pains. Lac caninum, Pulsatilla, Tuberculinum.

Sensitiveness to pain. Aconite, Chamomilla, Coffea.

Sensitive to touch. China, Hepar sul., Lachesis.

Bone pains. Aurum, Asafoetida, Eupat. perf., Mercurius.

Sticking or stitching pains. Bryonia, Kali carb., Squilla.

Pulsation or throbbing. Belladonna, Glonoine, Melilotus.

Haemorrhages (passive). Hamamelis, Secale, Crotal., Elaps.

Haemorrhages (active). Ferrum phos., Ipecac., Phosphorus.

Emaciation. Iodine, Natrum mur., Lycopod., Sarsapar., etc.

Leucophlegmasia. Calc. ost., Graphites, Capsicum.

Constitutions (psoric). Sulphur, Psorinum, etc.

Constitutions (sycotic). Thuja, Nitric acid., Medorrhinum, etc.

Constitutions (syphilitic). Mercury, Iodide potassium, Syphilinum, etc.

Blue swellings. Lachesis, Pulsatilla, Tarantula Cub.

So we might go on and indicate from one to three or more remedies having characteristic power over certain symptoms or conditions, and it is well to have them in mind, for with this start we will be very apt to have, or seek to find out, the diagnostic difference between them. Such knowledge forearms a man, preparing him for emergencies, and often enables the prescriber to make those wonderful snap-shot cures that astonish the patient and all beholders.