SULPHUR


Proving Symptoms of homeopathy medicine Sulphur, described by Richard Hughes in his book, A Cyclopedia of Drug Pathogenesis, published in 1895….


Introduction

Common brimstone. (The “flowers of sulphur” carefully washed with distilled water, and dried in the open air).

Provings

I. HAHNEMANN, Mat. Medorrhinum Pura, vol. iv of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 755 symptoms from self, and 60 from his son Friedrich and a few authors.

2. IBID., Chronic Diseases, part v of original, vol. of translation. Contains 1969 symptoms, most of the additions being from Hahnemann himself.

3. (No information.) Dazed head, want of steadfastness of joints, disinclination to speak and trembling in limbs. Giddy state of head prevents acute and clear thinking. He is not always master of his thoughts and words, expresses himself differently or with different words what he wished. On rising m., cheerful, clear, resolute, but at 9 a. m. the dazedness returns and is much increased by serious thought. Undulation and confusion of head, e. Diarrhea with rumbling in bowels. Even in bed has strong call to stool, then some diarrhea. Frequent, difficult, painful and scanty urination. Constant pressure stool and urine, and immediately after urinating a few drops of blood and a violent stitch in urethra, with anxiety and discomfort. Immediately after rising scrappy throat, then several bloody expectorations, and all p. m. great hoarseness, to which later headache is added, which is very acute, e. A kind of dislocative pain in arms, as after a debauch the day before, especially when lifting up things. (GROSS, Archiv, xix, 3, 186.)

4. (From breathing – in dust of S. when preparing triturations with Mure’s machine) Stiffness of nape, and cracking of cervical vertebrae on bending back head, after hours, lasting 3 d. Bruised pain in left pectoralis muscle, and drawing or tearing pains in left shoulder and muscles of upper arm, especially when moving, breathing, or even when touched (after 24 hours for 4 d.). Much tinnitus aurium, and like humming or buzzing in head, several d. Sensitiveness of eyes and line burning in them. Lachrymation of eyes in air and much eye – gum, m., several d. Uncommon heaviness and weariness in legs, several d. Coldness of feet, especially in bed, evening, several d. Swollen feeling of fingers, after 2 day, for several d. Sudden appearance of a bluish – red spot on the inner aspect of left index, as though from extravasated blood, without pain; after 4 day, went off after 3 d. Violent shootings in corns, in bed evening, several e. Frequent startings up in sleep, several n. (HENCKE, A. h. Z., iv, 14.)

5. a. After 2 dr. tinct. most violent itching all over body, especially on forearms and legs, in bed, e. After scratching till the finger was sore and livid he had to use a hard brush.

5 b. After 3j flor. sul., vesicular erysipelas over whole right leg, preceded by fever. The leg is swollen, hot, bright red, painful, in several parts there are larger and smaller blisters containing yellow serum, such as is caused by cantharides. After the blisters burst some of the spots become covered with yellowish – brown thin crusts, others become flat ulcers which continue to suppurate for a considerable time without pain, and gradually heal up, long after the inflammation has gone. (KNORRE, A. h. Z., vi, 37.)

6. (No information.) Great weakness in chest, which troubles him particularly when he goes to bed at n., so that he cannot lie long in one place, and is glad when m. comes. Great restlessness and ebullition of blood. (HELBIG, Heraklides, i, 64.)

7. Violent burning in whole body, with anxiety. (HOM., Ibid.)

8. Pimples under glans penis, which burst and suppurate. (P., Ibid.)

9. VOGT, medical student, took, Jan. 25th, in 24 hours 8 teaspoonfuls of a mixture of 3iss flor. sul. and 3vj white sugar. (On the 23rd he was bled to 78.7 grms.). – 27th, 4 teaspoonfuls. – 28th, 8 teaspoonfuls. – Was bled again on 29th to 89.7 grms. He experienced no symptoms whatever. Whilst taking the medicine the urea and uric acid in the urine were increased slightly. The blood drawn before taking the Sul. showed in 1000 parts:

Solid matters of the defibrinated blood 209.800 ” ” serum… 95.750 ” ” albumen of serum. 84.314 Extractive matters and salts of ditto. 11.436 Fat of ditto.. 0.327 Fibrin…. 1.578 Blood – corpuscles.. 112.472 Coagulum…. 482.142 Serum…. 517.858 Sp. gr. of defibrinated blood. 1.0520 ” of serum…. 1.0285 Coagulation occurred in the usual time. After 4 hours the serum was poured off. The coagulum was reddened in a few m., excepting some melanotic spots, some of which were of considerable size.

The blood drawn after taking the Sul. for several day showed in 1000 parts: Solid matters of the defibrinated blood 201.000 ” ” serum. 91.800 ” ” albumen of serum. 81.296 Extractive matters and salts of ditto. 10.504 Fat of serum. 0.326 Fibrin. 1.447 Blood – corpuscles. 107.753 Coagulum. 431.372 Serum. 568.628 Sp. gr. of the defibrinated blood. 1.0517 ” ” serum.. 0.0260 The separated serum was slightly red and turbid, but became clearer. After 4 hours it was poured off the coagulum, which became bright red on exposure to air, with many melanotic spots, but not so many as in the first drawn blood. (BOCKER, Beitr. z. Heilk., ii, 388.)

10. Dr. BOCKER took, June 26th, 6, 8, 10:20 and 11:20 a. m.., 2:40, 4.14, 5.14 and 11 p. m., 0.5 grms. fl. sul. No symptoms. – 26th, 6 a. m., 0.5 grm., 9, 10, 11 a. m., 3, 4, 4:40, 11, 11.18, 12 p. m., 0.7 grm. Much hawking. Slight cough with mucous expectoration, m., sometimes felt as if he had phlegm on chest, soon afterwards coughed, and the breathing became freer. All day coughed up mucus, but less p. m. than m. 11 p. m., a soft stool. – 27th, 3.48, 5, 6, 6:55, 11 p. m., 0.7 grm. Coughed up a little mucus, m. At 9.27 normal stool, at 11 p. m. a soft stool. – 28th. Called out at n. 11 p. m., 0.8 grm. No symptoms. – 29th, 8, 10, 11:35 a. m., 0.7 grm. 3:45, 11 p. m., 0.75 grm. 9.5 a. m., thin pappy stool preceded by flatus with odour of sulphuretted hydrogen. 9:35 a. m., sneezing and mucus in nose. All day expectorated a little phlegm. – 30th, 6:55, 10:15, 0.7 grm. 4, 5, 11, 0.8 grm. All day expectoration of thin mucus. 5 p. m., rumbling in abdomen. 7 p. m., a thin scanty stool. – July Ist, 6:45, 0.8 grm. 10:20, 11, 12 a. m., 2:45, 3:30, 4:15, 5, 11 p. m., 1 grm. On picking nose, slight epistaxis. After rising and walking frequent rumbling and gurgling in abdomen. Then urging to stool, which was normal. Occasional cough, nose moist, which went off after breakfast. After dinner transient pinching in belly. 11 p. m., a stool rather looser than normal. – 2nd, 5 a. m., urging to stool and some pain in abdomen which woke him up. After passage of fetid flatus the urging went off, but recurred at 7 and 8 a. m. At 8 a. m. a loose stool. After breakfast nausea for a short time. 3.29 p. m., fetid flatus, soon after that transient pain deep in pelvis which recurred at 3:40 p. m., but which went off after discharge of fetid flatus and a copious pappy stool. Felt all day light in body, and was quite well. Bocker also relates a number of experiments with S.on patients, but these are unsuited for this work. As a general result, he found in all that the solid constituents of the urine and blood were as a rule diminished while taking the medicine, and that in those case which he examined for the purpose, the frequency of the pulse was diminished and the excretion of carbonic acid by the lungs was increased.(Ibid., 418) (Ibid., 398.)

11. V. ARIGLER, et. 22, robust, always healthy; had itch when 16. From Oct. 29th, 1846, to Jan. 6th, 1847, took every m. as much as would cover point of knife. On Oct. 31st had feeling of weight in stomach, which continued all next day, and recurred following e. On 31st 3 fluid stools. On Nov. Ist., evening, great weariness in legs. From 3rd to 6th motions insufficient and very hard, and till 12th altogether absent, urine also being scanty. On 11th a catarrh came on (? medicinal), lasting till 13th, accompanied by diarrhea with griping and at last tenesmus, for which – on 15th – he took Dover’s powder. On 16th and 17th felt quite well. On 18th and 19th frequent urination, even at n. (a thing unknown to him). On 19th and 20th profuse general sweats, on 21st and 5 following day same on hands and feet (especially latter), in day only. From 27th to 29th these went off gradually, and stools became more copious. On 30th headache, with burning and redness of eyes. From Dec. 2nd to 10th, no symptoms. On 11th, and to end of proving, had every n., when warm in bed, a disagreeable itching from hips to toes, especially bad in hams, removable only by rubbing, which caused very pleasant feeling. On parts so rubbed occurred small pimples, discharging fluid from their apices, whereupon itching ceased. In daytime scars only were visible. On 24th an itch – like eruption appeared in bend of elbows and on wrists. It did not itch, and disappeared next d. On 30th and 6 day after, m. and evening, violent cough with copious mucous expectoration. (WURMB’s provings, Zeitsch. d. Verbascum hom. A. Wiens, 1857.)

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

Hughes was a great writer and a scholar. He actively cooperated with Dr. T.F. Allen to compile his 'Encyclopedia' and rendered immeasurable aid to Dr. Dudgeon in translating Hahnemann's 'Materia Medica Pura' into English. In 1889 he was appointed an Editor of the 'British Homoeopathic Journal' and continued in that capacity until his demise. In 1876, Dr. Hughes was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Organization of the International Congress of Homoeopathy Physicians in Philadelphia. He also presided over the International Congress in London.