THERAPEUTICS.
Digestion.- Magnesia carbonica has been used largely for the gastric disorders of puny children who waste, refuse milk and get pain in the stomach if they take it, who have sour vomit, colic and diarrhoea of watery stools in which are jelly-like lumps that sink to the bottom of the vessel and are of the colour of white clay, and frothy green matter, described as like frog-pond scum, floating on the top. The stools smell sour, as do the eructations and vomit. There may be aphthae and sore mouth. In tuberculous children and those of tuberculous parentage there may be an inordinate craving for meat, and this would be an additional indication for the drug.
Magnesia phosphorica is pre-eminently a remedy for severe abdominal colic, with or without diarrhoea, when the pains are of a cutting or cramping character and are relieved by hard pressure and warmth. With the acid dyspepsia of mag.carb. there is often associated neuralgia of the face, and for this affection also the drug is a good remedy.
Face.-The distinguishing features of the facial neuralgia are lightning-like pains, aggravated at night, and great restlessness, so that the patient cannot lie still but must get up and walk about the room and obtains a certain amount of relief by doing so. neuralgic toothaches having the same modalities are cured by magnesia; they often occur during pregnancy and menstruation, or may be caused by cold winds, draught, or filling of the teeth. Dr.Clarke has related the case of a tumour of the malar bone and antrum on the right side, in a sea captain cured by magnes. carb., the indications for prescribing it were its site, extreme restlessness with the pain and great sensitiveness to cold winds and cold weather.
Sexual.- Magnesia carbonica is a remedy for dysmenorrhoea when the flow follows the pains, comes on mainly during rest, ceases during movement and is dark, like pitch. It is useful for menorrhagia when the flow is worse at night in be, also for leucorrhoea preceded by cramps in the abdomen, but mag. mur. is the salt most indicated for this, as it is for dysmenorrhoea in hysterical subjects, with fainting and other concomitants, and for metrorrhagia with backache relieved by hard pressure to the back.
Liver.- Magnesia muriatica is also the most suitable magnesium salt for hepatic derangements with hard, enlarged and sensitive liver, distended abdomen and constipation; the breathe is offensive and the face yellow. The constipation is of hard, conglomerated, small balls, knotty or crumbling at the anus, as if burnt. It has been useful in cirrhosis and in ascites from hepatic disease.
Ears.- Magnesia carbonica curative in some cases of nervous deafness, worse from noise, anxiety and fatigue.
Eyes.- it has removed the cicatrices left by corneal ulcers. magnesia phosphorica has been found useful in cases of strabismus, nystagmus and ptosis associated with photophobia, lachrymation and twitching of the eyelids.
The phosphate is an excellent remedy for spasmodic hiccough and valuable in spasmodic retention of urine from passing a catheter, for violent spasmodic cough and for tic doloureux, with twitching of the facial muscles; it causes more spasm than any other magnesium salt. It will relieve gastralgia and also the burning pains, persistent vomiting and hiccough of gastric cancer.
Head.- Mag.mur. is a remedy for neuralgic headaches, especially round the eyes; the head feels as if it would burst, is worse from motion and cold air, and better from wrapping the head up tightly; these headaches are often associated with the liver or uterine complaints for which mag.mur. is indicated.
It is a remedy for melancholia and for conditions of brain fag, as in children who are too tired to study and have headache from attempting to apply themselves to mental work.
Magnesia sulphurica has been very successfully used in material doses in bacillary dysentery.
LEADING INDICATIONS.
(1) Neuralgic pains with restlessness, necessitating movement, worse at night, and from cold, better from warmth; toothache.
(2) Sourness : of breath, eructations, taste, stools, sweat.
(3) Colic relieved by warmth and pressure (m.phos.).
(4) Menstrual flow diminishes or ceases on movement, more profuse by night than day.
(5) Stools : green, sour, frog-spawn (mag. carb.): knotty, hard, sheep dung (mag.mur.); watery, brown, occasionally dysenteric (mag. Sulph.).
(6) Acid dyspepsia of children, with green stools and colic.
(7) Leucorrhoea after menses, preceded by colic, worse lying down.
(8) Worn out, exhausted, sensitive people. Women and children.
AGGRAVATION :
From rest, bed, 2 to 3 a.m. (sleeplessness), evening, night, uncovering, eating warm food, milk, cold, cold water, draught, wet and cold weather, every third week, touch, side lain on, smoking (headache), sea air and sea bathing (mag.mur.).
AMELIORATION :
From warm air, warmth in general, during menses, pressure (headache, colic, menstrual flow, backache), moving about (neuralgia).
Edwin Awdas Neatby founded the Missionary School of Homeopathy and the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1903, and run by the British Homeopathic Association. He died in East Grinstead, Sussex, on the 1st December 1933. Edwin Awdas Neatby wrote The place of operation in the treatment of uterine fibroids, Modern developments in medicine, Pleural effusions in children, Manual of Homoeo Therapeutics,