Magnesia Phosphorica


Symptoms of the homeopathic remedy Magnesia Phosphorica from the Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica by Constantine Hering, a ten volumes comprehensive record of confirmed symptoms, published in 1879….


     Phosphate of Magnesia. 2 mg O. P. O5. HO+14 H2O.

     Magnesia Phosphorica is one of the most important of the Twelve Tissue Remedies introduced by Schuessler. It still awaits proving, but the symptoms obtained from clinical practice, vouched for by good authorities, are sufficiently numerous and important to warrant us in giving it a place in the present work. We print Hering’s own arrangement, with additions from current literature to date, and hope the drug will soon receive the careful attention at the hands of provers it deserves. –EDS.

CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.

Brain troubles in children with convulsive symptoms, Morgan, Trans. Hom. Medorrhinum Soc. Pa., 1882, p. 172 ; Neuralgic headache, particularly after childbirth, Frantz, MSS. ; Facial neuralgia (3 cases), Huff, Minn. Medorrhinum Mo., vol. 1, No. 9 ; Wesselhoeft, Plate, Schuessler’s Tissue Remedies, by C. Hg., p. 31 ; Neuralgia of face and toothache, Plate, Raue’s Rec., 1875, p. 246 ; Prosopalgia, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 88, p. 46 ; Goullon, Zeit. f. Hom., vol. 17 ; Plate, Raue’s Rec., 1875, p. 245 ; Tic douloureux, Fischer, Times Retros., vol. 1, p. 23 ; S. L., Hom. Obs., Aug., 1875 ; Faceache, Schuessler’s Tissue Remedies, by C. Hg., p. 30 ; Ailments from optical defects, Morgan, Org., vol. 3, p. 365 ; Singultus, Quaglio ; Spasmodic hiccough, Schuessler ; Persistent vomiting, Martin, Trans. Hom. Medorrhinum Soc. Pa., 1886, p. 95 ; Colic of new born infants, Trans. Hom. Medorrhinum Soc. Pa., 1880, p. 232 ; Daily colic in a child, Frantz, MSS. ; Colic from standing in cold water, Koeck, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 94, p. 120 ; Neuralgia of stomach, Huff, Minn. Medorrhinum Mo., vol. 1, No. 9 ; Profuse and frequent urination, Goullon, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 109, p. 181 ; Whooping cough, Schuessler ; Intercostal neuralgia, Knerr, MSS ; Gressus gallinaceus, Nichols, Hom. Phys., vol. 2, p. 320 ; Neuralgia, Boyce, Hahn. Mo., vol. 10, p. 458 ; Nervous ailment, Schleglmann, Schuessler’s Tissue Remedies, Boericke & Dewey, 1887, p. 73 ; Nervous affection, Schuessler, B. & D., p. 73 ; Infantile convulsions, Morgan, Trans. Hom. Medorrhinum Soc. Pa., 1880, p. 232 ; Spasms, Schuessler, Plate, Raue’s Rec., 1875, p. 248 ; Chorea, Saeger, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 102, p. 93 ; Whittier, Clarke, Schuessler’s Tissue Remedies, B. & D., p. 114 ; Typhoid fever with singultus, Fearn, Schuessler’s Tissue Remedies, B. & D., p. 158.

MIND.


Laments all the time about pain, with hiccoughing.
Has to scream out, with cramps in abdomen.
Illusions of senses ; sobbing.
Talking to herself constantly, or sitting still in moody silence, or carrying things from one place to another and then back again. θ Chorea.
  

SENSORIUM.


Brain troubles in children, with unconsciousness and convulsive symptoms. θ Cholera infantum.

INNER HEAD.


Neuralgic or rheumatic headaches : > from external application of warmth ; very excruciating, tendency to spasmodic symptoms ; shooting, stinging, shifting, intermittent or paroxysmal pains ; sparks before eyes ; diplopia ; more in young and strong persons.
Headache since two weeks at 10 P. M., lasts all night.
Attacks of severe headache, particularly after childbirth, at irregular intervals ; sudden flashes of pain in back part of head and neck, spreading all over head, involving eyes, with sudden flashes of pain like lightning through head ; > from hard pressure, rest and darkness ; frequently nausea ; crampy pains in abdomen and calves ; occasionally flying pains in limbs ; drawn feeling of eyelids ; after attacks dulness of head and intellect, forgetfulness, irritability.

SIGHT AND EYES.


Eyes sensitive to light, photophobia.
Chromatopsia, spasmodic vision of sparks or rainbow colors ; diplopia.
Dulness of vision from weakness of optic nerve.
Pupils contracted.
Increased lachrymation.
Nystagmus ; strabismus ; spasmodic squinting ; ptosis.
Twitching or spasms of eyelids.
Headache, vertigo, etc., from optical defects.
Pain in supraorbital nerve over right eye, < at 11 A. M. ; > by external warm applications.
θ Neuralgia.
  

HEARING AND EARS.


Otalgia, purely nervous.
Weakness of auditory nerve fibres causing deafness.
  

SMELL AND NOSE.


Loss or perversion of sense of smell.
  

FACE.


Face distorted from pain and weakness. θ Colic.
Prosopalgia, supra and infraorbital nerves involved ; pains shoot about like lightning along course of nerves, always > from warmth, < on right side and when body gets cold ; teeth sensitive.
Tic douloureux ; pain, especially in supraorbital branch, extended sometimes to ramus mentalis of maxillaris inferior ; a touch at latter caused pain in supraorbitalis ; the slightest touch in any part of affected nerves renewed painful paroxysm.
Boring over right eye, spreading after a few minutes over whole right side of head to lower jaw, driving out of bed.
Right side of face and supraorbital region swollen ; severe crampy, shooting, darting pains ; much tenderness over affected side ; pains intermittent in character, and seem to affect different parts of head and face on different days ; much prostration.
Neuralgia on right side of face and toothache, changing location frequently, returning every two or three hours, rushes about like lightning.
Neuralgia of face, commencing over right eye and extending in a few minutes over whole right side of face ; must get out of bed ; towards ten o’clock pain ceases.
Neuralgia from exposure to a strong North wind ; patient in bed, almost frantic with pain, flushed face, injected eyes and a high degree of photophobia ; pain left sided, involving supramaxillary portion of trigeminus, lancinating, crampy, darting and shooting, extorting cries.
After catching cold severe trouble in ear, followed by prosopalgia, on left side, affecting lower maxillary bone, also frontal, and involving whole of left side of head, back to nape of neck ; pain maddening ; high fever and sleeplessness.

LOWER FACE.


Convulsive twitching of corners of mouth.
Yawning, with excessive spasmodic straining of lower jaw.
Trismus ; lockjaw.
  

TEETH AND GUMS.


Toothache : rheumatic, neuralgic and shooting ; changes place rapidly ; teeth sensitive ; < after going to bed ; hot liquids ease pain.
During dentition : spasms of children.

TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE.


Taste somewhat bitter, tongue slightly yellow. θ Colic.
Spasmodic stammering.
Clean tongue.
θ Gastralgia.

PALATE AND THROAT.


Spasmodic constriction of throat on attempting to swallow liquids, sensation of choking.

APPETITE, THIRST, DESIRES, AVERSIONS.


Little or no appetite. θ Faceache. θ Colic. θ Gressus gallinaceus.
  

EATING AND DRINKING.


Eating and Drinking
Sweetened coffee lessens desire to stool, but has great aversion to coffee. θ Pain in stomach.
  

HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING.


Spasmodic hiccough of three days’ duration (after failure of morphine, chloroform, etc.).
Spasmodic hiccough day and night, with retching, what came up was coagulated milk, bile and slime, with great pain, she had to lament all the time.
θ Colic.
Obstinate singultus, causing long lasting soreness.
θ Typhoid fever.
Eructation lessens colic.
Immediately after eating, sometimes while at table, spits up what he has eaten ; little or no nausea ; craves sugar.
θ Persistent vomiting.

SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH.


Pains at pit of stomach, nipping, griping, pinching, with short belching of wind giving no relief.
Spasms or cramp in stomach, with clean tongue, pain as if a band was tightly laced or drawn around body.
Neuralgia of stomach.

HYPOCHONDRIA.


Left lobe of liver enlarged.
  

ABDOMEN AND LOINS.


Cramps in abdomen ; pains around navel and above it towards stomach, from there radiating to both sides towards back ; violent cutting pains, so that she has to scream out, then shooting and violently contracting ; > by bending double or by pressure with hand, external warmth and eructations ; cannot lie on back stretched out.
Cramps and wind colic, often accompanied by watery diarrhoea.
Colic : forcing patient to bend double, pain > by friction, warmth, or eructations ; remittent gripes, crampy pain.
Flatulent colic forcing patient to bend double, > from rubbing, warmth, accompanied by belching of gas, which gives no relief.
Flatulent colic of children and the new born, with drawing up of legs ; remittent colic, crampy pain with acidity.
Daily attacks of colic in a child, generally at 3 or 4 P. M., lasting several hours.
Pains spasmodic in stomach or bowels, griping, cutting, drawing, so as to bend body double, < on slightest muscular movement ; > from warmth.
Meteorism, in cows.

STOOLS AND RECTUM.


Stools expelled with force.
Stools loose, watery, with urging.
θ Pain in stomach.
Watery diarrhoea, with vomiting and cramps in calves ; choleraic cramps.
^^ Diarrhoea, with pinching colicky pain from navel to back ; stools every half hour ; redness and itching on feet, cannot keep them still, in evening.
Dysentery : with crampy pain, > by bending double, warmth or friction ; with spasmodic retention of urine.
Cholera caused by affection of nerves of intestinal canal.
Cutting, darting, lightning-like pains in hemorrhoids.
Stool torpid. θ Faceache. θ Crampy colic.
  

URINARY ORGANS.


Every three or five minutes child passes a large quantity of urine ; great appetite, empties six or eight bottles every day, restless sleep at night.
Gravel, windy pain.
Spasm of neck of bladder ; spasmodic stricture.
Nocturnal enuresis from nervous irritation.
Vesical neuralgia after use of catheter, sensation as if muscles did not contract.
A bright, slimy discharge from urethra in an old man ; when urinating, violent shooting and burning pains.
Urine clear like water.
θ Colic.
Deficiency or excess of urinary phosphates.
  

FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS.


Ovarian neuralgia, pain shooting and darting like lightning ; < on right side.
Menstrual colic, pain during or preceding flow ; vaginismus.

PREGNANCY, PARTURITION, LACTATION.


Spasmodic labor pains ; cramp in legs.
Puerperal convulsions.
  

VOICE AND LARYNX, TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA.


Laryngismus stridulus or spasm of larynx ; constriction of chest ; stiffness of limbs.

RESPIRATION.


Spasmodic sobbing for three days.
Spasmodic, nervous asthma.

COUGH.


Spasmodic cough : at night, with difficulty in lying down ; in paroxysms ; without expectoration ; ending in a whoop.
Violent spasmodic attacks of cough, recurring about ten times a day, during which face becomes blue and turgid.
θ Whooping cough.
Persistent semi-chronic cough of a pseudo-catarrhal, nervous character.
  

INNER CHEST AND LUNGS.


Constriction of chest and throat, with spasmodic, dry, tickling cough.

HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION.


Angina pectoris ; neuralgic spasms.
Nervous, spasmodic palpitation.

OUTER CHEST.


Intercostal neuralgia, of a drawing, constrictive kind ; spasms from cold.
An old lady had terrible pain from back under left scapula around to front and down to groin, constricted chest and affected breathing ; paroxysms brought on by lying down, had to sit upright.
θ Intercostal neuralgia.

NECK AND BACK.


Pains in nape of neck very sharp, shooting, boring, shifting and remittent.
Shifting pains in back ; intercostal neuralgia.
Acute, boring, darting, neuralgic pains in back.

UPPER LIMBS.


Shaking of hands, trembling ; alcoholism.

LOWER LIMBS.


Deficiency in locomotive power, from nervous causes.
Sciatica, with excruciating spasmodic pains.
Pains settled in right leg from hip to ankle, < in joints ; pain shifts its place, is often lightning-like, shooting, intermits, renders necessary a change of position, and is > by warmth of bed ; patient is in despair ; thinks he has tetanus and that he must die ; is unable to leave bed.
Every night neuralgia, now in lower limbs, in tibia or in thighs, now in left, now in right side, mostly with spasmodic muscular contractions ; during day perfectly well.
Cramps in calves.
θ Intermittent. θ Cholera.
Gressus gallinaceus.

LIMBS IN GENERAL.


Violent pains in acute rheumatism of joints.
Pains in limbs, neuralgic, rheumatic, very vivid, darting about, shifting and remittent.
Every night neuralgia, now in lower limbs, in tibia or in thighs, now in left, now in right side, mostly with spasmodic muscular contractions ; during day perfectly well.
  

REST, POSITION, MOTION.


Rest : lightning-like pains in head >.
Lying down : causes pain from back under scapula.
Difficulty in lying down : cough.
Cannot lie on back stretched out : pain in abdomen.
Thumbs drawn in, fingers clenched : convulsions.
Bending double : pain in abdomen >; crampy pain >.
Must sit upright : intercostal neuralgia.
Must change position : severe pain in limbs.
Motion : the least, brings on pain in tic douloureux ; trembling of limbs <.
Slightest muscular movement : pain in abdomen <.
Changes place : neuralgic pain.
Cannot keep feet still : itching.
Driving out of bed : pain in face.
  

NERVES.


Neuralgia appearing at intervals, > by warmth.
At times pains in head, teeth, face and limbs ; again cramps in stomach, and flatulent colic ; at other times tormenting, spasmodic cough, day and night, together with retention of urine, sleeplessness ; different disorders every day ; cannot leave bed. θ Nervous affection.
After catching cold, pain in back ; dorsal vertebra from third to fifth very sensitive to pressure ; violent trembling of right foot and especially of right arm, < from motion.
θ Nervous ailment.
For three days, spasmodic, convulsive sobbing in a man ; lies in bed.
Spasms, with contraction of fingers, and staring, open eyes, lasting from a quarter to a half hour ; during intervals spasmodic cough.
Convulsions, with stiffness of limbs or body, thumbs drawn in, fingers clenched.
After spasm, excessive sensitiveness to every impression of senses, even to touch, and especially to noise ; look of suspicion and fear ; easily agitated ; spasm in early morning.
θ Infantile convulsions.
Convulsions and cramps during dentition, without fever ; convulsive symptoms after failure of Bellad.
Writer’s, piano or violin player’s cramp.
Spasms from idiopathic affections of motory nerves.
Choleraic cramps.
Spasmodic muscular contraction with neuralgia.
Tonic spasms, trismus ; tetanus.
Twitching all over body during waking hours, > during sleep ; walked fairly well and could feed herself ; speech very defective, meaning of her utterances a matter of pure conjecture ; heart’s action accelerated, no abnormal sound, later a presystolic blowing sound, as if muscular fibres of heart participated in general spasms ; pupils symmetrically dilated ; scared expression.
θ Chorea.
Face and upper part of body affected, lateral and downward jerking of mouth, snapping of eyelids, sudden forward motion of head, and other irregular movements ; > during sleep ; < at stool and by emotions.
θ Chorea.
Chorea, involuntary movements and contortions of limbs, with mute, appealing look for sympathy.
Epileptic fits : spasm, stiffness of limbs, clenched fists or teeth ; from local irritation of nerves, when an overexcited, not depressed condition of nerves exists ; sometimes result of vicious habits ; muscular contractions, twitchings and spasms.
Neuralgic pains in any part, darting or shooting along nerve.
Trembling, involuntary shaking of hands, limbs or head.
Palsy, paralysis agitans.

SLEEP.


Spasmodic yawning.
Insomnia from exhaustion or lack of brain nutrition.

TIME.


Morning : spasms, early.
At 10 A. M. : pain in face ceases.
At 11 A. M. : pain over eye <.
Day and night : spasmodic hiccough.
Evening : itching of feet ; headache, 10 P. M., lasting all night.
Night : restless sleep ; enuresis ; spasmodic cough ; neuralgia.
  

TEMPERATURE AND WEATHER.


Warmth : neuralgia or rheumatism > ; pain over eye >; prosopalgia >; pain in abdomen >; crampy pain >.
Hot liquids : ease toothache.
Exposure to North wind : neuralgia.
When body is cold : prosopalgia <.
After washing and standing in cold water, crampy colic.
  

FEVER.


Intermittent fever with cramps in calves.

ATTACKS, PERIODICITY.


Pains at intervals, occurring in spells : colic ; neuralgia.
Every three or four minutes : passes large quantity of urine.
Lasting from a quarter to a half hour : spasms.
Every half hour : stools.
Every two or three hours : faceache.
Ten times a day : spasmodic cough.
Every day : attacks of colic from 3 to 4 P. M., lasting several hours ; child takes six to eight bottles ; different disorders.
Every evening : for two weeks, at 10 P. M., headache.
Every night : neuralgia in lower limbs.
For three days : spasmodic hiccough ; spasmodic sobbing.
Every twenty-three days : spasms of fifteen to thirty minutes’ duration.
  

LOCALITY AND DIRECTION.


Right : pain over eye ; prosopalgia <; boring over eye, then to jaw ; ovarian neuralgia ; pains settled in leg, < in joints ; trembling of foot and arm.
Left : neuralgia in face ; prosopalgia on side of head to nape ; lobe of liver enlarged ; pain under scapula.
Changing place rapidly : toothache, neuralgia.
Now right, now left : neuralgia.
Radiating pain : in abdomen.
  

SENSATIONS.


Quick, shooting, stitching pains which come at intervals and change place.
Neuralgic pains shooting like lightning or boring, often with a feeling as if laced or drawn together, changing place often, > by warmth or pressure.
As if choking ; as if a band was tightly laced or drawn around body ; as if muscles of urethra did not contract ; as if muscular fibres of heart participated in general spasm.
Pain : in supraorbital nerve over right eye ; in stomach ; around navel and above it towards stomach and to back ; in right leg from hip to ankle ; in limbs ; in head, teeth, face and limbs ; in back.
Maddening pain : in whole left side of head ; back to nape of neck.
Excruciating pain : in headache ; neuralgia ; sciatica.
Terrible pain : from back, under left scapula to front and down to groin.
Violent pains : in acute rheumatism of joints.
Great pain : with retching.
Violent cutting : in abdomen.
Shooting, stinging : in head.
Violent shooting burning : in urethra.
Vivid darting : in limbs.
Acute, boring, darting, neuralgic pains : in any part of back.
Severe crampy, shooting, darting pains : in face ; in hemorrhoids ; in right ovary.
Sharp, shooting, boring : in nape of neck.
Violently contracting pains : in abdomen.
Griping, cutting, drawing pains : in bowels.
Lightning-like pains : along course of nerves ; in face ; in hemorrhoids.
Flying pains : in limbs.
Shifting pain : in back.
Sudden flashes of pain : in back part of head and neck.
Lancinating pain : in face.
Shooting pains : in teeth ; in abdomen.
Nipping, griping pain : at pit of stomach.
Boring : over right eye to lower jaw.
Pinching : in stomach ; from navel to back.
Neuralgia : in head ; in right side of face ; on left side of face ; in teeth ; of stomach ; of right ovary ; intercostal.
Rheumatic pain : in head ; in teeth.
Cramps : in abdomen ; in stomach ; in calves ; in legs.
Spasmodic pains : in stomach and bowels ; labor pains.
Soreness : caused by singultus.
Constriction : of chest.
Drawn feeling : of eyelids.
Dulness : of head.
Stiffness : of limbs ; of body.
Spasmodic constriction : of throat.
Pricking : all over him, < about ankles, knees and elbows.
Itching : on feet.
  

TISSUES.


Nutrition and function remedy for the nerve tissues.
Bad effects from injurious stimulants having acted on sound nerve tissue.
Nervous asthma from primary irritation of affected nerves ; spasm of glottis ; tetanus ; lockjaw ; cramps of calves ; St. Vitus’ dance ; convulsions, etc.
  

TOUCH, PASSIVE MOTION, INJURIES.


Touch : of maxillaris inferior caused pain in supraorbitalis ; slightest, in any part of affected nerves < pains.
Pressure : with hand > pain in abdomen ; back very sensitive.
Hard pressure : lightning-like pain >.
Friction : > pain in abdomen.
Scratching : causes rash to turn red.
  

SKIN.


^^ Rash on arms, legs and face, like insect bites, running together in large patches ; only red when scratched ; feels a pricking all over him, < about knees, ankles and elbows.
  

STAGE OF LIFE, CONSTITUTION.


More suitable for young and very strong persons ; teething children.
Baby, daily colic, generally 3 to 4 P. M.
Child, at. 10 months ; whooping cough.
Colored child, at. 15 months, teething ; convulsions.
Child, teething, mother died of diabetes ; profuse and frequent urination.
Child, at. 6, suffering eight months ; chorea.
Boy, at. 10 ; persistent vomiting.
Girl, at. 13, since six years, every two or three days ; spasms.
Girl, at. 13, delicate, slender growth, attacks every twenty-three days, suffering six years ; spasms.
Woman, at. 20, weakly, suffered much from scrofula during childhood ; nervous ailment.
Miss S., at. 20, brunette, tall and slender, nervo-bilious temperament, typographer ; facial neuralgia.
Miss B., at. 22, dark complexion, nervous temperament, slight build, suffering three days, massive doses of Bromide of Potash and Chloral Hydrate, without relief ; facial neuralgia.
Miss S., at. 24, dark complexion, nervous temperament, clerk, suffering two weeks, morphia brought no relief ; facial neuralgia.
Woman, at. 26, nervous temperament ; nervous affection.
Woman, at. 28, nervo-bilious temperament, fleshy, healthy ; neuralgic headache, particularly after childbirth.
Woman, at. 30, hectic appearance ; facial neuralgia.
Woman, at. 31, suffering thirteen years ; chorea.
Woman, at. 36, healthy appearance, suffering several weeks ; faceache.
Woman ; tic douloureux.
Woman, at. 40, single ; facial neuralgia.
Woman, at. 42, hectic appearance ; catamenia scanty, often omitting ; faceache.
Woman, at. 60 ; colic after standing in cold water.
Woman, at. 60 ; since six years, neuralgia.
An old lady ; intercostal neuralgia.
Man, at. 69, suffering some weeks ; pains in limbs.
A little, lean man, at. 70 ; since three years a discharge from urethra.
  

RELATIONS.


Compare : Arsen. (nightly neuralgic pains, > from warmth ; Magn. phos. sometimes acts better when given in hot water) ; Zincum (action on nervous system).

C. Hering
Hering got the degree of M. D. from the University of Wuezburg with highest honours. The theme of his thesis was "De'Medicina Futura" (The medicine of future). Hering left Germany for West Indies and finally arrived at Philadelphia in Jan, 1833. He established a homeopathic school at Allentown, Pennsylvania, commonly known as "Allentown Academy". Soon he became very popular as a physician. He is known as the 'Father of Homeopathy' in America.