MAGNESIUM CARBONATE.
Introduction
Mag. carb. was first proved by Hahnemann.
Symptoms
In general, Mag. carb. produces, and one or more of these characteristics may be looked for whenever the remedy is prescribed, gastric (178) and intestinal catarrh, acid and sour eructations (178), sour-smelling (59), flatulent stools and sour perspiration.
The pains of Mag. carb. are worse at night, from cold and while sitting or when quiet; they cause great restlessness (160) and are relieved by motion, so that the patient is unable to keep still or in bed but must get up and walk (10).
It is of value in supraorbital neuralgia, involving the forehead, and in infraorbital neuralgia, involving the malar bone (80) and face, with sharp, shooting pains that are worse at night and insupportable during rest, so that she wags the head to get relief or gets up, or out of bed, and walks the floor. The pains are aggravated by draft of air (79) or change of temperature to cold, and from touch (79).
The toothache of the remedy is brought on or worse from being in the cold air (1870 and aggravated at night during rest, so that the patient is obliged to get up and walk the floor. It also seems, according to Hahnemann, Hering and Allen, to be worse from the warmth of the bed (187) and temporarily relieved by holding cold water in the mouth (187).
Associated with, or independent of the neuralgic conditions, we find in Magnesia carb. acidity of the gastric and intestinal secretions, with sourness as a prominent symptom. If the “patient is an adult, the gastric and hepatic symptoms predominate” (Farrington); if a child, the gastro-intestinal symptom are more in evidence, and “you will find it puny and sickly from defective nourishment,” with tendency marasmus (!29).
It is frequently indicated in acid dyspepsia (1780, with heart-burn (179) and large amounts of wind, which is sour when eructated, and there is a constant sour taste in the mouth. “Potatoes and cabbage” (Hering) disagree with the patient, as well as “starchy foods generally” (Farrington) (6); milk is distasteful and disagrees (6), causing sour eructations and flatus; it passes undigested (60), and is apt to cause colic that is relieved by bending double (174).
The diarrhoea calling for Magnesia carb., while found in adults, is more frequently seen in infants and children and a symptom that we can keep in mind is that “milk is refused or if taken, causes pain in the stomach” (Hering) and passes undigested (60). There is rumbling and gurgling (11) in the abdomen and the stool is preceded by cutting colic, which is relieved by bending double (174).
The stools are of green water (59), sometimes mixed with bloody mucus, often frothy (58) and usually containing green floating masses, or a green scum (59), which has been likened to the green scum found on a frog pond. At times the stools contain little white particles looking like grains of tallow (60) but whatever their appearance, they are always sour (59) and associated with sour (178) and acid eructations, and sour odor of the body.
Menstruation is irregular in Mag. carb.; it is usually delayed (136) when it does appear, is apt to last too long. The flow is thick and dark (136) like pitch and is more profuse at night than at any other time (134).
The leucorrhoea is acrid (126) and of whitish mucus; it follows the menses (136) and is usually associated with colic.
Hahnemann speaks of the value of Mag. carb. in the toothache of pregnancy (188), with the aggravation at night and when quiet, and it is to be thought of for the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (153), the vomited matter having a sour odor.
Allen speaks of it being indicated in bronchial catarrh of children, with stringy expectoration (69)and the green and sour
stools of the remedy.
Mag. carb. is useful in rheumatism of the r. deltoid (161), with the nightly aggravation, the relief from walking and the feeling as if he should let the arm hang at his side when sitting (with these symptoms Mag. phos. has given me greater satisfaction than Mag. carb., and the worse the case, the more it is indicated).
I use Mag. carb. 3d.
