(From vol. iv, 2nd edit., 1825.)
(Flowers of sulphur, Flores sulphuris, sublimed in fine acicular form into the receiver of a retort, washed by being shaken up with alcohol, in order to remove any acid that may be adhering to them.)
Though sulphur has been employed for many centuries, by medical and non-medical persons, in the itch of workers in wool, yet none of them ever observed that the benificial effects they saw from its use in the eruption of itch was effected by sulphur by similarity of action and homoeopathy.
In the note to symptom 673 I have pointed out the exact distinctive signs of the phenomena of itch.
Physicians cured, also, some haemorrhoidal affections with sulphur clumsily administered, without suspecting that they had (unconsciously) effected homoeopathic cures; whilst they aggravated other affections of the rectum and anus with it, because the symptoms by means of which sulphur (see 347, 348, 350 to 353, 366, 488 to 492) and hepar sulphuris (see 112, 113 – 129, 130, 181, 183, 184, 185, 187) can cure only similar natural diseases homoepathically, were unknown to them; and also because they administered too large doses 0 5, 10, 20, 30 grains at a time whereas they should have given hardly 1/10000th part of a grain.
Even though the idea had not occurred to SCHMITJAN to prescribe sulphur in an autumnal dysentery, yet the symptoms of sulphur and hepar sulphuris would suggest to every true physician to employ them in order to combat the troublesome tenesmus occurring especially at night in such cases, for these substances themselves produce a similar affection. For this object a dose of less than 1/10000th of a grain is required (one grain of flowers of sulphur triturated for one hour with 100 grains of milk sugar, and one grain of this mixture again triturated for an hour with 100 grains of milk sugar).
The homoeopathic physician (who alone acts in conformity with natural laws) will meet with many important morbid states for which he will discover and mat expect much assistance in the symptoms of sulphur and hepar sulphuris.
Sulphur seems to act in the smallest doses for from 16 to 20 days and finds its antidote in camphor.
{HAHNEMANN’s fellow-provers were FRIEDRICH HAHNEMANN, WALTHER.
Citations are made from the following old-school sources
ARDOYNUS, De Venen, Lib.ii.
Hufeland’s Journ. d. pr. A. iii.
LANGE, Domest. Brunsv.
MORGAGNI, De Sedib. Et caus. Morb., Iv.
WALTHER. AIG. FR., Progr. De Sulph. et Marte., Lips. 1743.
The 1st edit. Has 161 symptoms this 2nd edit. 814, (In the original 815 symptoms are reckoned, but this is a mistake on the part of the transcriber, who has counted S. 189 as 190.) (not reckonin appended symptoms from the “fumes of burning sulphur”); in the Chr. ed., there are 1969.]
SULPHUR
Vertigo in the morning with slight epistaxis.
In the morning much vertigo with slight epistaxis. [Fr.H-n.]
Vertigo when stooping.
When walking in the open air (after supper) vertigo; she durst not look down nor stoop in the slightest degree; she must take hold of something to avoid falling.
5. When walking up hill in the open air vertigo, lasting eight minutes; he could not tread with certainty, the senses were clouded (aft. 4 d.).
When standing vertigo (in the evening), with rush of blood towards the heart.
Vertigo when she lies at night on the back.
In the evening, after he had lain in bed a quarter of an hour, whirling vertigo, as though he would fall into a faint, as if all went round in his head; for two successive evenings.
(Vertigo when sitting; staggering on rising up.)
10. Giddiness in the head.
Confusion in the head, as though he had not slept enough.
In the morning the head us confused and pressed in the forehead until noon.
In the evening confusion of the head.
After walking in the open air confusion of the head.
15. When walking in the open air weakness in the head, like stupefaction, with gloomy disagreeable ideas, for several minutes, sometimes slighter, sometimes severer.
So forgetful that even what had happened but a short time previously is either not at all only dimly remembered.
(Forgetful.)
Such stupefaction of the head that she imagined she had lost her reason. [MORGAGNI, (Observations. “Pertubatio” in the head is all that is mentioned.)
Great stupidity and dulness.
20. Dizziness and shooting in the head.
Heaviness in the head, felt not only when moving and stooping, but even when sitting and lying.
Every morning headache above the eyes as from stuffed coryza; he must sneeze constantly.
(Headache as from displaced flatulence.)
Headache with nausea.
25. Pressure in the front of the head, as after a nocturnal debauch, which after some days changes into glowing tearing in the right side of the head and teeth (aggravated by the application of cold water).
Aching pain above the left eye (in the afternoon for half an hour.)
Aching pain in the forehead aggravated by movement.
Pain in the forehead as if it would press out there. [Fr.H-n.]
Frequent headache for a minute: a pinching together of the brain from one temple to the other.
30. Immediately after supper semilateral, sharp pressive pain under the left parietal bone.
In the whole head pain as if the head were pressed from without e.g. by a tight hat.
On wearing a tight covering on the head in the room, pressive pain in the head, which goes off on uncovering the head.
Tension in the forehead.
Headache especially late in the evening and at night in bed; an occassional painful pressing inwards from the top of the head to deep into the brain, which compels him to wrinkle the forehead and close the eyes.
35. Headache, during which the eyes are as it were shut up.
Headache, especially in the forenoon, as if the head were drawn downwards and forwards.
Tearing (?) in the head, more in the afternoon than the forenoon, with exhaustion and heat, without thirst; he must lay his head down on the table to obtain relief.
Nocturnal headache as though the skull would be torn out.
Tearing in the forehead.
40. After waking from the midday siesta, on opening the eyes, a quickly occurring severe, chiefly semilateral headache, as if the brain were lacerated or sore (aft. 36 h.).
Tearing in the head with a saw.
Twitching pain in the head.
Twitching pains above the right eye.
Burning pain above and below the eyebrows, always in the afternoon. [Fr.H-n.]
45. A single stitch in the head.
Stitches in the head and out at the eyes.
Headache in the temples, like a twirling and creeping.
Severe headache in the crown of the head for twelve hours (aft. 1.1/2 h.), of a febrile character, on several mornings.
Pain on the crown when chewing, coughing, and blowing the nose.
50. When chewing, drawing pain in the occiput near the cervical joint, so severe that he must leave off eating. [Fr.H-n.]
Severe pain in the middle of the head when coughing and sneezing.
Much headache especially when stooping.
Ringing noise through the head which seems to go out at the ears.
Throbbing in the head, in the morning.
55. Throbbing in the head (temple), neck, and about the heart; he had beating and trembling all through him.
Hammering headache during animated conversation.
Rush of blood to the head; there was pressive in it, as if out at the eyes; she seemed to be deaf.
In the morning heat in the head.
In the morning on awaking, great dry heat in the head; the face glowing.
60. In the evening heat in the head with cold feet.
Pulsating throbbing on the head, perceptible externally.
A pressure externally on the vertex towards the forehead.
Pressure externally on the vertex towards the forehead; a place in the left side of the head is also painful to touch.
Boring pain under the vertex: the part is also painful externally when touched.
65. There is sometimes a burning pain on a small spot of the head down at the nape when lying on it, especially when he has scratched there.
Itching on the occiput.
Great falling out of the hair of the head.
Falling out of the hair.
Itching pimples on the forehead, on rubbing there is pricking in them.
70. Shooting in the forehead, as if on the bone.
Much itching in theyebrows and on the tip of the nose.
Daily quivering of the lower eyelid.
Twitching in the eyelids.
Twitching in the eyelids, chiefly in the afternoon. [Fr.H-n.]
75. Trembling of the eyes.
Itching on the eyelids as though they would inflame.
Stye on the upper eyelid as though they would inflame.
Stye on the upper eyelid in the inner canthus.
The upper eyelid swollen, and on the border dry matter among the eyelashes.
Sore dry pain in the borders of the eyelids.
80. Sore excoriation pain on the inside of the eyelids, after mid-night; followed by feeling of rubbing dryness on their inner surfaces.
Pain in the eyeballs, as from dryness and as if they rubbed against the eyelids.
In the morning flow of tears from the eyes, thereafter dryness of the eyes.
Both eyes excrete greasy-feeling tears. [Fr.H-n.]
The eyes are full of muco-pus (eyegum) (aft. 3 d.).
85. Burning in the eyelids, which are inflamed and red, and stiff on movement.
Swelling and redness of the eyes, with papules on the eyelids.
Burning externally on the eyelids.
Hahnemann's three major publications chart the development of homeopathy. In the Organon of Medicine, we see the fundamentals laid out. Materia Medica Pura records the exact symptoms of the remedy provings. In his book, The Chronic Diseases, Their Peculiar Nature and Their Homoeopathic Cure, he showed us how natural diseases become chronic in nature when suppressed by improper treatment.