Vision.-Dimness of vision as from a fog, with the headache. Dimness of vision of both eyes, with great sensitiveness to bright daylight. Dimness of vision and weakness of both eyes, with innumerable confused, dark spots floating before the eyes. Very often a feeling of heaviness and aching in the eyeballs when reading or writing. I must cover the eyes with the hand, slightly press and rub them in order to read. Sensation of a veil before the eye and dim vision for near and distant objects. Sensitiveness of the eyes to daylight. Intolerance of sunlight. Obscuration of vision while reading. Objects seem more distant than they really are. Flickering before the eyes. Dark points and spots before the eyes. Black flies seem to float not far from the eyes.
Clinical.-The clinical application of Sulphur in disease of the eye has been more varied than that of any other remedy, though it will be seen that its sphere of action is usually well marked.
In blenorrhoea of the lachrymal sac it may be of service, though it is not often indicated.
Blepharitis, particularly the chronic form, quite frequently calls for this drug, especially if occurring in children of a strumous diathesis who are irritable and cross by day and restless and feverish by night. The lids are swollen, red and agglutinated in the morning, or three may be numerous small, itching pustules on the margins of the lids. There may be itching, biting, burning or sensation as if sand were in the eye, though the pains are usually of a sticking character. There is generally great aversion to water, so cannot bear to have the eyes washed. It is especially useful if the blepharitis appears after the suppression of an eruption or if the child or adult is already covered with eczema.
Eczematous affections of the lids have been often controlled when Sulph. has been given according to the indications for eczema in other portions of the body.
In conjunctivitis catarrhalis, both acute and chronic, this remedy is often very useful. The degree of redness may vary greatly, be confined to one eye, or involve both. The lids may be swollen, even puffy, or remain unaffected. But the sharp, darting pains, like pins sticking into the eye, will furnish our chief indications these pains are characteristic of the drug and may occur at any time of the day or night). There may also be pressing, tensive, cutting or burning pains, feeling as of sand in the eyes, tearing in the head; poor appetite and feverishness at night, with chills during the day.
Acute and chronic trachoma has been benefited by Sulphur. It is often called for as an intercurrent remedy, even if it does not complete the cure alone, especially if the pains are sharp and stick-ing in the morning and the lids are glued together so that it is with the greatest difficulty they can be opened. Water is not a favorite application and usually aggravates the trouble.
Sulphur has been employed with success in ophthalmia neonatorum, especially in chronic cases which have a great tendency to relapse.
It is however, the remedy “Par excellence” for pustular inflammation of the cornea or conjunctiva.As its sphere of action is very wide, it is adapted to a great variety of cases, especially if chronic and occurring in scrofulous children covered with eruptions (among which the majority of these cases are found). The character of the pains may vary, though they are usually sharp and sticking, as if a needle or splinter were sticking into the eye, or there may be a sharp, shooting pain going through the eye back into the head, from one to three A.M., awakening him from sleep; although besides these we have a variety of other sensations, such as smarting, itching and burning in the eyes, a feeling of pressure as from a foreign body, stinging, burning in the eye, especially from light and in the morning, painful dryness as if the lids rubbed the eyeballs, bruised pain, etc. The photophobia is generally very marked and the lachrymation profuse, though in some cases they may be almost or entirely absent. The redness varies greatly, but is usually considerable, especially at the angles. The secretions also vary both in quantity and quality being often, however, acrid, corrosive and sometimes tenacious. Agglutination in the morning is commonly present. The lids are often swollen, burn and smart as if bathed in some acrid fluid, or there is an itching sensation, compelling the patient to rub them most of the time. The lids, as well as the surrounding integument of the head and face, are frequently covered with an eruption. All the symptoms are, as a rule, made worse by bathing the eyes, so that the child cannot bear to have any water touch them. Open air, especially on first going out, usually aggravates.
The value of Sulphur in the treatment of ulcers and abscesses of the cornea is hardly less than in pustular inflammation. Its usefulness is not confined to any one species of ulcer, as it has cured not only the superficial variety, but also the deep, sloughing form which tends toward perforation and destruction of the whole cornea. In fact it should always be thought of in ulceration or abscess of the cornea with hypopyon, especially if of an indolent type with no photophobia or vascularity, as it has often produced absorption of the pus and exercised a beneficial influence over the destructive process going on in the cornea. The indications which lead us to its selection are derived chiefly from the general condition of the patient, while the eye symptom are the same as those given above for the phlyctenular form of inflammation, except that in severe cases the pains may be more intense. There may be severe, pressing pains in the eye, besides the characteristic stitches. The other symptoms may also be proportionately increased.
Pannus, resulting from various causes and occurring in patients of a strumous diathesis, has been frequently cured under this remedy. In some instances there has been true pannus crassum, the whole of the cornea presenting the appearance of a piece of fresh, raw beef and yet vision has been restored by the internal administration of Sulphur. It is especially useful in the so-called herpetic pannus resulting from phlyctenular inflammation.
A case of keratitis parenchymatosa in a scrofulous subject, cornea like ground glass, photophobia, lids swollen and bleeding easily, was permanently relieved by this remedy. It will often be found to promote absorption of the infiltration after the disease has been checked by other remedies.
In severe forms of inflammation of the cornea the iris not unfrequently becomes involved (kerato-iritis), though this does not by any means contra-indicate the use of Sulph., even if hypopyon be present.
It has been employed with favorable results in inflammation of the sclera, with corneal and iritic complications, as well as in uncomplicated cases. There may be, in addition to the well known objective symptoms, only a feeling of fullness and largeness of the eyeball, worse from use or exposure to light, especially gaslight, or there may be great photophobia, acrid lachrymation and severe, tearing pains in the supra-orbital and temporal regions, as well as in the eye itself, especially worse in the evening and at night (Mercurius).
In iritis, both idiopathic and syphilitic (especially the former), benefit has occasionally been derived from the use of this remedy, though it is not frequently indicated. It especially adapted to chronic case marked somewhat by drawing pains around the eye, but chiefly by sharp, sticking pains in the eyes, worse at night (Spigelia) and toward morning. The eyeballs may be painful on motion and the usual characteristic symptoms are present.
The hypopyon resulting from iritis or, in fact, pus found in the anterior chamber under any circumstances, will frequently disappear after the administration of a few doses of Sulphur. (Compare Hepar and Silicea)
Benefit has been derived from the use of Sulphur in inflammatory affections of the fundus. It has been successfully employed in chorio-retinitis and uncomplicated choroiditis, if accompanied by darting pains, and in one case in which hemeralopia was present. It is not, however, a frequently indicated remedy in any of the acute forms of intra-ocular disease, though is sometimes useful, especially as an intercurrent; it is particularly called for in chronic cases.
Retinitis caused from over-study, with much congestion of the optic nerve, outlines ill-defined and accompanied by pain around the eye and itching in the internal canthi, has been cured.-T.F.A.
Sulphur often acts very promptly in clearing up opacities in the vitreous, resulting from choroidal exudations and old haemorrhages.
Asthenopia, both muscular and accommodative, has been occasionally benefited by Sulphur when the character of the pains has pointed to its selection. “Gaslight hurts more than sunlight,” a symptom not rarely found in these cases, has been relieved.
Benefit was derived from this remedy in the following case of paresis of the external rectus muscle: A woman, aet.40 had, for three months, been troubled with double images to the right and downward. There was no perceptible diminution in the movements of the eye and no cause for the paresis was apparent. There was some pain in the eye on looking upward; some head-ache and restlessness at night. Various remedies were used for two months with no avail. Under Sulph.30 a cure resulted in three weeks.
Professor of Ophthalmology in the College of the New York Ophthalmic Hospital; Surgeon to the New York Ophthalmic Hospital. Visiting Oculist to the Laura Franklin Free Hospital for Children; Ex-President American Homoeopathic Ophthalmological, Otological and Laryngological Society. First Vice-President American Institute of Homoeopathy : President Homoeopathic Medical Society of the State of New York ; Editor Homoeopathic Eye. Ear and Throat Journal : Associate Editor. Department of Ophthalmology, North American Journal of Homoeopathy, etc.