CALCIUM SULFURICUM
Calcarea sulfuricum, CaSO4, gypsum, is often not sufficiently separated from Hepar Sulfuricum calcarea which is mainly a polysulphide and contains only a slight admixture of calcium sulphate. For along time Schussler included calcarea sulfuricum among his tissue remedies and indeed, as remedy for connective tissue. Provings were arranged by Hering and Conant. Calcarea sulfuricum has found an application chiefly after an opening is established. With J. Leeser, however, I saw it employed with good result in a recent mastoiditis. The remedy deserves a further proving in lupus. Cysts, polyps, myoma are likewise mentioned as indications. For myoma Deventer has recommended the double salt, calcarea sulfuricum stibiat. in the second decimal. According to my own observations it actually has a good effect but often causes vomiting.
CALCIUM CAUSTICUM
Calcarea causticum, calcium hydroxide, Ca (OH)2 is seldom used in spite of an extensive proving by Koch. In contrast to calcarea carbonate, it is said to have an acute action.
Calcarea fluoricum is discussed with fluorine calcarea iodatum with iodine.
STRONTIUM
Strontium owes its name to the Scottish town of Strontian, where it was first found in 1784 in lead mines. Experimental pharmacology has been interested in the cation, Sir, only from the standpoint of how far it can displace or supplant the closely related physiologic calcium. In cell and organ experiment an extensive replacement of calcium by strontium is possible. Only the increase in phagocytosis of the leukoctes is not possible with Sr as with calcium. The substitution of calcium by strontium in most experiments however only shows that these experiments are hardly adapted for bringing to light the characteristics of the substance and only permit the group properties to be recognized.
In any case calcium cannot be replaced through strontium in nutrition, and moreover, rickets develop in the animals and it is not influenced by cod liver oil. In growing animals under the influence of strontium salts, peculiar alterations of the bones produced by chronic phosphorus poisoning. The bony new growth in the cortex as well as in the spongiosa may follow as an atypical substitution to a preceding necrosis.
Of the resorptive poisonous effects of strontium slats, little is known. Lewin reports that strontium lactate in the form of a powder causes, outside of the usual gastric irritative symptoms, increase in the amount of urine, and large doses, a renal damage and lowering of blood pressure.
The medicinal use outside of homoeopathy is only rarely employed and then in close conjunction with calcium therapy. So Hermann believes that one can avert postoperative pneumonia with strontium as with calcium. Grassheim has reported results with strontium in instances of decalcification of bones. Alwens noted analgesic actions of strontium compounds.
STRONTIUM CARBONICUM
Homeopathy possesses a proving of strontium carbonicum by Hartlaub and Trinks, Materia Medica Pura, vol.3, p. 72 (5 provers).
Insufficient provings and rare use have not permitted the drug picture of strontium carbonicum to become definitely and sufficiently fixed. But the intermediary position of strontium between calcium and barium is noted very distinctly in the chief trends. The connection to the bony system approximates the remedy to calcium, that to the vascular system, barium.
The bone affections: enlargement, exostoses, osteoporosis and caries should preferably involve the femur in strontium carbonicum: carious processes in scrofulous children in whom a simultaneous diarrhea co-exists. The diarrhea is worse at night, better about three in the morning with ever recurring urgency; after the stool there is much burning in the rectum.
Nagging pains as if coming from the bone marrow are reported as subjective indications. Frequent sprains, especially of the ankle with edema, is a clinical indication.
On the other side severe pulsation in the arteries is designated through congestions to the head and the breast. Walking aggravates all complaints, particularly a pressing pain, drawing together and dull sticking in the chest in the region of sternum. The last recalls that strontium carbonicum (just as barium carbonicum) can be useful in coronary sclerosis. Walking causes dyspnea with heat and redness of the face, a reference to a status apoplecticus. Ice cold feet with cramps in the calves and soles of the feet show a peripheral circulatory disturbance. In a general arteriosclerosis, the iodine compound, strontium iodatum is preferred.
The congestive states have the peculiarity of being better from warmth of the hear of the sun, and warm coverings. This is particularly the case in headaches and recalls magnesium muriaticum. A tensive pain prevails, a drawing tension going out from the neck. Evening aggravation, from lowering the head and a slow increase and decrease of pains (as with stannum) are further indications for strontium carbonicum.
Strontium carbonicum is richer in pains than calcarea and baryta. The pains are localized preferably in the tendons, ligaments and bones. It is said that a right sidedness predominates.
SUMMARY
Chief Trends:
1. Bones: Femur preferred. Caries with scrofulous nocturnal diarrhea. Nagging pains as if from the bone marrow. Frequent sprains of the ankle with edema.
2. Blood vessels: Congestions, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis.
Modalities: Aggravation from walking, from cold, evening and night. Better from warmth (and sun’s heat).
Right sided. Slow increase and decrease of pains.
DOSE :
The rare up to the present is usually in the lower and middle potencies (trituration).
BARIUM
In nature barium occurs predominantly as the sulphate, BaSo4, more rarely as the carbonate, BaCO3. The barium cation is not physiologically necessary. As a foreign substance it produces poisonous and untoward effects much easier than the physiologic calcium. In experiments many similarities are shown to the action of excessive doses of calcium. This can be understood from the colloid-chemical properties of the positive divalent earthy alkalies. The anti-swelling, solidifying and therefore slowing effect on exchange and function of calcium action is much greater in barium and leads sooner to persistent states of pathology. Therein the higher atomic weight of the element is expressed.
In the single colloido-chemic reactions, barium can indeed replace calcium as perhaps in the detoxication of one-sided alkali swelling. But this is a general property of bi-and trivalent cations as is shown by many inanimate types of colloids as well as by living cells. On the other side, for example, the absorption of BaCl2 (in contrast to CaCl2) becomes difficult or even impossible from the intestine in that barium produces a spastic contracture of the smooth muscle, which delays absorption.
EXPERIMENTAL ORGAN ACTIONS
The tonus increasing and constricting action in barium appears in much less concentration and more intensively than with calcium. BaCl2 added to NaCl or Ringer’s solution acts on the frog’s heart in doses of 1:35,000 by increasing the systole, in somewhat greater doses (about 1:10,000) tonus increasing, then weakening the heart beat and causing standstill in diastole, and on the contrary from still further addition, systolic standstill. Doses which on perfusion of the heart from its inner surface lead producing diastolic standstill. Accordingly, it seems as if barium had a greater difficulty in penetrating the heart wall from without than from within.
In mammalian hearts very small doses of BaCl2 (1:17,000) act accelerating and increasing on the ventricle, in somewhat greater concentration (1:5000) soon slowing, and showing tendency to contracture and finally systolic standstill. In a much higher measure than through calcium, the irritability of the ventricle is increased by barium. Indeed a frog heart or a strip excised from the heart coming to a standstill in Ringer’s solution can be brought to long maintained beating through a brief influence of barium (in m/1200-m/600), which is not obtained by calcium (positive bathmotropic action). The stimulus conduction (dromotropic action) in mammalian hearts is impaired even through the smallest doses of barium (1:50,000-1:170,000) which happens only with great doses of calcium, while small doses of calcium improve conduction.
The increased irritability of the ventricle which express itself in acceleration or even extrasystolic tachycardia and the impairment of conduction from the sinus and auricle to the ventricle through barium makes it seem an involvement of the vagus but the electrical excitability of the vagus is not impaired.
On the vessels barium acts markedly constricting which can result in the mesenteric vessels constricting themselves into beadlike segments. There is a marked increase in blood pressure. Even excised arteries will be placed in increased tonus by barium. To decide according to experiments barium acts immediately upon the vessel muscle because it remains effective after any type of preceding paralysis. The entire action very closely resembles the digitalis group of substance and veratrin: slowing of the pulse and increased blood pressure are especially stressed as circulatory symptoms in the drug picture.
Leeser, a Consultant Physician at the Stuttgart Homeopathic Hospital and a member of the German Central Society of Homeopathic Physicians, fled Germany in 1933 after being expelled by the German Medical Association. In England Otto Leeser joined the staff of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. He returned to Germany in the 1950s to run the Robert Bosch Homeopathic Hospital in Stuttgart, but died shortly after.
Otto Leeser wrote Textbook of Homeopathic Materia Medica, Leesers Lehrbuch der Homöopathie, Actionsand Medicinal use of Snake Venoms, Solanaceae, The Contribution of Homeopathy to the Development of Medicine, Homeopathy and chemotherapy, and many articles submitted to The British Homeopathic Journal,