The magnesium narcosis is an effect of large doses and does not ordinarily occur after oral administration because of the poor absorption of magnesium salts. By the addition of saponins the absorption is increased so that narcosis can be orally obtained. The special affinity of the nervous system expresses itself in the anesthesia appearing after subcutaneous injection. It is worthy of note that a transient hypersthesia accompanies the pain of injection and the itching of the skin, and also an irritation of the sensory nerves through the magnesium ions.
The body temperature is reduced by magnesium injections as well as by calcium injections.
CLINICAL USE
Of great interest in respect to the homoeopathic use of magnesium salts in dysmenorrhea are the studies of Watchorn. These show a dependence of the pain at the menstrual period upon the variations of magnesium content of the blood. With pains the magnesium in the serum increases. By doses of magnesium before the menses severe pains could be produced in women who otherwise had no pain at the menstrual period. On the contrary, in the premenstrual nausea they found low magnesium values and were able to relieve this nausea by doses of magnesium acetate.
The favorable action of the administration of magnesium in para-thyreo-privic tetany is probably to be traced to the liberation of tissue-bound calcium into an ionic form.
Use has been made of the narcotic cell action by a preponderance of magnesium over calcium ions in tetanus, eclampsia and uremia, which naturally could be only palliative. There is still no explanation for the narcotic action. Perhaps the following finding in the suspension colloids points the way: an oil-water phase is shifted through magnesium in the direction of water in oil, through calcium to oil in water. In the significance of cell lipoids for the narcotic action, perhaps by this pattern a bridge might be built from experimental to clinical observations.
DELBET’S VIEWS
Very extensive conclusions for the physiologic significance and the therapeutic evaluation of magnesium salts have been drawn by P. Delbet from studies and analysis. Animals which have been fed with a scurvy-producing diet remain alive about twice as long when magnesium salts are injected or added to the diet. From this he concludes that a favorable effect on the metabolism through magnesium according to the nature of vitamin. Delbet perceives magnesium as particularly important in respect to germination; in the plant magnesium is very abundant in the seed and more is found in the corm than in the straw. Mice become sterile in the absence of magnesium. Sperm are especially rich in magnesium and the introduction of magnesium is supposed to stimulate sexual function. In children the thymus is rich in magnesium, in the adult, the brain and testes, and with old age the calcium in the testes increases; on the contrary, magnesium diminishes. A number of old-age phenomena were favorably influenced according to his report when magnesium was regularly introduced: old people become more able to work, sexual function is stimulated, muscle stiffness is lessened or remove, likewise senile tremor and pruritus senilis. Studies on the healthy with the use of magnesium chloride solution gave an increase in well being and general activity. With overstrained mental, activity, it should, just as has been shown of the phosphate, become free to a great extent and appear in the urine. Muscles, brain and sexual glands were said to be, corresponding to their high content of magnesium, the chief points of functional and therapeutic attack of magnesium. Indeed, even Parkinsonian syndromes and ataxia were said to improve under the introduction of magnesium salts.
But Delbet goes still farther. Proceeding from favorable magnesium effects in skin diseases, warts, papilloma, polyps, he presents a study on mice with artificial tumors and reports a favorable influence. Defect of magnesium in the diet favors the development of carcinoma. Use of magnesium should be preventive in carcinoma and indeed even exert a favorable influence after its development according to him.
Corresponding to his theory of magnesium deficiency the therapy is a continuous introduction of magnesium as a nutrient material. This is necessary in only small amounts as in the case of other materials, cognizance being taken of the facts of magnesium metabolism. A confirmation of the very extensive assertions of Delbet must be awaited.
The local mass action of magnesium sulphate as a laxative is, just as little as the use of magnesia usta for the neutralization of gastric acid, to be ascribed to specific magnesium action.
MAGNESIUM CARBONICUM Type
The type of magnesium carb. is relaxed and sensitive to cold as with all alkalies and earthy alkali carbonates. One can say that in many respects magnesium acts toward calcium as sodium to potassium, but even more distinct is the intermediate position between potassium and calcium. Exactly as in natrium carb. is the relaxation paired with great sensitivity, bodily (against contact, cold air, cold water) as also psychic which makes the patient seem irritable, ill humoured and anxious. The magnesium type is represented preferably by women and children. In general chilliness and tendency to emaciation (the last in contrast to calcareas!) and offensive greasy night sweats are shown by magnesium patients. The relaxation involves also a great part of the musculature as with kali carb., and we recall here the magnesium function in the muscle cells. Indeed, a sunken sinking to the ground without loss of consciousness has been reported by Hahnemann. This is comparable to the sudden weakness in the extremities. To a much greater extent than sodium, potassium and calcium carbonates is magnesium carbonicum rich with pains, full of neuralgias, darting, tearing, boring (with magnesium phosphoricum preferably spasmodic). The pains are worse during rest, the patient must stand and move about. Cold and contact aggravate, warmth and firm pressure relieve the pains.
If Delbet has been as favorable primary actions of large doses of magnesium salts, an increase of the bodily and mental energy, then this does not contradict the states of exhaustion which appear in the provings under other conditions. In the effect there is not only the amount but also the time factor, the frequency of the dose and the duration of observations; moreover, the previous state of the individual and many other factors.
Sleep with magnesium carbonicum is unrefreshing; the patient is more tired morning than evening. From 2 to 3 he is sleepless, must arise and move about. Magnesium muriaticum has sleeplessness with great anxiety and restlessness in bed. Both remedies have desire for sleep during the day.
NERVE EFFECTS
A very outstanding trend is represented by the effects of magnesium salts on the peripheral nerves. It seems logical to bring this into relationship with the experimentally demonstrated narcotic action and anesthesia. An irritative phase is less observed in the experiments, outside of sensitivity to pain and the crawling which precedes the anesthesia for a time. But drug proving on the healthy has particularly brought out this important action phase for therapy. Magnesium cab. has severe pains in the nerve trunks; the patient cannot sit still but must move about. With all magnesium salts these pains are worse at night. In provings of magnesium carb. these neuralgias appear chiefly in the head and face, particularly nocturnally, at rest an unbearable toothache, or nocturnal, tearing; at night must get up and walk about. The toothache is said to occur at every change in the weather; it is worse before the menses and during pregnancy. Also a back and sacral pain, nocturnal, as if bruised, belongs to the picture of pain of magnesium carb., as do general soreness, stiffness and aching. A quick, penetrating gluteal pain, pain in the shoulders and arms so that they fall heavily when elevated, in the legs as after toil-walking is difficult- all these symptoms show that outside of the sensory nerves, the muscles are involved.
DIGESTIVE ORGANS
The organ actions of magnesium carb. go, as with all magnesium salts, predominantly on the gastro-intestinal canal and on the sexual organs, particularly the uterus. For these organ effects, the lower potencies are preferable. Indeed, it is demonstrated that magnesium is predominantly excreted through the intestine and thereby gastro-intestinal effects can occur. This part of the magnesium picture has much in common with the gastro-intestinal symptoms of calcium carb. Entirely as with calcium, in magnesium carb. is a striking presence of acid in the gastro-intestinal canal: sour taste, sour eructations, sour vomiting, sour belching. The tongue and oral mucosa burn, are sensitive, especially towards acid. In the diarrhea of children it is especially noteworthy: the entire child smells sour, the stools are sour. The diarrhea is preceded by knife-like pains in the abdomen. A remarkable symptom appears with magnesium carb. exactly as with calcium: Milk passes through undigested or the stool is watery and contains clumps looking like tallow. Possibly this is to be referred to the saponification of fats through the earthy alkalies. An especially striking symptom for magnesium carb. in diarrhea is: green appearance of the stool, like a scum in a frog pond. It is also not to be forgotten that magnesium just like calcium has a significant effect on the motility and secretion of the gastro-intestinal canal, which can be explained only insufficiently at present from the ionic effects on the motor apparatus. The fact that milk is poorly borne my be associated with the abnormal acid status. (Neither aversion nor desire for flesh is characteristic, for both are seen in the provings; similarly contradictory are the desire and aversion for green vegetables).
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,