SULPHUR


A symptom of very great prescribing value is a faint, weak, hollow, hungry feeling, worse at about 11 a.m., which is apt to make the patient press his hand firmly over the epigastrium for relief only while doing so. If something, perhaps only a cup of tea and a biscuit, is not taken then, the patient becomes faint, weak and trembling, perhaps even flatulent and nauseated.


On studying Sulphur one finds that each writer enlarged upon that part of its vast symptomatology that appealed to or impressed him most. So we find in Kent his “ragged philosopher” concept overshadowing many of the other fine mental symptoms of this great remedy. Nash, on the other hand, accentuates its characteristic burning.

It is easy in treating on a remedy like Sulphur to become somewhat of a philosopher oneself, because, to this writer’s mind, there is no other remedy in the materia medica that provides one with better food for thought. Writing the symptomatology of Sulphur, one virtually writes the story of Mankind, more or less. Portions of the Sulphur picture are to be found amongst the “highest” and the “lowest.” In it is written the story of the different stages of the evolution of Man.

The study of Sulphur leads one immediately to observe its very well-marked essentials, viz. (a) Its rather outstanding and definite mental symptoms; (b) very characteristic skin reactions; (c) secretions, excretions, and exudations; (d) tissue reactions; and (e) its circulatory disturbances.

In dealing with anybody, proper relations should start with proper introduction. Sulphur should, I think, always be introduced first of all by its rich mental symptomatology.

When meeting the Sulphur individual anywhere there is immediately to the knower of mankind a striking personality, whether he is a chatterbox from the “back streets,” a socialite, a university professor, a poet, a philosopher, a scientist, a religious dignitary, an iconoclast, a recluse or merely a hobo, or the “dirt-man” or street cleaner. He is, on closer study, always a singularly “different” type, and is often revered or despised by his fellow men because of this difference. Whether he is of the lowly group or of the higher, he always insists on having his own ideas about things, and says so; or he stays silently aloof from the world around him.

Masculinity is a strongly-marked feature of this personality; not the so-called “he-man” variety, but rather does this individual gives this impression through the uttered word, his reserve, or his appearance, which, even in rags, may have an air or philosophic nobility.

Sulphur is seldom concerned with what the world around him thinks of him; he is more concerned with what he thinks of the world. So, if he is a gifted and developed personality, he could quite easily become the great and revered leader. Or again, if he should be the lower type of mentality, he may be nothing more than an egoistic chatterbox and nuisance.

It has been said that the Sulphur individual is selfish, and this is true, but in this writer’s experience, more in so far as his opinions, his concepts, and his accomplishments are concerned. As far as his worldly goods are concerned, he may be most generous and unselfish. This is the type who could probably sell what he has and give it to the poor so that he could follow a great ideal, even as many of the world’s great religious leaders, reformers, philanthropists, artists, scientists and philosophers have done. Sulphur is always somewhat of an iconoclast and fanatic.

There is a certain degree of perseverance about Sulphur which deserves mention, because it is quite unusual. He can seldom persevere when it comes to hard physical expenditure of energy, but can reveal an amazing doggedness when it comes to a mental pursuit. Sometimes, and especially when his line of thinking delves into the greater mysteries of existence and being, this can lead to often apparently foolish conclusions of a supposed solution of these mysteries, or else end in aimless brooding and speculation. This maze of contradictory possibilities may drive him into deep religious or philosophic melancholia and despair, or else he may become cynical and atheistic, or again he may meekly decide to accept the whole business as Fate, Karma, or the will of God and not to be questioned.

The Sulphur personality is often endowed with an amazing memory, but, strangely enough, not for the names of other people, unless they are authorities on his own particular interests. This may be due to the fact that he considers few people important enough to remember their names at all.

Sulphur is usually a dirty person, not very careful about washington and changing clothes; as a matter of fact, there may be a distinct aversion to washing, and many Sulphur skins are aggravated from washing, and many Sulphur skins are aggravated from washing. And yet, on the other hand, this individual may make a fetish of cleanliness. To some Sulphur types filthy smells, or places, or talk may be very obnoxious, although the opposite may be just as true. Amongst Sulphur types one may find the practitioners of a very ancient form of auto therapy, namely the taking internally of their own urine and faeces for medicinal purposes.

Or these people may be advocates of such practices, And again young children may eat the dried secretions from their noses or excreta. Sometimes these same practices are observed amongst the demented.

With some of these people, organized education means nothing. They are either too lazy to study or believe that education is not such a wonderful asset at all. They often suffer from what one may term the “arrogance of ignorance.” Yet with many more there is a great thirst for knowledge, but often their studies concern subjects not ordinary followed, or lead into the extraordinary, the abstruse, the peculiar. The Philosophic student will usually follow up one of the mystic or esoteric branches of philosophy. In this search for a solution of the riddle of the universe, he may give up all practical considerations of the everyday duties that Life enjoined upon him, forget about his person, the necessities of his family and dependents.

Kent considered this selfishness, but the fact is, that it seldom enters this mind that he is selfish. He is probably fully aware of the conditions to which his dependents are subjected, but he can hardly do anything about it, because he feels that his search or research is a great necessity for the benefit of Mankind at large, and so it often is. So did many a religious aspirant, a philosopher, a scientists, an artist work, or locked himself into seclusion to do just this. So did Karl Marx toil away at his controversial philosophy, amidst squalor and want, with his family in abject misery and without the amenities and comforts of everyday life.

It is related that he developed many boils, was careless in his writing, as well as rather unclean. He had an inflated opinion of himself, was pitted against all those better off, and who perhaps worked much harder for what they had. As a scientific experiment for the exhibition of Sulphur in high potency, his life story sounds very interesting!.

This type is also a very easy borrower of money, books, just about anything, but, whereas other types will make an effort to return the borrowed things, or else borrowed with the dishonest intention of never returning, the Sulphur person has every intention of doing so some day, but seldom does. He just keeps on forgetting the obligation.

If there is also one who believes that the world owes him a living, it is this one. He is often peevish, almost childish in his expectations and complainings. It is written in the symptomatology that Sulphur is “a hopeful dreamer.” It is true that with many Sulphur types “there is always tomorrow.” This should not be such a bad trait, but, whereas with others there may be an active effort to make “tomorrow” better, not so with this one.

He just hopes from day to day, does not bestir himself, and quite often believes in Fate, in luck, or for some miracle to happen which will alleviate his lot.

A listed symptom of this remedy: “thinks rags beautiful,” is, I am afraid, somewhat ambiguous, unless more circumscribed. It is not necessarily to be taken that the Sulphur person will look at a piece of rag with ecstasy, unless he is utterly insane. It is rather a peculiar mental ability acquired by deep philosophic speculation and introspection that gives the power to see past and through the sordid appearances of Life and find that underneath it all is a greater reality which in innately beautiful. This, peculiarly, is the experience of many artists, thinkers, religious men and others who have gone through the terrible struggle between reality and unreality.

A mental symptom that disturbed this writer during a personal reproving with a CM potency was the feeling that he gave the wrong remedies to patients which might bring harm to them or even cause their death. And the strange thing is that one knew one had done one’s best and used extra care in the selection of the remedy, yet this thought kept recurring again and again over a whole two or three months until it virtually became a nightmare and torture. Of course, knowing that Sulphur has such a symptom.

I kept on reassuring myself that it was only a proving, yet so strong was this feeling that I could not even console myself with that thought, although my therapeutic success was no less than at other times! This makes one think how easy it may be for this type of confess to a crime he never did and so find a form of expiation for his theoretically committed wrong. Investigating a few known occurrences like that, it did appear as if some of these individuals may have needed Sulphur.

Jacob Genis