Magnesia Carbonica - General symptoms

GENERAL

General

(Morning), On rising, head confused, etc.

vertigo, etc. on rising, heaviness, etc., in head.

after rising, sticking headache.

pressive pain in forehead.

after waking, eyes swollen, etc.

in bed, tearing in eyes.

sneezing. on waking, dryness of nose.

dry lips. burning in palate.

bitter taste. after rising, stopped sensation in throat.

pain about umbilicus. relieved after warm soup.

pain in abdomen, in bed, ceasing after eating.

pressure in lower abdomen.

after waking, pain in anus.

contraction in shoulders, etc.

while walking and stepping upon it, but disappearing after walking a long time, pain from ankle to middle of tibia.

in bed, cramp in heels.

in bed, disappearing after rising, tremulous, etc.

weariness. on waking, exhaustion etc.

on rising, stiffness of body.

sweat..

(Afternoon), Worse towards evening, headache, etc.

from 1 to 5 o'clock, headache.

lasting till evening, and disappearing in bed, tearing in forehead, etc.

tearing, etc., in centre of forehead.

at about 3 o'clock, sticking, etc., in roots of teeth.

pain in lower extremities.

from 4 o'clock till going to sleep, chilliness up back.

Such violent tearing, drawing, and gnawing toothache in a right lower hollow tooth that she moaned.

nothing relieved her. after applying cold water or lying upon the painful side the pain was for a short time relieved, but immediately returned and lasted with varying severity till 4 A.M.

it was worse in a warm room, with uneasiness, ill-humor, and tensive pain over the whole right cheek, after menstruation (after forty-four days),.

Sticking-burning and bruised pain above the left hip, extending up to beneath the shoulder, aggravated on stooping towards that side, and generally worse for three days, when it gradually decreased.

together with dry cough, with violent stitches in the side.

it was somewhat relieved by pressing the hand upon the painful spot and bending herself together.

from 7 to 9 P.M. (after sixty days),.

Preceding the menses, dragging, cutting, and pains in the small of the back, as if contracted and beaten, especially while sitting, relieved by walking.

the flow was at first scanty, but next day very profuse and brown, with relief of the pains.

on the third day very scanty, and on the fourth ceased entirely.

the flow in general was especially profuse at night,.

Woke about 4 A.M. with intolerable pain in the rectum, as if pierced by numerous needles.

somewhat relieved by emission of flatus.

very painful, then after awhile she gradually fell asleep again (sixth day). Extremely painful stitches as with needles in the anus, occurring in the morning after waking, lasting a minute, and relieved by emission of flatus (seventh day). Frightful pain in the anus as from needles, with urging to stool, though only flatus passed, with relief (eighteenth day),.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS.

Objective.

Twitching without pain, in the vessels of the thighs, shoulders, and often also in the face,

Tremulous and weak, in the morning in bed, disappearing after rising (ninth day),

The body is relaxed (after seven days),

Becomes easily sprained and strained; on bending the arm backward, the shoulder pains as if dislocated, and when touched feels bruised; she is unable to turn the head to the left without great pain,

In the morning after a good sleep, he is more weary than in the evening on lying down,

Easily becomes weary while walking (after six days),

Weakness and weariness of the whole body, especially of the feet (seventh day),

She was unable to sit up in the evening, on account of weakness (forty-second day),

While eating, she became weak,

After eating, weakness, paleness of the face, nausea, and vomiting of dark-colored food (after seven days),

Weakness after the stool (after seven days),

General weakness, suffering expression and some qualmishness (twenty-seventh day),

Very weak and prostrated after vomiting (forty-second day),

Very weak while sitting and walking, less so while standing, in the afternoon (sixth day),

During the menses, great weakness, so that she could scarcely walk,

Exhaustion of mind and body (after twenty days),

Sudden exhaustion when walking in the open air,

Completely exhausted and a bruised feeling in the hands and feet, with trembling and weakness, in the morning on waking; she was obliged to lie down again, after which she became better, though she felt cold immediately on getting out of bed,

So exhausted, weary, and sleepy after dinner (of rather undigestible food), that he suddenly fell asleep while standing and talking, with confusion of the head, which made all thought impossible,

Prostrated, weak, uncomfortable, with anxious warmth and perspiration (twenty-fifth day),

During the menses, very prostrated and weak all day; with perspiration, without thirst,

Internal restlessness, with distraction of mind, so that while writing a letter he was obliged to stand up several times and write the letter over three times; with trembling of the hands (after three weeks),

He tossed from side to side in bed for two nights, and if his body lay quiet the arms and legs jerked all night, even while awake, but without pain; on waking he knew nothing of the occurrences of the night (after eight days),

Subjective.

Great sensitiveness of the skin of the head and body, especially to cold; cold creeping though the skin, and chilliness through and through, from every slight draft,

Stiffness of the whole body, in the morning on rising,

Feels weak in the morning in bed (after seventeen days),

General heaviness and prostration all day (soon),

Extremely uncomfortable, apathetic and weak, in the morning (second day),

Pains here and there, in all parts of the body,

Burning needle-like stitches here and there,

Tearing in the left ear, left upper back teeth, and in several other places, generally shifting every moment, in the forenoon (twenty-seventh day),

The whole body is sore,

Violent jerking-tearing, now in the vertex, now in the occiput, upper arms and thighs, all day (twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth days); while in bed she was free from pain, but on rising the jerking pains here and there began again (twenty-eighth day),

She was attacked with frightful dizzy faintness, with coldness at 9 P.M., after lying down.

after which she was qualmish for half an hour.

she then fell asleep, but frequently woke.

with great nausea from the slightest motion, less when quiet.

in the morning after rising it was worse.

wherewith she had a very disagreeable taste, almost like bad eggs, and similar eructations, with a pale face and coldness (twenty-fifth day),.

At noon, while eating soup, she was suddenly attacked with excessive nausea and vertigo, so that she almost fell down.

this lasted an hour, was followed by white diarrhoea, after which there were cutting pains in the bowels and distension of the whole abdomen (forty-second day),.

She changed her chemise in the evening and took a foot-bath.

the night afterwards the menses appeared, eight days too early, without pain.

at first very scanty. next day more profuse and dark-colored.

on the third day still more profuse, with dragging in both groins, and during these dragging pains there was no discharge of blood, but always a flow on each emission of flatus, and it was most profuse at noon and in the afternoon,.

GENERAL SYMPTOMS.

1, Hahnemann, Chron. Krank., 4; 2, Schreter, ibid.; 3, Wahle, ibid.; 4, Nenning, from Hartlaub and Trinks, R. A. M. L., 2, 257; 5, Hartlaub, ibid.

Gastro-intestinal catarrh, with marked acidity. Often used with advantage for complaints arising in people who have been taking Magnesia Carbonica to sweeten the stomach. Is frequently indicated in children; whole body smells sour, and disposed to boils. Broken-down, “worn-out” women, with uterine and climacteric disorders. With numbness and distention in various parts and nerve prostration. Sensitive to the least start, noise, touch, etc. Affections of the antrum of Highmore. Effects of shock, blows, mental distress. Sense of numbness; nerve prostration; tendency to constipation after nervous strain; Sensitive to least touch, it causes starting, or cold winds or weather or from excess of care and worry with constipation and heaviness. Intense neuralgic pains.

Ailing, worn out, nervous, flatulent and flabby Sour; all over (Rhe---- ); regurgitation; foamy vomitus; stool, etc

Emaciation Marasmus

Sharp shoots along nerves; must walk about Numb, distended feeling

Can't bear hands covered, yet chilled by uncovering

Heavy brain

Tearing, digging, boring face or toothache; worse pregnancy; better cold

Sudden deafness Waxy pallor

Hawks cheesy masses from throat

Sorethroat at menses

Nibbling appetite

Vomits undigested milk or bitter water

Cutting colic Stool, frothy; GREENISH, LIKE WATER AND SCUM OF A POND; lienteric, with gelatinous or fatty masses; grass green

Menses like thick, dark molasses; tarry; viscid; worse night and on rising; leave a fast stain

Craves open air

Paroxysmal cough; difficult, thin, salty or bloody sputum

Heavy, weary feet

Chilly; takes cold, with coryza, toothache, sorethroat, etc

; before menses; and dry

Sour, greasy, indelible sweat

Magnesiae carbonas levis. Light carbonate of magnesium of B. P. Magnesia carbonate 3(MgCO3) Mg(HO)2. 4H2O. Trituration.

Antrum of Highmore, affections of. Ascarides. Catarrh. Constipation. Cornea, opacities of. Cough. Deafness. Debility. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Eyes, inflammation of. Hernia. Menorrhagia. Menstruation, delayed. Metrorrhagia. Nervousness. Neuralgia. Neurasthenia. Pregnancy, nausea of.

toothache of. Spleen, pain in. Taste, disorded. Tinnitus. Toothache. Tumours.

Mag. c. is the leading partner in the well-known "Pulv. Rhei Co." of the B. P., still better known as "Gregory's Powder," one of the terrors of an allopathic nursery. The proportions are Mag. c., six parts.

Rheum ^Rhubarb powder, two parts, and Zingiber ^Ginger powder one part. A curious point about this mixture is that Mag. c. and Rheum ^Rheum are antidotal in Homoeopathic practice, both having much acidity, and green, sour stools. "Fluid Magnesia" (Liquor Magnesiae Carbonatis), a much more palatable dose, as my early memories tell me, is made by impregnating water in which freshly precipitated carbonate of magnesia is suspended with CO2. One fluid ounce contains gr. xiii. of Mag. c. The properties of Mag. c. from the old-school standpoint are summed up as "laxative, antacid, antilithic." Guernsey says of it "We often use Mag. c. with great advantage for complaints arising in people who have been taking Magnesia Carbonica to 'sweeten the stomach.' " In order to obtain a proper notion of the power and sphere of this great remedy it is best to put out of mind all thought of its old associations. We shall then be able to view it in its entirety and its old uses will be seen in their proper relations. Mag. c. has many points of contact with Gelsemium Sempervirens ^Gels., Chamomilla ^Cham. and Arsenicum Album ^Ars. in nervous irritation and sleeplessness. But the nervousness of Mag c. is of the type of nerve exhaustion. "Water containing Magnesia and that coming from magnesian limestone districts is peculiarly soft to the feel. There is reason for supposing that this softness has a soothing effect upon the nervous system when used in the form of baths.

e.g., Buxton and Matlock in England, Schlangenbad, Wildbad, Rehme, and it may be Gastein in Germany. It is often found that the physical characteristics of substances correspond with their dynamic influences, and thus with Magnesia.

it very frequently is required for nervous systems that demand a permanently soothing and sustaining influence. Magnesia Carbonica's effects on the skin are reflected upon the primae viae or vice versâ.

for, on the mucous surfaces, quite apart from its antacid action, it proves soothing and sustaining" (Cooper). An indication given me by Cooper has been of immense service in numbers of cases.

that is, the state of nervousness induced by excess of the cares and worries of life. Mag. c. 200, repeated three or four times a day, has given untold relief to many a patient of this kind. When constipation and heaviness are present these will be removed at the same time. One leading note of Mag. c. is sensitiveness, mental and bodily, sensitive to touch, sensitive to cold air. Effects of shocks, blows, or mental distress. The least touch causes starting. This sensitiveness passes into neuralgic pains of the highest intensity, neuralgia, lightning-like.

agg. on left side, insupportable during repose.

must get up and walk about. The sufferings of the pregnant state.

come into this category.

An extra Taxus Baccata ^tax is made on the woman's strength at this period, and as so often happens the daily tasks go on as usual during the greater part of the time, so that a "worn-out" condition is induced. Mag. c. is of great value here. Mag. c. is to exhausted nerves what Chininum Sulphuricum ^Chi. is to exhaustion from loss of fluids.

But it must not be supposed that Mag. c. is a "nerve" medicine only.

Tumours, even bony ones, have yielded to it; and it has been credited with the cure of cataract.

I have no definite experience with it in cases of this last, though I have thought I observed improvement in some.

But I have many times removed with it corneal opacities left by ulceration; and I practically cured with it a tumour of the right malar bone.

The patient was a sea-captain, aged 50.

I had saved a relation from some operation, and for this reason he came to me.

Except for his trouble, which was steadily getting worse, he was quite healthy.

His face was quite distorted; right cheek bulging out, nose pushed over to left side, right nostril stretched out.

The malar bone was especially prominent near the wing of the nose.

Magnesia Carbonica was the only part that was tender.

The tumour was softish as if cystic.

There was no discharge.

Inside the mouth the right side of the hard palate bulged into the mouth and was slightly tender to pressure.

The tumour was the seat of a constant gnawing pain; but the thing that troubled him most was sensitiveness to cold winds and cold weather.

Magnesia Carbonica was so great that he was afraid he would have to give up his calling.

Magnesia Carbonica led me to give Silica Marina ^Silic. 30 in the first instance (on February 27, 1895); but Silicea ^Sil. only increased the pain.

One night he awoke feeling all his back aching.

I worked up the case more carefully and found this under Mag. c. "Throbbing pain in antrum of Highmore with swelling of right malar bone".

and "facial neuralgia, left side, shooting like lightning.

agg. from touch, draught, change of temperature.

cannot stay in bed, must walk the floor." Putting these together I prescribed (on March 13th) Mag. c. 30, giving four doses a day.

March 28th Much less pain.

Face much reduced, swelling softer, fluctuating.

Swelling inside mouth softer." April 10th "Very much better.

Tumour smaller and softer." August 14th "Face almost normal in appearance.

Swelling inside mouth quite gone.

Has no pain whatever, no sensitiveness to cold air.

Had finished medicine in middle of July." He now joined his ship, and as he was generally away for years at a time that was the last I saw of him, but I gave him a supply of Mag. c. to take with him.

The sensitiveness in this case was not that of nerve exhaustion, but it was sufficient to confirm the choice of the remedy, and it teaches us that it is never wise to narrow down the meaning of symptoms too closely.

So whilst Mag. c. is suited to "persons, especially children, of irritable disposition, nervous temperament.

lax fibre. sour smell" (Hering).

and to "worn-out women, and dark-haired, sensitive people, spare-and thin" (Cooper).

it is just as ready to cure a tough old sailor, impassive and stolid, provided he has sufficient Mag. c. symptoms about him.

A knowledge of the temperaments of remedies often saves much trouble; but it must be used with brains.

Two cases (related by A. I. Harvey) illustrating the power of Mag. c. in neuralgia are quoted in Amer.

Hom., xxii. 12. ($51$) Carpenter, 50, light complexion, spare, had had facial neuralgia two years coming in attacks, lasting from three to seven days, at intervals of two or three weeks.

Pain sharp, shooting, from left side of face and head, agg. at night, from pressure, from jar.

Mag. c. cured promptly after failure of Spigelia Anthelmia ^Spig. (2) Blacksmith, 22, light complexion, full figure.

For several years he had attacks of facial neuralgia coming on after taking cold.

Pain very severe in left orbital region, shooting down into eye and face, and back to occipital region begins in morning, grows worse till noon, then subsides.

No pain at night, rests well. Spigelia Anthelmia ^Spig. and Kali Bich ^{Kali bi}. failed. Mag. c. cured promptly.

Cooper mentions it, as a possible remedy in pyorrhea alveolaris.

In the homoeopathic nursery Mag. c. is just as indispensable a blessing as it is in the allopathic nursery an indispensable curse.

For children who are puny and sickly; who refuse their milk and get pain in the stomach if they take it, diarrhoea, colic, stools green, like the scum of a frog pond, jelly-like lumps; aphthae; marasmus, Mag. c. is a sovereign remedy.

On September 25, 1899, I was written to from France about an infant girl seventeen months old.

Up to three months before she had been perfectly well.

Then diarrhoea came on.

At first had ordinary stools which became loose; then green; sometimes very white, or bright slimy-yellow mixed with blood., and every time the bowels acted (i.e., every hour or hour and a half) she screamed before, during, and after the action.

At the time of writing the stools were one or two in the night and three or four during the day.

Still watery but seldom undigested.

Always thirsty, but cannot take milk.

Vomits food. Face pale, drawn; dark under eyes.

Emaciated. So weak can hardly stand.

Has eight teeth. I sent Mag. c. 30 to be taken four times a day.

Report received October 6th. "Well.

Was better after two doses.

Can take Lac Vaccinum ^{cow's milk} freely now.".

The acidity for which allopaths give Magnesia is a true enough indication.

but not for the reason they give Sour stools.

sour sweat. sour smell of whole body.

sour eructations from cabbage.

sour vomiting. sour breath.

sour taste-all these are caused and cured by Mag. c. Persons of lax fibre and sour smell are suited to Mag. c. The whole body feels tired and painful, especially the legs and feet.

aching. restless. Spasmodic affections of stomach and intestines. Unrefreshing sleep.

more tired on waking than on going to bed. Inordinate craving for meat in children of tubercular parentage. There is much suffering at the menses in women. They are preceded by labour-like pain, cutting colic, backache, weakness, chilliness. A grand characteristic is Flows only at night or when lying, ceases when walking. The period is usually late and scanty. Flow acrid, dark, pitch-like, difficult to wash off. During pregnancy there is vomiting and toothache. Sensations of Mag. c. are As if everything was turning round. As if hair was pulled. As if white of egg had dried on face. As if teeth too long. Throat as if scraped by an awn. As if rectum pricked with needles. Back as if broken. The pains are agg. by rest.

insupportable. must get up and walk about. Rheumatic pains are agg. after a long walk,amel. by warmth, agg. in bed. Walking fatigues.

= involuntary urination.

prickings in rectum. smarting leucorrhoea. Walking stops menses. Cannot put left foot on ground when walking. Raising arm agg. pain in shoulder. Kneeling agg. vertigo.

agg. 2-3 a.m. (sleeplessness).

4 a.m., intolerable pain in rectum. Symptoms generally agg. evening and especially at night. agg. From uncovering.

great aversion to it. Eating warm food agg.

= anxiety and warmth through whole body. Milk agg. Warmth of bed agg. toothache. Cold agg. toothache. Cold water amel. toothache for a short time.

then agg. Wet and rainy weather = itching of scalp. Draught agg. facial neuralgia. There is periodicity with Mag. c. every second day, every three weeks.

"all symptoms agg. every third week." Touch and pressure agg. almost, all symptoms.

but pressure in abdomen amel. menstrual flow. Pain is agg. on the side lain on. Smoking agg. headache.

In a nervous, excitable, impetuous girl of twenty, dark-haired, lifelong deafness which became suddenly worse after a fright five weeks before.

much pain in l. groin at menstrual period, falls down in a faint and legs ache.

hears best in street. after Mag. c. 30 pains at period went, spirits got better, and hearing in one ear (l.) got quite well.

CARBONATE OF MAGNESIA.

It is precipitated from a solution of Epsom salts (sulphate of magnesia), in a sufficiency of water, by dropping in a solution of pure mild carbonate of soda (or potash). It is washed repeatedly with a quantity of distilled water, filtered and dried on paper.

It has shown itself especially useful in chronic diseases where the following symptoms were concomitant

Black spots before the eyes.

the eyes are closed in the morning by suppuration.

hardness of hearing. toothache in pregnant women.

throbbing toothache in single stitches.

nocturnal toothache, with ulcerative pains when the teeth meet together.

the speech is frequently suddenly interrupted.

contractive pain in the stomach.

inguinal hernia. costiveness.

lack of sexual impulse.

lack of erections. retarded menses.

. stoppage of the nose.

stuffed coryza. attacks of tearing in the top of the shoulder, also at night, with formication extending into the fingers and inability of moving the arm for pain.

sprained pain in the shoulder-joint, when moving it.

cracking of the skin on the hands.

furuncle on the leg. itching.

frequent sudden falling down, while conscious, while standing or walking.

epileptic fits. drowsiness by day.

insomnia from nocturnal tightness in the hypogastrium.

dreams, also anxious ones, every night.

The symptoms marked () are from the of Drs. Hartlaub and Trinks; these are not marked with any name of the authors, but they have altogether the stamp of having been issued from the ever-ready symptom-factory of ; , ; ; .

Magnesia Carbonica also like its two predecessors was one of the medicines of the first edition. It contains there one hundred and twenty-eight symptoms. The additions here from SchréTerebinthina ^ter and Wahle are to be ascribed to provings with the thirtieth.

but the bulk of them (eight hundred and one in their original form) comes from Nenning. .

MAGNESIA CARBONICA.

Syncopal vertigo, in the evening, after lying down, with coldness and then inclination to vomit, for a half hour.

then sleep, with frequent awaking, with violent nausea at the slightest motion.

it was worst in the morning after rising.

at the same time, taste and eructation as from rotten eggs, with pale face and coldness (25th d.).;.

* * * * *

Magnesium carbonate. Hahnemann. Mg Co3 3H2O.

Magnesia Carbonica has only been partially proved, and comes to us now as Hahnemann left it.

The mental symptoms and symptoms of some portions of the body and particulars have not been fully brought out. The remedy really needs reproving with high potencies upon sensitive provers that the finer shades may be understood. I would not speak of it but for the fact that it relates to a class of cases so very important that you will not be able to get along without it. It is related to the older and deeper psoric sickness. It is deep acting and long acting and permeates the economy as thoroughly as Sulphur ^Sulphur

features Some of the most striking general features are Amelioration from motion; desire for open air, yet very sensitive to cold air; wants to be covered during all stages of fever; daily evening fevers; symptoms recurring every twenty-one days. Sensation of heat and even sweat from eating and drinking warm things; evening thirst.

Like other Magnesias it has most violent neuralgic pains, pains along the course of nerves, pains so violent that he cannot keep still, and he moves about and is relieved by motion The provers felt these pains mostly in the head and face, but clinical experience has demonstrated that it has violent neuralgia everywhere.

We are justified from the proving, in considering it as especially related to the left side of the face; neuralgia in the night; driving him out of bed, keeping him in constant motion. As soon as he stops moving the pain becomes very severe, shooting, tearing and cutting.

It has varied eruptions upon the skin.

dry scaly, dandruff-like eruptions upon the skin, very unhealthy hair and nails. Particularly does it affect the teeth and roots of the teeth. In every change of the weather the roots of the teeth become violently painful, burn, shoot and ache continuously. Toothache before and during menstruation.

During pregnancy she suffers all the time with toothache, tearing pains in the left side of the face, although the roots of the teeth are perfectly sound. The hollow teeth are unusually sensitive, and painful. The teeth are so sensitive that they cannot be manipulated by the dentist.

Magnesia Carbonica is like Antimonium Crudum ^{Ant. crud}, but Magnesia carb especially affects the roots of the teeth, while Ant. crud affects the dentine more particularly. Sensitiveness of the teeth, so that he cannot bite upon the teeth, and the teeth feel too long. Magnesia carb, and China ^China, when no other symptoms are present, are prominent remedies among the affections of the teeth during pregnancy.

There is a kind of marasmus that you will puzzle over if you do not know Magnesia Carbonica. If we analyze the remedy in general, we will see that it produces a state of the body like that prior to tuberculosis.

He does not undergo, repair, he loses flesh, and the muscles become flabby as if some serious disease were coming. In children of tuberculous parents there is that tendency to go into marasmus. The child's muscles are flabby, the child will not thrive in spite of feeding and medicines. It seems to be laying the foundations for some serious trouble.

Finally, it emaciates and the back of the head begins to sink in, as if from atrophy of the cerebellum. The appetite increases for milk and meat and animal broths, and yet they are not digested, and when the milk is taken it continually passes the bowel in the form of white potter's clay, or like putty.

The stool is soft and of the consistency of putty. If you go through a China ^china factory where the men are forming with their hands, in such wonderful manner, all sorts of beautiful dishes, and moulds, you will see that the original clay, as they are manipulating it, is white. It is a perfect picture of the Mag. carb stool, composed of putty-like undigested milk.

I have observed, especially among illegitimate infants, those that have been conceived by clandestine coition, that they have a tendency to sinking in the back of the head. The occipital bone will sink in, and the parietal bones jut out over it, and there will be a depression. That is not an uncommon thing in children that go into marasmus. They are very likely to have a potter's clay stool. It does not run, and it is not hard.

The white, hard stool is quite another symptom, and the soft semi-fluid white stool leads to another class of remedies, but this pasty stool, looking as if it could be moulded into any kind of shape, is a Magnesia carb stool. I once had in charge an orphanage, where we had sixty to one hundred babies on hand all tho time. The puzzle of my life was to find remedies for the cases that were going into marasmus. A large number of them were clandestine babies. It was a sort of Sheltering Arms for these little ones.

The whole year elapsed, and we were losing babies every week from this gradual decline, until I saw the image of these babies in Magnesia carb, and after that many of them were cured.

The Mag. carb baby smells sour like the Hep Sulph Calc ^Hepar baby

Wash it as you will and it smells sour; the perspiration is sour, and the whole baby smells sour. It is not especially the stool. The stool smells strong and pungent putrid, and very often the whole child has a pungent odor, like an unclean baby, though it be well washed.

The Magnesias produce inactivity of the rectum and anus - a paresis. The stool is large and hard, requiring great straining to expel. It is dry, hard and crumbling. The stool will remain partly expelled and then crumble, breaking up in many pieces. Another stool that is laid down in the books as a most striking condition of Magnesia carb is green.

it is the diarrheic stool, and the green part floats upon the watery portion of the stool.

The stool is often lumpy, and liquid.

The lumps lie in the bottom of the vessel, but floating upon the liquid portion of the stool is the green like the scum of the frog pond. This is recognized as one of the most striking features.

"Stools green, like scum on a frog pond; sour, frothy; with white floating lumps like tallow, bloody, mucous."

Floating like lumps of tallow, is more characteristic of Phosphorus ^Phosphorus, and many a time has Dulcamara ^Dulcamara cured it.

The face of the chronic adult case is pale, waxy, sickly and sallow. and you wonder why this patient will not right up, and will not thrive. She has a sickly countenance, her muscles are lax, she becomes so tired and sweats upon little exertion.

She is disturbed in every change of the weather, and is worse at the beginning of menstruation, She seems to take cold whenever menstruation is coming on. She says

"I know my menstrual period is coming on, because I have a cold in my head."

Magnesia carb has coryza every month before. the monthly period.

These patients take on an appearance as if going into decline, and yet they go on year after year unable to do anything.

not able even to keep house, have a violent craving for meat and an aversion to vegetable food, grow thin and increasingly flabby, muscles relaxed, and with tendency to prolapsus. The walls of the abdomen have a tendency to fall down and to be relaxed, and the rings favor the formation of hernia.

That is the kind of relaxation. The nerves are painful, and the muscles are tired. When you have such a case and have prescribed, and they persist in spite of every remedy, you know that the case does not well indicate a remedy, that the conditions are latent and there is a tendency to some grave internal disorder. The organs are threatening to break down.

the kidneys, the heart, the lungs, or the brain are about to undergo organic change.

We have a catarrhal state in Magnesia Carbonica, but it is a dry catarrh, not much discharge. An old ulcer will dry up and become shiny and discharge almost nothing. The nose is dry and the eyeballs are so dry that the lids stick together and it is difficult to open the eyes. The skin becomes dry and itches and burns. Tendency to dryness of the mucous membranes and dryness of the skin. Dryness is a marked feature of this medicine.

"Inordinate appetite for meat in children."

The stomach is a troublesome organ. The Magnesia carb patient is always complaining of a sour stomach.

sour eructations. Food comes up sour. There is nausea and coming up in the throat of sour food. Pains in the stomach after eating an ordinary amount of food.

bloated after eating. much flatulence after eating. The stomach digests the food slowly and it becomes sour.

Magnesia Carbonica is especially useful if the history has been a tubercular one. Losing flesh and craving for meat in those who are tubercular, or in those, that are from tubercular parents.

Patients suffering from a dry cough.

Dry cough before the evening chill like Rhus Tox ^{Rhus tox} There are persons who have simply this tendency who go along year after year in this withered state, with the little hacking cough, not rousing up into much. Finally some favorable circumstance arises and the tuberculosis comes on rapidly after it has remained in a sluggish state for a long time.

There are a few remedies more likely to be associated with that condition than any others, Arsenicum Album ^Arsenicum, Calc Carb ^{Calc. carb.}, Lycopodium ^Lycopodium, Magnesia carb. and Tuberculinum ^Tuberc. They fit into this lingering state, this prelude to active phthisis.

They sometimes set a patient thriving, but mind you, these cases are hard cases to manage. They are difficult to find remedies for. Their trouble is so latent, the symptoms do not come out, and sometimes you have to read between the lines. They are the one-sided cases spoken of by Hahnemann

In addition to this dry, tickling cough, which is not mentioned in the books, we find

"Cough, spasmodic at night from tickling in the larynx."

"Sleepiness during the day and sleeplessness at night."

When you have seen many of these cases that are threatening to go into phthisis, you will notice that it is a general feature with all of them.

"Doctor, I am so tired in the morning; while I sleep some in the night, in the morning I feel as if I had not slept."

Always tired and relaxed. Most of these subjects are cold and chilly. This, state has not been bought out yet in the remedy, but clinically it relates to cold and chilly patients Patients who say that they have not much blood.

Stools green and frothy, like the scum of a frog pond; doubling up colic better after stool.

Toothache in decayed teeth, worse at night; must get up and walk about for relief (especially during pregnancy).

To exhausted nerves in worn-out women what China ^China is for loss of blood.

Menses; flow only at night or when lying, and in absence of uterine pains.

The salts of Magnesia are not new to the medical profession as remedies. Especially is the one under consideration so well known in its action upon the intestinal canal that it has for a long time been "my lady's" habitual resort for sour stomach and constipated bowels. Of course, then it should become a very useful remedy for diarrhoea in the hands of a Homoeopathist, and so it is. The kind of diarrhoea to which it is most applicable is -"Stools green and frothy like the scum of a frog pond." All of the Magnesias are great pain producers, consequently pain relievers, and, as might be expected, the stools of Magnesia carb. are preceded by griping, doubling-up colic. So far as colic is concerned, sometimes it might be difficult to choose between Magnesia carb. and Colocynthis ^Colocynth, but the stools are not alike. Rheum ^Rheum comes nearest to Magnesia carb., in that both have colic before stool, sour stool and sour smell of the whole body; but with Magnesia the green stool stands first and with Rheum ^Rheum the sourness. The stool of Rheum ^Rheum is oftener dark brownish than green. Chamomilla ^Chamomilla has green stool with much pain, but the stool is watery, while Magnesia carb. is more slimy. Merc Viv ^Mercury has the slimy stool which may be green also.

Region

Malar bones

DIGESTIVE TRACT Stomach Bowels

Liver

NERVES Facial

Dental

Characteristics

It is "worn-out women"

neuralgia, toothache, nausea