Chronic Gastralgia Cured By Sulphur

Author:
Dr B S Suvarna
B.A, D.I.Hom[Lond.], M.I.H, PhD, PGDPC (Psychotherapy & Counselling, USA)
HOMOEO PHYSICIAN
MAMTHA HOMOEO CLINIC
Jeevan Shanthi
Karnataka State, India

CASE-1

Mrs P aged 42 years , suffering from gastric complaints for over fifteen years . In acute stage he would feel like the head was bursting which was accompanied with head ache and dryness of the mouth , normally without thirst and terribly chilly , so much so that he refused take baths

The case begins with an emotional shock received by the patient on the death of a close and dear and dear friends from tetanus . this filled him with negative thoughts of death and in turn science of life , gastric disturbances began immediately and later skin troubles began immediately and later skin troubles came to fore gradually , on the eve of commencing treatment , the principal symptoms were ; chilly , irritable , aversion to bathe , constipation or/ and indigestion with passing of wind / or belching , desire for spicy foods and stimulants , palpitations , wore in cold air , consuming eggs and non vegetarian even curds

TREATMENT—obviously a case of established psora . Began with Sulphur 200 , gradual improvement was noticed, motions become loose following with chilliness and weakness in the lower limbs after 4 days , the doses were increased of Sulphur in potencies , finally reaching 10M , the cure was complete and as yet after 6 months , there is no recurrence of the symptoms

CASE—2

Mr.A.M. aged 46 years came for treatment on 13^th December 1998 with complaints of perenial excessive formation of gas accompanied with bursting headache . he symptoms would aggravate with alcohol in any quality , although before the onset of illness which started after catching a chill in a friend’s marriage party some ten years ago , the patient was a heavy drinker . at the time of commencing treatment , the symptoms were , insomnia , negative thoughts , although better after sleep and passing wind , chilly , normal appetite and thirst including all pathological tests , specially craves , spicy foods , lemons and toasted meat , particularly sensitive to hydrogenated oil preparations

TREATMENT – on 13^th December 1998 , I gave him 1] sulphur 200 , 3 doses at 10 minutes interval  2] placebos for 15 days

On 28^th December 1998 , considerable improvement , loose motions for 3-4 days , placebos continued

On 12^th January 1999, complaints reoccur on consumption of alcoholic drinks , sulphur 200 repeated in 3 doses at 10 minutes , interval followed by placebos for 15 days

On 27^th January 1999 great improvement , placebos repeated .

CASE –3

November 12 1998 . A baby eight months old ; fair , ble eyes , sandy hair ;two teeth , well balanced feeding , well developed and healthy in appearance , except for patch of eczema , vesicular variety , on left temple and over abdomen in circular area about four inches around umbilicus , very itchy , history of slow healing of umbilicus , very itchy . History of slow healing of umbilical slump ; still a raw appearance with constant , offensive , yellow excoriating discharge , under physician’s care since birth , many local applications , violent and X–ray ; silver nitrate. operation advised to heal the stump , father suffers with asthma < by the use of eggs . three year old brother has eczema , sac , lac for a month ; olive oil to skin , attack of grippe , physician called.

January 27 , 1999 , one dose Sulphur 1M , very little change , until April  5^th –Calcarea carb  2 C one dose , constipated

May 23^rd , skin improving in appearance , Calcarea carb 1M , one dose

July 21^st eight teeth , eating sand ravenously , sucks thumb , poor appetite , skin improving –Calcarea carb 1M

September 29^th , Calcarea carb 1M  one dose

January 2000 , umbilicus healed , no eczema , perfectly well

SULPHUR ; SOME CLINICAL INDICATIONS

In this clinical presentation of Sulphur  , much must be left out on account of the vast field to be covered , the idea however is to give a representation of how the homoeopathic clinician looks at his diagnostic entities in term of material medica characters , the clinical picture becomes to him a living repositorium of the symptoms of a remedy, only in this way is the homoeopathist a good clinician , his approach to disease is primarily symptomatic and only secondary diagnostic , where as the other point of view is just the opposite and symptoms only have some meaning in so far as they may confirm or support a diagnosis , no account is taken of the vast number of symptoms that may have a differentiating or modifying influence on the clinical condition per se , hence the homoeopathic dietum that “ there are no diseases , only sick people “
The orthodox profession , the chief exponent of the diagnostic school of practice , is in many respects , beginning to veer sharply round to the homoeopathic point of view , vis., that all disease is finally the acute reaction of the vital force to the inroading pathogenetic influence , or the residue of this struggle that remains in what is known as chronic disease.

By knowing that the homoeopathic law of cure is a fairly reliable scientific fact the homoeopathist is placed in a far better position from a therapeutic point of view . His main concern should be primarily to diagnose the proven remedy correctly and secondarily only to attempt the more fallacious procedure of making a clinical diagnosis . As soon as a clear symptom opicture is obtained , active treatment may be started homoeopathically and with fair expectation of vavourable results , under the designation of manic depressive psychosis quite a few sulphur types will be found usually . seldom would one find the acute maniacal types , but rather the melancholic types , of whom the simple , stuporous , delusional and hypochondrical types are most common , the patient is often non communicative , repeats stereotyped phrases , wonders about the origin of things , thinks and thinks and gets no where with his thinking , perhaps for getting about his meals or his appearance , the sulphur manic or melancholic often thinks or acts for long periods according to his exalted or depressed moods , often a sense of unreality abd nihilism develops in the sulphur type , or some such like involutional state . Incoherence in thought becomes apparent which may not be entirely due to senility at all and is characterized by silly , disjointed or irrelevant utterances.

The paranoid , usually with a deep sense of inferiority , but with typical egoism starts blaming everything and everybody but himself for his failure ; he exteriorizes his own blame worthy qualities

Neurasthenia is also a common complaint of the sulphur type , he is fatigued ; complains that he has to do every thing ; gets no help and carries all responsibility , he complains of headaches , sensation of pressure on the vertex with heat and burning , but is quite rational and anxious to get well

Delusional insanity is common to this remedy . He often thinks himself immensely ,wealthy of noble lineage , or possessed of great powers and in some cases , these powers are believed to be occult powers , like the idea of “ I am god “ or I am the risen Christ , quite often , when this type is confronted with the stark reality that he is or has none of these exalted things , the realization leads to secondary , persecutory ideas

Paraphrenia expensiva is common to the sulphur type with a chronic foolish excitement or happiness , mettoids or eccentrics , the faddists , food cranks , altruistic and impractical dreamers idealists without a basis , iconoclasts and introverts , often require sulphur as a medicine very frequently , it is useful in the various drug psychoses , as well as dipsomania and alcoholic paranoia with which to stop the deteriorating effects of drugs and alcohol and bring about rehabilitation , mentally and physically

Threatening senile dementia probably more frequently the arteriopathic form , in old men who have been neglected for a long time , whose diet has been deficient , who have probably done a great deal of mental work , can often be arrested and cured by the timely administration of sulphur in high potencies at long intervals

A number of the borderline psychosis , usually those that come on after acute diseases are very often covered by this remedy when the general sulphur picture presents . epilepsy is cured by this remedy , but usually the types that may perhaps be due to suppressions or the deteriorating effects of drugs and alcohol , or other occult and deep seated dyscrasiac . there may not be any thing very specific about the aura or the attacks but rather the general would be the guide to the exhibition of sulphur some times intercurrently will bring the required reaction for other more suitably indicated remedies to cure

Sulphur is one of our greatest remedies with which to cure and control abscesses anywhere in the system , especially chronic varieties with ulceration or fistulation (silicea ) . In the ears it has chronic suppurative otitis media, with a stinking , purulent discharge , and itching of the external meatus , necessitating boring with the fingers into them ( psorinum , silicea ) . some very obstinate , post surgical abscesses , that refuse to heal , keep on discharging , often offensive smelling , sometimes ulcerating , with general sweatiness of the patient and intolerance of heat and itching and burning , and a reddish purplish areola of the involved area , are very often cured by sulphur . In these conditions , it is related to pyrogen , silicea , hephasulph and calcarea sulph


In the lungs residual abscesses may develop due to previous inflammations or tuberculosis or embolism . however , although sulphur may suit these cases symptomatically it may be pathologically dangerous to prescribe it here .as it may , like silicea , break down too much devitalized tissue with consequent grave danger to the patient . it states of septicaemia , sapraemia or septicaemia , supraemia or septicopyaemia , we are always guided by its specific symptoms viz., feverishness , sweatiness , intolerance of heat , great thirst , ebullitions of heat rising up to the face and head with dusky red flushing of the face and neck and a marked sensation of suffocation , here also it may not be the indicated remedy may still be required to bring about reaction . In achondroplasia and rachitis , it is often found sulphur useful , not usually as a primary remedy , but after the administration of th indicated remedy and the correction of possible vitamin deficiency and especially when the patient presented something of a broad sulphur picture , in such instances it organized the case and made therapeutic success more positive , this observation holds good in my experience , for most of the diseases modernly considered to be due to avitaminoses e.g., pellagra , beriberi scorbutic ailments , certain eye conditions neuritides anaemias .

Among the rheumatic group there are often syndromes for sulphur , here in usually suits the sub acute and chronic varieties , there may be congestion , chronic swelling parasthesia sweating of the affected extremities with burning pains , intolerance of heat ( ledum ) and some times itching , sometimes the patient will tell the doctor that the affected extremities are very cold and yet when they start to warm up , they will begin to burn like fire , so that he has to stick them out to cool off . quite frequently one encounters this in old people , who have probably habitually abused alcohol and other stimulants and who have not had much physical exercise

In diabetes mellitus this remedy is of very great value at times . these symptoms are usually polydipsia < in the evening and at night ; and poluria with passage of large quantities of pale urine , perhaps with burning . there may be itching in and around the genitals , especially in the female or stitches in the penis with absolute , impotence in the male , gangrene of toe , burning and numbness of the feet , also arms and hands , vertigo and neuritis , dimness of vision and retinitis may all be present , quite typically there may be flushness of heat , intolerance of heat and a lamentable desire for sweets and other contra indicated rich dishes .

Hypertension often presents symptoms which can not be dealt with quite successfully without this remedy , especially the type attendant on the climacteric . the patient gets severe heat flushes , there is surging of blood upward , profuse sweating , vertigo a sensation of pressure or burning on the vertex , soreness in the cardiac region , overheating from slight exertion with strong pulsation and arteial tension .In liver diseases sulphur may be a very necessary remedy as it has quite an influence on the portal circulation , there may be chronic hepatitis with enlargement and congestion , even some obstruction of the portal circulation with obstructive jaundice or alcoholic cirrhosis accompanying the jaundice there is typical intolerance of heat , with vicious itching and scratching and often mental depression . Acute yellow atrophy may often be arrested and the liver sufficiently regenerated to avoid early death . If not too far gone , and in typical sulphur as a primary procedure , depends much on how the abscess , especially solitary abscesses is extending , as well as the general condition of the patient . It may be much wiser to give sulphur only when aspiration or open surgical drainage is also available . In such cases it may act fast to bring the whole condition to a speedy and successful resolution

Sulphur covers many of the symptoms of cholelithiasis , cholecystitis and cholangitis , there may be dull or sharp pains in the region of the gallbladder , sallow complexion , periodical attacks of colicky pains , rumbling in the abdomen , epigastric distress , bilious vomiting , sick headaches and chronic eructations , nausea , bitter taste in the mouth in the morning , constipation or diarrhoea , haemorrhoidal congestion of the rectum with much itching and burning , perhaps also bleeding , during a personal proving , a symptom that was quite pronounced in the hepatic cholecystic area , was a drawing , contracting feeling , with soreness , relieved by strong backward stretching of the torso

In diseases of the respiratory system sulphur mau hardly ever be required at the onset , but sometimes is necessary when there is slow or no reaction to the acute remedies

In chronic bronchitis it is useful when there are attacks of short , oppressive coughing , often very severe , which may be dry in the beginning but in advanced stages loose rattling and with expectoration of lumps of sweetish , greenish or purulent mucus . During these attacks of coughing there is a sensation of suffocation and heat in the chest . some times tearing pains , sweating of the face with redness and often lachrymation . there is deterioration of the bronchial mucus , until there is bronchiectasis or a filling up of the bronchi with tough mucus plugs , with asthmatic breathing , dyspnoea , a sensation as of a load on the chest , worse at night and somewhat relieved by sitting up fresh air . sulphur treated numerous cases of asthma that developed slowly and insidiously after the successful suppression of a typical sulphur skin condition with external applications or the antibiotics

In lobar pneumonia sulphur is usually indicated in the typical forms where abnormal symptoms persist after the acute attack , where the fever continues in a sort of chronic way and the disease is obviously running into some form of complication usually abscess of the lung , empyema or pleuitis . In these cases , there may be sudden exacerbation of symptoms , with heat , sweatiness , short difficult respiration , thirst and aggravation at about midnight sometimes egophony , brochoneumonia , mostly already a complication of some other disease may present a some what similar picture

It often does brilliant work in the incipient stages of tuberculous pneumonia when its own typical symptoms are present , this develops usually with the typical varieties of pneumonia with delayed resolution , continuous fever , steady deterioration of the patients condition and expectoration large amounts of muco purulent material , which on examination may contain large number of tubercle bacilli

In these conditions pleural effusion is common usually with sharp stitches through the chest , some times extending to the left scapular region , with heaviness in and oppression of the chest . sulphur often play an important role in the resorption of this exudates , sometimes a chronic cough remains after some of these chest conditions , with no or very few , other symptoms sulphur is one of the frequently indicated remedies for this cough, especially when accompanied by a feeling of oppression of the chest and it is worse at night , sulphur has a very strong affinity for the skin and there fore coversa large number of skin conditions

Erysipelas that is slow in developing with a reddish purplish appearance , usually starting from the right side of the face and spreading slowly , the skin has often a dirty , unwashed appearance , even in cleanly people

The so called allergic reactions to these and although many of these psedo homoeopathists claim that as physicians , they are entitled to use any or all of the modern drugs , yet this writer has never yet had to have recourse to them on account of the failure of the homoeopathic remedy , especially does this sort of practice indicate ignorance and use of homoeopathy and the more so , when we have such well proven and well tried old friends as this one at our command , moreover some authorities have already advanced the opinion that it may well be the sulphur element in these antibiotic drugs that is responsible for the favourable results claimed in certain cases , with pain staking and deligent labor . Hahnamann gave us the only method by which homoeopathic practice can be successful and those of us who have followed him thus far have not found any of the new discoveries to even approximate his scientific exactness or therapeutic acumen , But to know this , one has to know homoeopathy .