Calcarea Sulphurica

Gypsum. Plaster of Paris.

A VERY useful remedy of, often, severe conditions, but not too well proved, or known. One of the indications on which one has prescribed it with success is, when the case works out almost equally to Sulphur and Calcarea ; some of the important symptoms making appeal for the one remedy, some for the other, and one suddenly realizes that there is a drug Calc. sulph., which fills the picture.

Calc. sulph. was one of Schuessler' s Twelve Tissue Remedies. But Clarke tells us that, in his last edition, Schuessler discarded it because it was not an actual constituent of the tissues, and that he distributed its functions between Silica and Natrum phos. Our indispensable Calcarea carb. shares the same banishment, probably for the same reason, that it is not met with, as such, in the tissues of the body. . . . Just as if the body could not take what it needs from other combinations, breaking down and reconstructing, in a manner which not even a bio-chemist can emulate.

Schuessler’s calcium salts are, or were, three : Calc. sulph., Calc. phos. and Calc. fluor. It is interesting to observe that they all affect the tongue, but in different ways. In Calc. fluor. the tongue is, typically, cracked and indurated. In Calc. phos. it is swollen, stiff, pimply, and white-furred ; while in our Calc. sulph. it is flabby, looks like a layer of dried clay, with the Calc. sulph. essential yellow coating at the base. It may even be inflamed and suppurating — the taste sour, soapy, acrid.

THE PRESENCE OF PUS WITH A VENT is, we are told, the general indication for Calc. sulph.

This drug greatly resembles Hepar, which it follows, " taking up the case when the latter ceases to act ". But, surely, one should be able to diagnose between them, so as to be actually on the spot from the first, and save time.

The two drugs are alike in being combinations of Calcium and Sulphur, but the one, Hepar, is to some extent an animal product, being, according to Hahnemann's precise directions, " A mixture of equal parts of finely powdered oyster shells and quite pure flowers of sulphur, kept for ten minutes at a white heat, and stored up in well corked bottles."

Farrington calls Hepar " an impure calcium sulphide ". He says it is a valuable addition to the powers of lime and sulphur, used separately. It possesses many similarities and marked differences from its components.

Now let us try to compare and to differentiate between Calcarea sulph. and Hepar sulphuris calcareum.

Both are intensely sensitive to draughts and to touch : but one great distinction between them is, that Hepar is very sensitive to DRY cold, and better in damp weather ; whereas Calc. sulph. is worse in WET cold weather. Hepar is also intensely sensitive mentally — angry at the least trifle, and almost murderous in its rage.

Both have unhealthy skins that " will not heal " ; while, with Hepar, every little hurt festers.

Cold, foul footsweats are a feature of Hepar, while Calc. sulph. has, characteristically, the burning soles of Sulphur. And Calc. sulph. has also the Sulphur intolerance of clothing. Like Camph. it throws the covers off when cold ; while Hepar, though it can scarcely bear a wound to be covered, because of its extreme intolerance of touch and pressure, yet must be wrapped up warmly all the time, and cannot endure the least uncovering.

The pains of Hepar, again, are very distinctive ; of a sticking, splinter-like character (Nit. ac.).

No drug will do equally well for another — curatively, while several may be more or less palliative, which is quite another matter.

DR. Oscar Hanson (Copenhagen) has a good deal to say in regard to Calc. sulph. Valuable in suppurations, when the abscess is perforated, or after incision, and the pus is yellow and thick. Suppurations of the tonsils.

Abscesses of the cornea. Suppurating wounds. Suppurating processes in the lungs. Deeper-acting than Hepar sulph. ; acts after that remedy ceases to have effect. . .

Much recommended by Dr. H. Siemson, of Copenhagen, in fibroma and myoma uteri, inoperable and with very offensive haemorrhage. Also impetiginous eczema (crusta lactea) and torpid glandular swellings. . . .

" I have found it very valuable " ( Hanson says) " in dry eczema in children."

Nash says this remedy (Calc. sulphurica) is not well understood as yet, but acts much along the lines of Hepar sulph., so far as we do know. He tells of a case where there was great pain in the kidneys for a day and a night. Then there was a great discharge of pus in the urine, for several days, which weakened the patient very fast. A specialist had examined the urine a short time before and pronounced the case Bright's disease.

Nash finally gave Calc. sulph. 12, and under it , action she immediately improved and made a very rapid and permanent recovery.

He says that he had since found it a good remedy in profuse suppurations in different kinds of cases.