Sulphuric acid. H2SO4. Dilution.
Clinical
*Acidity. Alcoholism, chronic. Aphthae. Back, stiffness of. Bowels, looseness of. Brain, concussion of. Breath, offensive. Cancer. Cancrum oris. Chafing. Chilblains. Climaxis, sufferings of. Constipation. Corns. Diabetes. Diarrhoea. Diphtheria. Dyspepsia. Erythema nodosum. Flushing. Gangrene. Gastralgia. Glossitis. Hair, grey, falling out. Heartburn. Hernia, inguinal. *Hiccough. Impotence. Intermittents. *Irritation. Liver, affections of. Menorrhagia. Metrorrhagia. Myopia. Nightmare. Oesophagitis. *Paralysis, *lead. Perspiration, excessive. Phthisis. Pneumonia. Pregnancy, sickness of. Purpura. Rheumatism. Scurvy. Spleen, affections of. Sterility. Ulcers. Uterus, prolapse of. Vagina, prolapse of. Varicosis. Warts.
Characteristics
*Sul. *ac., according to Teste, was a favorite remedy of the Middle Ages, being used extensively in dilution in the treatment of scrofulous, phagedenic, cancerous, and venereal ulcers, as a gargle and mouth-wash for aphthae, ulceration of the gums, and diphtheria. It was given as “Mineral Lemonade” in cases of lead poisoning [This use I have verified, giving water acidulated with the 3x. J.H.C.] The “Acid Soap” of Achard was prescribed as a dissolvent in scirrhus of the breast and calculous nephritis, obstinate intermittent fevers, visceral obstructions, dropsy, jaundice, cachexia, and “certain tumours of the feet.*”Elixir of vitriol (a mixture of the acid, alcohol and water) is a popular remedy for nervous weakness in women at the present day. Dippel, Haller, and others each had an “Elixir,” differing only in the proportions of the chief ingredients. The elixirs were used in: Intermittent, putrid, malignant, contagious fevers, comatose and petechial fevers, scarlatina, confluent and malignant variola, dysentery, plague, lepra, itch, and other cutaneous diseases, nocturnal emissions, suppression of menses and piles, calculous nephritis, and gout, pituitous phthisis, chorea. Hahnemann proved *Acid sulphuricum, and says that it has cured affections characterized by: “tension in the eyelids in the morning, shortsightedness, hardness of hearing, inguinal hernia, chronic looseness of the bowels, profuse menses, metrorrhagia, roughness in the throat, *asthma, swelling of the feet, coldness of the feet” (*chron. *Dis.). Teste gives this experience of his own: “Two or three times I have used this drug with success against round syphilitic spots, of a bright red colour, of the size of a penny, rather itching, running into each other, secreting a humour sometimes, and generally seated at the upper and inner surface of the thighs, between the shoulders, on the face, and at the posterior surface of the forearms and hands. The subjects on whom this acid seemed to act best were lymphatic, ate a good deal, and were disposed to a constant looseness of the bowels, so that their evacuations were rarely in shape.” Hahnemann’s proving with homoeopathic experience has confirmed many of the old uses of *Sul. *ac. and brought out characteristic indications. Weakness is a keynote to *Sul. *ac. The patient is weak and exhausted. *Sul. *ac.is suited to cases where the weakness is out of proportion to the disease. Weakness which seems to come from deep-seated dyscrasia. There is as well a sense of general internal trembling, as if trembling from head to foot, but without visible trembling. It is useful for inebriates who are “on their last legs,” long after *Nux had ceased to help. Hering says the craving for liquor has been subdued by taking for two or four weeks, thrice daily, ten to fifteen drops of a mixture of one part of
*Sul. *ac. With three parts of alcohol. The indications are: “Vomiting in morning, acidity in stomach, burning is oesophagus and stomach, sour, acrid, or foul eructations.” *Sul. *ac. has this characteristic: in spite of great thirst, water is not tolerated, unless qualified with alcohol it chills the stomach. This is a common symptom with hydrogenoid patients. *Sul. *ac. has a keynote symptom in the mental sphere. *Hurry _ hasty, quick, sullen impatient, angry because things move so slowly. Like *Sul., *Sul. *ac. is periodic and has an important place in agues and periodic neuralgias. Cooper with reason contends that many agues cases, supposed to have been cured with *Chi. *sul. (Sulphate of Quinine), were really cured by the *Sulphuric acid used in dissolving it. “Moreover,” says Cooper, “in all epidemic diseases influenza, cholera, small-pox, &c. *Sul. *ac. Is often called for by the concomitant symptoms. In the neuralgia of influenza it has cured very severe pain over the whole left side of the head, face, and neck, coming on from exposure to draft, in the diarrhoeas of cholera times it certainly arrests mischief, in the diarrhoeas of emaciated children it is often called for. A chemist in Covent Garden used to use a lotion of *Sulphuric acid, well diluted, for all the cases of itch that came before him, and they were many.” There is a keynote of *Sul. *ac. In respect to neuralgias which is of great service, the pains increase gradually and end abruptly, the most characteristic kind of pain is dull pressure as of a plug thrust in. There is external soreness and sensitiveness. The piles of *Sul. *ac. are external, sensitive to touch and accompanied by itching. *Sul. *ac. is a great haemorrhagic, there is bleeding from every orifice, bleeding under skin (purpura), the menses are too early, too profuse, and sterility may be a consequence of this, oozing of dark thin blood. Many sufferings of *Sul. *ac. seem to arise from the generative organs, especially of the female. With *Sul. *ac. 30, a dose every night, I gave great help to a delicate woman who had *nightmare, *waking in a fright, *before each menstrual period. The local “weakness” of Acid sulphuricum may amount to prolapse of vagina and uterus. *Trauma is another indication for *Sul. *ac., it follows *Arnica in bruises of soft parts, *Conium In bruises of glands, *Ruta. In bruises of bones. It also removes long-lasting black and blue spots with soreness and stiffness of the parts. Flushing is another feature (as at climacteric), and with the flushing there is sweating. Easy sweating is a note of *Sul. *ac., and the sweat affects mostly the upper part of the body. The body odour of *Sul. *ac. Is sour and cannot be washed off. This is especially observed in children. Heartburn with sour eructations that set the teeth on edge. *Sul. *ac. is *Suited to: (1) Old people, especially women. (2) Light- haired people. (3) Pains at climacteric. (4) When some deep- seated dyscrasia prevails, the child is weak with no other symptoms. (5) Sour babies. *Sensations are: As if brain were loose and falling from side to side. As if one side of head filled with smoke. As if a plug were thrust quickly into head. As from subcutaneous ulceration in scalp. As of a foreign body on right outer canthus. As of a leaf lying before ears. As if white of egg had dried on face. As if skin of cheek and chin were pinched. As of want of elasticity of vocal organs. As if there were a lump in throat. As if menses would come on. As if hernia would protrude. As if rectum were torn to pieces during stool. Many symptoms appear on right side, but the left cheek and left parotid are most affected. Pain travels from left to right round hypochondria. Other *Peculiar Symptoms are: Pains felt during sleep and disappearing on waking. Jerkings on falling asleep. Seriousness alternating with buffoonery. Pain in bladder unless call to pass water is immediately attended to. The symptoms are: worse By touch, pressure, chafing, mechanical injuries. Open air aggravates. Warmth relieves. Cold aggravates. Rest relieves. Lying on affected side better gnawing in face. Motion, lifting arms, rising, walking, riding aggravates. Worse morning, (also evening and night). worse Drinking cold water. Wine aggravates. Warm food causes sweat. The cauterizing property of Acid sulphuricum Is of the phagedenic order, which makes it suitable to many gangrenous conditions.
Relationships
*Antidoted by: Pulsatilla *Antidote to: Lead poisoning. *Complementary: Pulsatilla *Follows well: In injuries, Arnica, Conium, Rut. *Compare: Cough followed by belching wind from stomach, Ambr., Verbascum Dyspepsia of drunkards, Carb. v. (Carb. v. is a putrid remedy, Acid sulphuricum more sour). Acidity sets teeth on edge, Rob. Weakness and giving way of ankles, Caust, Sul., Silicea Scarlatina, blue spots, diphtheritic membrane, Acid Muriaticum (Acid Muriaticum has better uncovering). Sprains, Ammonium carb. (hot and painful). Falls easily, Natrum carb., Causticum, Sul. Pains increase gradually, end suddenly (Belladonna, Lycopodium, pains begin and end suddenly, Stn., pains begin and decline gradually, Colocynthis, begin suddenly and end gradually). Aphthae, Sul. Ac., Borax, Natrum mur., Kali. chl. Piles, nitricum acidum Drinks chill the stomach, Elaps. Flushing at menopause, Lachesis (Acid sulphuricum With sweating). Throbbing headache at menses, Lachesis (Acid sulphuricum With sweating). Inguinal hernia, Lycopodium (Lycopodium right, Acid sulphuricum left). Sour children, spite of washing, Hepar, Mg.c., Rhe. Sensation of brain loose in forehead and falling from side to side, Belladonna, Bryonia, Rhe., Spi. Prostration, Acid aceticum Haemorrhages of black blood from all outlets, Crotal., Murex Ac., nitricum acidum, Terebintha Weak and exhausted from deep-seated dyscrasia, no other
