Magnesium Phosphoricum – Magnesium Phosphate

The attenuations are prepared from Magnesium hydrogen phosphate trihydrate MgHPO₄ · 3H₂O, MW: 174.3.

The triturations and liquid potencies prepared from Magnesium phospate are, ac- cording to Heinigke, “one of our most important pain remedies, none has a greater multiplicity of pains; they are stabbing, cutting, boring, coming and going like light- ning, spasmodic, often changing position, or in attacks which are almost intolera- ble.”

There may be sensory illusions and an inability to think clearly, with sleepless- ness, and this may be accompanied by digestive disorders and aversion to food. Neuralgic or rheumatic pains in the head occur particularly after mental work, and are associated with shivering. There is a sensation of fluid in the head, “as if the brain were wobbling” (Heinigke) or as if the patient were wearing a cap on the head.

Vertigo on movement of any kind is also susceptible to Magnesium Phospho-  ricum. Romberg’s sign, unsteadliness and falling over when the eyes are closed, seen in tabes dorsalis, can be helped by Magnesium Phosphoricum, if the patient falls forwards.

The headaches, which are frequently supra-orbital and worse on the right side, may be accompanied by double vision with dark spots and colour-spectra in front of the eyes, twitching of the eyelids with photophobia, and possibly squinting and pto- sis of the eyelids. Nervous earaches, especially behind the right ear (mastoiditis), are also an indication for Magnesium Phosphoricum, especially if they are aggravated in fresh air, or on washing the face and neck with cold water. The facial pains too, in- deed all the pains, are aggravated when the body becomes cold; the toothache is ag- gravated by eating or drinking cold things, and ameliorated by warmth. In epulis there are often glandular swellings in the throat and neck, especially in teething problems of children with spasmodic symptoms and fever – likewise an indication for Magnesium Phosphoricum.

Magnesium Phosphoricum is required in cramping pains, constriction in the neck, as if tied up, on trying to swallow, and also in torticollis, especially on the right-hand side, and it can also have a favourable action in cramps in the stomach area with gasping and retching, especially when there is thirst for cold drinks.

Magnesium Phosphoricum also acts favourably on asthmatic chest-constriction with a dry, tickling cough which can take on a spasmodic nature, and even on nerv- ous, spasmodic palpitations and a constricted sensation of the heart, as if tied up (cf. Cactus Grandiflorus), as well as flatulent colic, abdominal spasms and umbilical colics, especially if the complaints radiate towards the back (cf. Belladonna), and also when there is chronic constipation in rheumatic persons, likewise constipation of children with cramping pains at every attempt to pass a stool.

Magnesium Phosphoricum is also an important remedy in dysmenorrhoea and when the menses arrive too early, especially when there is swelling and sensitivity of the vagina and so-called “ovarian neuralgia”.

Magnesium Phosphoricum is indicated in rheumatic pains in the limbs, associated with weakness in the arms and hands and stiffness and possible numbness in the fin- gers, with general muscular weakness, these complaints being aggravated by cold and ameliorated by warmth, pressure and rubbing.

Magnesium Phosphoricum is also the remedy of choice for Sydenham’s chorea with contortion of the limbs, for sciatica with vividly shooting, boring pains which often change their location and are ameliorated by warmth and pressure, being ag- gravated by light touch, and for writer’s and pianist’s cramp and cramps in the calves of the legs.

Boericke also emphasizes its action in whooping cough, in hoarseness, in laryngi- tis with a feeling of rawness and roughness, in intercostal neuralgia and in pains similar to angina pectoris. Where there are spasmodic complaints in the upper ab- domen, they are not relieved by the accompanying eructations (in contrast to Argen- tum Nitricum).

It is Boericke’s practice to give this remedy in hot water, as it is then said to act better, the action possibly being complemented with doses of Colocynthis, Silicea, Zincum, Dioscorea or Kali Phosphoricum.

Nash particularly refers to the fact that burning pains are susceptible to Arsenicum Album, and not to Magnesium Phosphoricum. However, both remedies have an amelioration from warmth.

Nash also gives the following characterisation of various painful states (“Leaders”

p. 250 [p. 324 in Jain edition]):

“Now in regard to the cramping pains so characteristic of Magnesium Phospho- ricum. When such a symptom stands out so prominently, it is a great leader, and nar- rows down the choice to a class of remedies having the same. Let me illustrate:

Cramping pains: Cuprum, Colocynthis, Magnesium Phosphoricum.

Burning: Arsenicum, Cantharis, Capsicum, Phosphorus, Sulphuricum Acidum, Sulphur, Carbo Vegetabilis.

Coldness (sensation): Calcium Carbonicum, Arsenicum, Cistus, Heloderma. Coldness (objective): Camphora, Secale, Veratrum Album, Heloderma.

Fullness (sensation): Aesculus Hippocastanum, China, Lycopodium. Emptiness (sensation): Cocculus, Phosphorus, Sepia.

Bearing-down: Belladonna, Lilium Tigrinum, Sepia, etc.

Bruised soreness: Arnica, Baptisia, Eupatorium Perfoliatum, Ruta. Constriction: Cactus Grandiflorus, Colocynthis, Anacardium.

Prostration or Weariness: Gelsemium, Picrinicum Acid, Phosphoricum Acidum, all Acids, Silicea.

Numbness: Aconitum, Chamomilla, Platinum, Rhus Toxicodendron. Erratic pains: Lac Caninum, Pulsatilla, Tuberculinum.

Sensitive to pain: Aconitum, Chamomilla, Coffea. Sensitive to touch: China, Hepar Sulph., Lachesis, Silicea.

Bone pains: Aurum, Asafoetida, Eupatorium Perfoliatum, Mercurius, Silicea. Sticking/Stitching/Stabbing pains: Bryonia, Kali Carbonicum, Squilla, Apis. Pulsation or throbbing: Belladonna, Glonoinum, Melilotus.

Haemorrhages (passive): Hamemelis, Secale, Crotalus, Elaps. Haemorrhages (active): Ferrum Phosphoricum, Ipecacuanha, Phosphorus. Emaciation: Iodum, Natrum Muriaticum, Lycopodium, Sarsaparilla, etc. Oedematous states: Calcium Carbonicum, Graphites, Capsicum.

Constitutions (psoric): Sulphur, Psorinum, etc.

Constitutions (sycotic): Thuja, Nitricum Acidum, Medorrhinum, etc. Constitutions (syphilitic): Mercurius, Kali Iodatum, etc.

Blue swellings: Lachesis, Pulsatilla, Tarantula Cubensis.

So we might go on and indicate from one to three or more remedies having char- acteristic power over certain symptoms or conditions, and it is well to have them in mind, for with this start we will be very apt to have, or seek to find out, the diagnos- tic difference between them. Such knowledge forearms a man, preparing him for emergencies, and often enables the prescriber to make those wonderful “snap-shot cures” that astonish the patient and all beholders.

The holistic view of homoeopathy clearly proceeds from this; for in all these syn- dromes Magnesium Phosphoricum as a supporting remedy is able not only to deal with the cramps but also to smooth the path for the action of the otherwise-men- tioned remedy.

If we summarise the total symptoms of Magnesium Phosphoricum, we have the following typical remedy-picture:

1. Cramping, shooting pains along the length of the nerves, and in cramps in a wide variety of parts of the body, ameliorated by pressure and warmth.
2. Facial neuralgias with twitching of the eyelids.
3. Cramps in the stomach area. Intestinal colic with eructations which do not re- lieve. Umbilical colic in children, with drawing-up of the legs, without diar- rhoea symptoms.
4. Menstrual colic and dysmenorrhoea with neuralgic complaints, relieved by onset of the flow (cf. Lachesis).
5. Gall-stone colic. Renal colic. Pains in chronic rheumatism of the joints.
6. Whooping cough, especially at night and lying down.
7. Sydenham’s chorea with contortion of the limbs.
8. Sciatica with boring, shooting pains, changing location, aggravated by light touch. Writer’s cramp. Cramps in calves.
9. All complaints worse from cold, at night in bed and from light touch. Amelio- rated by hot compresses, movement, pressure, doubling up, walking about slow- ly and damp warmth.
10. Vertigo on movement, falling forwards. Sensation of fluid in the head. Inability to think. Supra-orbital pains. Blurred vision. Right-sided mastoiditis. Toothache. Spastic torticollis.

The German Monograph-Preparation Commission for the Homoeopathic Field of Therapy has, under the Preparation Monograph for Magnesium phosphoricum, pub- lished the following indication(s) in the German Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) for magnesium phosphoricum: neuralgia; painful spasmodic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract; dysmenorrhoea.