Sulphur 200c

– VERMEULEN Frans,
Sulph.
What is matter? – never mind.
What is mind? – it doesn’t matter.
[Anon.]
Signs
Sulphur. Brimstone.

CLASSIFICATION Sulphur is found in group 16 of the periodic table, with oxygen, selenium, tellurium, and pollonium as the other members of the group. Known to the ancients as ‘the stone which burns’ and referred to in Genesis as brimstone, it was classified as an element in 1777 by Lavoisier. Native or elemental sulphur occurs chiefly in the vicinity of volcanoes and hot springs. It is estimated to be the ninth most abundant element in the universe yet in constituting 0.05% of the earth’s crust it occupies only a 18th place. This is, writes Leeser, because in the lithosphere [earth’s crust] oxygen plays the main role, whilst sulphur does that in deeper layers of the earth, where metals abound that have a special affinity for sulphur. Thus sulphur is widely distributed in nature as a constituent of minerals, i.e. pyrite [with iron], galena [with lead], cinnabar [with mercury], sphalerite [with zinc], stibnite [with antimony], celestite [with strontium], barite [with barium], argentite [with silver], chalcocite [with copper], millerite [with nickel], realgar and orpiment [with arsenic], molybdenite [with molybdenum], and gypsum [with calcium]. It is also a constituent of coal, petroleum, and natural gas, and with the combustion of these it is emitted into the atmosphere as sulphur dioxide. Techniques have been developed to collect this sulphur dioxide and convert it into usable sulphur. The element is commercially recovered from salt domes along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, or from gas fields.
FORMS Sulphur is omnipresent, multiform, super-reactive, and versatile. The pale yellow, brittle solid is odourless, tasteless, and insoluble in water. No element has more allotropic forms than sulphur; thirty of them have been described, of which eight appear to be unique, with the other twenty-two being mixtures. Allotropic forms occur in all three states of aggregation – solid, liquid, gas – and these present a confusing multitude of forms whose relations are not yet fully understood. Three of the four solid modifications in which sulphur occurs are crystalline, either being prismatic [exists in two forms] or rhombic. Most sulphur is in the rhombic form, which is stable below 95.5o C and assumes the prismatic form above that temperature. Amorphous sulphur is a dark, noncrystalline, gumlike substance, called ‘plastic’ sulphur, which is obtained by rapid cooling of molten sulphur. At 115o C sulphur altogether gives up its solidity and turns into a thin yellow liquid which, when heated to 160o C changes into a viscous semi-fluid. With the viscosity increasing up to 250o C the colour changes from yellow through dark red to black, to change back to a yellow, thin liquid the closer it comes to its boiling point. Approaching its boiling point of 444o C sulphur turns from a yellowish orange vapour through red into a yellow gas. 1-3
CYCLE “Sulphur is found in all living organisms as a constituent of some proteins, vitamins, and hormones. Like carbon and nitrogen, sulphur cycles between the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere; but, unlike these two other elements, it has major reservoirs in both the atmosphere and the lithosphere. As is true in the nitrogen cycle, the activities of microorganisms are crucial in the global cycling of this nutrient. The process begins with geochemical and meteorologic processes such as the weathering of rock. When sulphur is released from the rock and comes in contact with air, it is converted into sulphate [SO4], which is taken up by plants and microorganisms and converted into organic forms. Animals acquire these organic forms of sulphur from their foods. When organisms die and decompose, some of the sulphur enters the tissues of microorganisms and some is released again as sulphate. There is, however, a continual loss of sulphur from terrestrial ecosystems as some of it drains into lakes and streams and eventually into the ocean as runoff. Additional sulphur enters the ocean through fallout from the atmosphere. Sulphur reenters the atmosphere naturally in three major ways: sea spray releases large amounts of the element from the ocean into the atmosphere; anaerobic respiration by sulphate-reducing bacteria causes the release of hydrogen sulphide [H2S] gas [with its characteristic odour of rotten eggs] esp. from marshes, tidal flats, and similar environments in which anaerobic microorganisms thrive; and volcanic activity releases additional but much smaller amounts of sulphur gas into the atmosphere.”4
FEATURES Sulphur is an extremely active element. It combines with all the metals, except gold and platinum, to form inorganic sulphides. Sulphur production and consumption is regarded as an indicator of industrial activity and the state of a country’s economy. “Sulphur combines with alacrity, burns very easily, and oxidizes slowly even at normal temperatures [as shown by its sour odour, particularly when pulverized]. Combined with hydrogen it becomes a gas; with carbon, it becomes a volatile ether-like liquid; with nitrogen, it turns into a volatile explosive mass; with the halogens, chlorine, bromine, and fluorine, it forms volatile liquids, even gases. But its enchanted light-nature shows best in its manifold combinations with the metals and in the characteristic colourings that sulphur imparts to them. The metal sulphides, taken collectively, constitute a complete rainbow of colours. … When we are closely acquainted with the nature of sulphur, it is startling that it should be in solid form, for it ought to be a kind of air. We must see it as a paradox, as ‘solid gas’ or ‘frozen hot air’. Sulphur actually should be an oxygen-like gas.” [Sulphur was for some time thought to be a compound of oxygen and hydrogen.] “It has the same ability to combine with everything; it is related, like oxygen, to what is most contrasting; it takes hold of the acid-formers as well as of the alkali-formers. It can do this because it is polaric in itself, hence can offer to every outer polarity the inner and opposite one. But, in contrast to oxygen, sulphur likes to saturate, to neutralize the polarities within itself, to combine with itself. Compared to the ‘selfless’ oxygen, it is an ‘egotistical’ self-enjoying substance. This ability to combine with itself makes it possible for fiery sulphur vapour to condense as a solid body. [On the basis of these observations, and numerous others, the chemists have given to solid sulphur the symbol S8, pointing to an eightfold combination with itself.].”5
USES The Romans mined sulphur in Sicily and used it for matches and medicinal purposes. Today, elemental sulphur is used in black gunpowder, matches, and fireworks; in the vulcanisation of natural rubber; as a fungicide and insecticide; and in the treatment of certain skin diseases. The principal use of sulphur is in the preparation of its compounds. The most important sulphur compound is sulphuric acid, which is used in making sulphite paper and other papers, as a fumigant, in the manufacture of fertilizers, and in the bleaching of dried fruits. Other important compounds include sulphur dioxide, used as a bleaching agent, disinfectant, and refrigerant; sodium bisulphite, used in paper manufacture; carbon disulphide, an important organic solvent; hydrogen sulphide, sulphur trioxide, and thionyl chloride, used as reagents in chemistry; the numerous sulphate compounds; and sulpha drugs. Pharmaceutical sulphur exists in three forms of 99.5% [or higher] purity: precipitated sulphur [milk of sulphur], sublimed sulphur [flowers of sulphur], and washed sulphur. Impurities, if any, consist usually of traces of arsenic or acid.
PHYSIOLOGY Sulphur is an essential element for man, animals, plants and micro-organisms. It is a constituent of the amino acids cysteine, cystine, methionine, and taurine, and hence of all proteins. Most of the about 100 gram sulphur contained in the average adult body occurs in the amino acids, while the rest appears as sulphate within body cells, either free or attached to body constituents like the anti-blood clotting agent heparin and the structural component of cartilage, chondroitin sulphate. As a component of insulin it plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. A lack of nutritional sulphur in the diet can result in low insulin production. “Sulphur is present in the two vitamins thiamine [B1] and biotin; in vitamin D of milk where it occurs as a water-soluble sulphate; in fatty acid sulphates; in the enzymes that contain glutathione and coenzyme A. Thiosulphates and thiocyanates are present in body fluids in very small amounts where they are produced in the detoxification of cyanide present in foods, polluted atmospheres and tobacco smoke. Body content of sulphur resides mainly in keratin, the horny layer of the skin; in finger- and toenails; in skin; in the joints. The characteristic smell of burning hair is due to its high sulphur content. The curliness of hair depends upon the sulphur – sulphur bonds of cystine. Sheep’s wool, which is very curly, can contain 5% of its weight as sulphur.”6 [The wool fat lanolin is rich in sulphur, which may explain the allergic reactions of Sulphur individuals to woolen clothing.] The yellow to reddish-brown, sulphur-containing pigment phaeomelanin produces ‘red’ hair. Because of its importance for healthy hair, skin and nails sulphur has been dubbed ‘the beauty mineral’. Deficiency symptoms of sulphur include memory loss, arthritis, hypoglycemia, acne, dry hair, brittle nails, slow wound healing, and rough skin. Most dietary sulphur is supplied by protein-rich foods such as eggs, seafood, nuts, poultry and meats, organ meat, white fish, cheese, and skimmed milk, or by plants with a high sulphur content, such as those belonging to the Cruciferae [mustard, cress, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, radish, etc.] or Alliaceae [onion, chives, garlic, leek]. Feeding ruminants large amounts of dietary sulphur, resulting in the production of excess sulphides in the rumen, may lead to a peculiar, potentially fatal disorder in which the animal becomes a ‘star gazer’, i.e. it stands with its head back over its shoulders looking up at the sky. The disorder, known as polioencephalomalacia [PEM], is fatal when the animal is not treated with thiamine.
FOOD ADDITIVES Sulphur dioxide and sulphites [E220-E227] are in common use as preservatives, antioxidants, and antibrowning agents in foods. In some countries they are banned from use in foods recognized as a source of vitamin B1, such as meat, cereals, and dairy products, because they destroy the nutrient. Some sulphites are used in the production of cellophane for food packaging. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans already employed sulphur dioxide as a preservative for wine by burning sulphur before sealing the wine into barrels. Wine always contains sulphites, which come from two sources: produced by the yeasts that ferment the grapes, and added by humans to prevent enzymic browning in the grape must – esp. important for white wines – and to inhibit the growth of lactic acid or acetic acid bacteria. Sulphur-based preservatives lend an appearance of freshness and crispness to fruits, green vegetables, potatoes, and salads. Sulphites preserve the bright-red colour of meat, restore the colour of old meat, and prevent the discolouration of shrimps and lobsters. Seasonally available soft fruit is stored as sulphited fruit pulp to permit jam manufacture to proceed all the year round; during the jam boiling process much of the sulphur dioxide is lost. Processed foods containing appreciable levels of sulphur dioxide or sulphites include, in descending order: dried fruit, concentrated fruit juices, dehydrated potatoes, molasses, fruit juices [regular strength], fruit spread, mustard, wine, dehydrated vegetables, dairy products, grain products, maraschino cherries, glacéed fruit, vegetable juice, frozen lobster, fresh or frozen shrimp, tea, vinegar, gravies and sauces, powdered garlic, glucose and soft drinks, and frozen mushrooms. The most common adverse effect to sulphiting agents in humans is bronchoconstriction and bronchospasm, particularly among asthmatics. Other adverse reactions may include anaphylaxis, flushing, tingling sensations, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, hypotension, and skin effects such as itching, angioedema, and urticaria. It has led the International Labour Office [Geneva, Switzerland] to the conclusion that ‘persons suffering from chronic conjunctivitis or laryngitis, bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, any disorder inhibiting nasal respiration, or any cardiovascular disease should not be exposed to sulphur dioxide.’ Hyperactive Children’s Support Groups recommend that sulphur-based preservatives are avoided. 6-8
SYMBOLISM For the alchemists, the fire-spitting sulphur, when sublimated became the Son of the Sun, wearing the crowns of the three realms, vegetable, animal and mineral. Sulphur was considered the male principle and had the Phoenix [the firebird] and the cock as its symbols. It requires the interplay with the volatile quicksilver – the feminine principle – to be liberated from its limitations of dryness and hardness; without this unification sulphur remains rigid and theoretical knowledge. “The alchemists regarded sulphur as being to the body what the Sun was to the universe. When given the infernal sense of their symbolism, gold, light, and the colour yellow ‘denote selfish pride which seeks only in itself for wisdom and which becomes its own god, principle and goal’. In Christian tradition, it is this fatal side of the symbolism of the Sun and of the colour yellow for which ‘diabolical’ brimstone [sulphur] stands in both Old and New Testaments alike. Sodom was destroyed by fire and brimstone and the punishment which the Book of Job [18] holds out to the wicked uses the same image. ‘The light shall be dark in his tabernacle … brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation … He shall be driven from light into darkness.’ The smoky yellow flame of burning sulphur stands in the Bible for the anti-light which flows from Lucifer’s pride – light turned into darkness. ‘Take heed therefore,’ says St Luke [11:35] ‘that the light that is within thee be not darkness.’ Sulphur is a symbol of guilt and punishment because ‘paganism used it to cleanse the guilty’.”9
PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann – 4 provers; method: unknown.
•• [2] Wurmb – 31 provers [25 males, 6 females], c. 1845-47; method: repeated and/or increasing doses of crude substance, flowers of sulphur, undiluted tincture, concentrated tincture in water, 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6c, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10c, 10x, 11x, 12c, 12x, 13x, 14x, 15c, 16x, 20c, 30c, 30x, 31x, 60c, 100c, 100x, 101x, 102x, 200c, 400c, 400x, 403x, 404x, or 800x, Many provers undertook several trials; the amounts taken varied strongly but in general were substantial and repeated over long periods of time, e.g. daily dose of 30 grains pure sulphur for 34 days, a pinch of flowers of sulphur every morning for 70 days, etc.
•• [3] Robinson – 12 provers [10 females, 2 males], 1867; method: single dose or repeated doses of 30 [3 provers], 200 [3 provers], or 1M [6 provers].
[1] Lide [ed.], Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. [2] Pelikan, The Secrets of Metals. [3-4] Encyclopaedia Britannica. [5] Pelikan, ibid. [6] Hanssen, E for Additives. [7] Winter, Food Additives. [8] Cox and Brusseau, Secret Ingredients. [9] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, Dictionary of Symbols.
Affinity
CIRCULATION [VENOUS; portal; abdomen]. NUTRITIVE ORGANS. MEMBRANES [mucous; serous]. Rectum. Chest. SKIN; folds. VERTEX. SOLES. Joints. Glands. * LEFT SIDE. Right side.
Modalities
Worse: SUPPRESSIONS. BATHING. Milk. HEATED [EXERTION; WARM ROOM; closed room; IN BED, wearing woollens, etc.]. Atmospheric changes. Speaking. Periodically [11 A.M.; climacteric; full moon]. Standing. Rest. Washing. Unpleasant odours. Early morning.
Better: Open air. Motion. Warm applications. Warm drinks. Sweating. Dry heat. Dry warm weather. Lying on right side. Drawing up affected limbs.
Main symptoms
M HOPEFUL DREAMERS; ecstatic, religious, philosophic. [Boger]
A hopeful dreamer who realizes many of his wishes in his sleep. [Coulter]
M Mainly two types:
c PHILOSOPHICAL, theorizing..
c PRACTICAL, idealistic, mechanical.
• “Sulphur possesses opposite propensities to Phosphorus. Unlike the latter element which, when ignited by spontaneous combustion, disappears upwards in vapour by force of levity, Sulphur, when ignited, burns with a blue flame and its vapour recondenses at normal surface temperature to form a yellow crystalline powder. This is a manifestation of gravitational force and the tendency on the part of the element to become re-materialized, even when oxidized by heat into vapour. Sulphur, in contradistinction to Phosphorus, exhibits an earthward tendency, a preoccupation with material things rather than art, a penchant for down-to-earth schemes rather than for poetic fancy, a predisposition for physical awareness rather than imaginings and extrasensory perceptiveness. Sulphur is essentially related to the processes of metabolism.” [Gibson]
M MANY IDEAS; no time or too much trouble to realize them.
• “He is concerned primarily with impractical things, philosophic reveries, religious or occult enthusiasm which appears very significant to him but in reality is only a device to avoid real and definite work. … The egocentricity and disorder make him useless for practical life.” [Leeser]
GREAT IDEAS [“bringing everything into focus for all humanity”].
• “Generating big ideas, he then needs others to carry them out, and surrounds himself with people who are willing to work fourteen hours a day at the menial, monotonous or ignoble tasks [the drudgery] to implement his magnificent plans – while he is already onto a new idea, devising ways of setting others to work on this one, and has little patience for repeating or explaining, as is often needful when leading others.” [Coulter]
Revolutionary ideas [which will change the world].
Connecting and combining everything; expanding.
NO focus, NO real depth.
Know lots of DETAILS.
• “He loves theorizing, rationalizing, weaving abstract or hypothetical systems, and the storage and retrieval of practical or statistical data. … Sometimes they possess an ‘amazing aptitude for languages’ [Borland] and are fascinated by them. … He may possess a prodigious memory. Once some bit of information lodges there, it stays and accumulates interest as surely and safely as money in a bank, to be brought out whenever some expenditure is needed. … Skeptical comments about the accuracy of his information are received with composure and a precise indication of the source. … The sheer demonstration of his phenomenal memory conveys an implicit challenge, ‘Dispute that if you can!’ … The type can be intellectually aggressive and overbearing – a Mr. Know-It-All who consistently expresses his views in an annoying ‘without fear of contradiction’ tone.” [Coulter]
M IMAGINATIVE.
Millions of fancies.
May lead to ANXIETY about health.
M SELF-CENTRED; have a good opinion about themselves.
• “The first time you meet him he is a genius, the next time a nuisance, and subsequently a pest.” [Wright Hubbard]
PEDANTIC. Opinionated.
Love debating for the sake of argument.
VANITY.
• “Sulphur is in fact the basic constitutional remedy of the Jupiterian. … The overriding malady of the Jupiterian is vanity. Happy to be alive, rejoicing in his triumphs, complacently aware of the position he has gained without having dared to hope for it, he treats his contemporaries ostentatiously but without scorn. With his watch-chain hanging over his bulging belly, and thumbs tucked into the seams of his waistcoat, he pontificates solemnly, unaware of the ridiculous figure he cuts. An animal whose instincts are thwarted becomes vicious, whilst a man who does not discover how to use his faculties exemplifies disorder. Of course he is unhappy, because he has lost the way which had been traced for him, but he may also be wicked and dangerous. Similarly, the Jupiterian woman, by nature a leader in society and public life, becomes manipulative and perverse if destiny thwarts her claims. Her vanity will seek satisfaction in other directions. She will try to obtain the money she desires by dubious efforts of inheritance, such as consciously caring for an aged relative whose difficult behaviour she will tolerate, whilst at the same time longing for his or her death. Jupiterians who have lost control of their natural instincts become grossly sensual and greedy, and drink heavily. They talk loudly, seasoning their speech with jokes, odious puns and smutty stories, laughing uproariously at their own wit. Self-indulgent and shameless, they are the despair of their family. Their friends are mostly boon companions. Very ambitious, avid for money, clever, cunning, and esp. lucky in business, they succeed where others fail. Boastful and cowardly, irreligious through false human respect, they fear death, and will call for a priest in their last moments.”1
SELF-SATISFIED.
• “They give the impression of being very well satisfied with themselves. They think their clothes are marvellous, and sometimes they think rags are beautiful. They are not very sure of themselves, yet put up a good bluff and give the impression of being hale and hearty and self-confident; yet when cross-questioned their self-confidence goes. They are not really very sure of themselves and are resentful if found out. Then they are apt to become stubborn and rather obstinate and to stick to what they have already said, even if it is not accurate. That tallies with the description in the books – ‘taking up definite beliefs, and sticking to them.’ Associated with that they tend to be untruthful. If a lie will serve their purpose they will lie without any hesitation, and sometimes it is difficult to decide whether they are deliberately lying or whether they are deceiving themselves. It appears that they can convince themselves of anything they want to believe, and they use that to serve their immediate purpose.” [Borland]
M Need to be the centre of attention; exaggerating, boasting.
Ailments from EMBARRASSMENT.
M Fear of HIGH PLACES.
G Weakness from HUNGER.
Hypoglycaemia.
Feeling of hunger an hour before the usual time of eating.
G SLOW, LAZY, hungry and always tired.
G Strong craving for SWEETS and SPICY food.
Desire for beer and whiskey.
Wants pickles and piquant things during headache.
G WARM, yet very sensitive to drafts of air.
May be chilly at an older age.
G DESIRE for OPEN AIR.
G VENOUS CONGESTION.
LOCAL heat and burning, esp. head, face, palms of hands and soles of feet [“burns at both ends”].
G BURNING pains and sensations.
G Intolerance of WARM, CLOSE ROOMS.
< WARM bed, room, wraps. G < NIGHT; esp. around 4 - 5 A.M. G < 11 A.M. G < LONG sleep. [causes congestive complaints] G UNCURED, UNTIDY and UNWASHED. [Boger] • "As regards appearances, there is one thing pretty constant about Sulphur - one sees them very well turned out, often perfectly tidy, and often definitely proud of their appearance and not always without reason. This is a fairly common picture. In spite of this, they have always just missed being completely right, either their jacket does not sit well, or they have the wrong coloured tie, or their fingernails are dirty or something of the sort just gives the show away." [Borland] G OFFENSIVE secretions. [perspiration, stool, urine, foot sweat] Excoriating, burning. [1] Vannier, Typology in Homoeopathy. Rubrics Mind Anger about his mistakes [2]. Love for animals, for cats [2]. Aversion to all persons [2], literary persons [1/1]. Collects many things [1]. Delusions, she has an abundance of everything [1/1], even rags seem beautiful [2/1], body is enlarged, alternating with delusion that body is very small [1/1], hears voices calling him at night [1/1], imaginations of wealth [2]. Foolish behaviour, happiness and pride [3/1]. Indifference, to personal appearance [3], to welfare of others [3]. Dwells on religious speculations [3/1]. Head Congestion, when lying on back [2/1], in warm room [3]. Empty sensation while talking [2]. Pain, > cold feet [3/1], from fasting, if hunger is not appeased at once [2], from odour of eggs [3/1].
Eye
Photophobia during warm weather [1/1].
Vision
Dazzling when looking long [3/1]. Flickering before headache [2].
Stomach
Heartburn after boiled eggs [1/1]. Nausea from odour of his own body [3/1]. Pain, < honey [3], < milk [2].
Rectum
Diarrhoea, after beer [3], < standing [3], after sugar [2].
Female
Pain, bearing down, uterus, at night in bed [3/1].
Larynx
Cold sensation, inspiration cold, expiration hot [2/1].
Back
Coldness, sacral region, extending upwards [3/1].
Limbs
Heat, soles of feet, in bed [3], during menses [2].
Sleep
Deep, after beer [1/1]. Great need of sleep [2]. Restless, tries to find a cool place [2]. Sleeplessness, in dark room [2], from warmth of bed [3].
Dreams
Being crushed [2/1]. Fire coming down from heaven [2/1]. Nightmares when lying on the back [3].
Chill
Beginning and extending from tips of fingers and toes [2].
Fever
Burning heat, with sensation of sparks [2].
Generals
Touching warm things < [2/1].
Food
Aversion: [3]:Meat; olives. [2]: Beer; bread; cheese, strong; chicken; fat; milk; smoking; sour; strawberries; sweets; tobacco; wine. [1]: Artichokes; black bread; brown bread; eggs; fish; mother’s milk; rye bread; sauerkraut; turnips.
Desire: [3]: Alcohol; beer; fat + sweets; raw food; spicy; sweets; sweets, before menses; whisky; wine. [2]: Ale; brandy; claret; chocolate; cucumbers; farinaceous; fat; liquid food; meat, must have; oysters; pickles; sour; vegetables; warm drinks. [1]: Apples; butter; cider; cold drinks; fat + salt; garlic; ice cream; meat; milk; olives; pungent; salt; salt + sweets; vinegar.
Worse: [3]: Milk; sight of food. [2]: Ale; bread; cold drinks; cold food; eggs; fat; olive oil; onions; potatoes; sour; sweets; vinegar. [1]: Apples; beans; beer; black bread; bread and butter; butter; cabbage; coffee; corn; dry food; eggs, smell of; farinaceous; heavy food; hot food; juicy fruit; meat; pastry; rice; salad; turnips; veal; warm food; tobacco; wine, sour.
Better: [2]: Hot food; warm drinks. [1]: Sugar; sweets; vinegar; wine.