Introduction to Sulphur – The Most Well-Known Remedy of Homeopathy

Welcome back to the Homeopathy Material Medica series. I’m Dr Imran Ali, and today I’ll be discussing the homeopathic remedy Sulphur. Sulphur is a non-metallic yellow colored crystalline substance. It’s a mineral on the periodic table with atomic number 16. When combined with hydrogen to make hydrogen sulfide, it gives off that notorious rotten egg smell.

• Check the full Materia Medica A–Z of homeopathic remedies

Sulphur is arguably the most well-known homeopathic remedy of all. Much can be said about this remedy, but I’m going to try to boil it down to its basic features, so let’s get started.

Sulphur is listed 30,000+ Times in the Repertory

All right, let’s begin with the fact that Sulphur is the most frequently listed remedy in a homeopathic repertory. I checked my own homeopathic computer program and found that Sulphur is listed in more than 30,000 rubrics, thus representing 30,000 different symptoms.

Then I compared that to the numbers for some other very common remedies. Calcarea Carb, for example, is listed in 22,000 rubrics, Lycopodium in 23,000 rubrics, and Belladonna in 21,000 rubrics. Thus, Sulphur is listed in the Repertory nearly 50 percent more times than any other remedy.

It’s important to know this because it explains why Sulphur almost always comes up near the top when we reperterise a group of symptoms. So don’t be fooled by this. We don’t want to be prescribing Sulphur for every person who seeks homeopathic treatment. And this highlights the difference between prescribing based upon a purely mechanical reperterization and remedy choices made based on our knowledge of the Materia Medica, combined with assistance from the Repertory.

So, although Sulphur is frequently indicated, it is not always indicated.

Mental Characteristics of Sulphur

Now I’m trying to distill the Sulphur mentals down to their most fundamental features. I came up with the following.

Sulphur is characterized by its:

1. Overconfidence
2. Rationality
3. Indolence (laziness)
4. Indifference (lack of interest)

Allow me to explain.

1- Overconfidence and Egotism of Sulfur

The typical Sulphur type tends to fall somewhere on a spectrum between cocky and extreme overconfidence. While some are merely confident, which is a perfectly wonderful trait to possess, quite a few are more than just confident. They tend to exhibit a kind of self-satisfied overconfidence. Many can be presumptuous(excessively bold), haughty (feel themselves superior), and even downright arrogant.

Sulfur is an Extroverted

Most Sulphur types are extroverted and outgoing and won’t hesitate to strike up a conversation. They have strong personalities and can be quite forward.

Talk in Loud Voice

Some can talk in a loud voice, unaware of how they may sound to others.

Sulfur Thinks He is Always Right

For some, Sulphur overconfidence is more accurately described as egotism. Many come across as egotistical know-it-alls. Sulphur thinks that he is always in the right. He believes himself to be smarter and more knowledgeable than those around him. But he tends to be smart in a rather specific and limited kind of way.

Sulfur doesn’t Have Complete or in-depth knowledge

He’s often factually correct about certain details, and as a consequence, he’s prone to citing statistics and quotes from various sources, studies, and articles that he’s read. And Sulphur can be intimidating(threatening) in this sense. But while he may know a little bit about a lot of things, in reality, he tends to lack depth of understanding. So while his encyclopedic knowledge may be impressive to some, he tends to lack a solid foundation for the many assertions that he makes.

How the Sulfur Patient Shows His Knowledge in the Clinic (Pedantic)

I admit to sometimes feeling amused when a patient consulting me for the first time launches into a discourse designed to demonstrate to me his knowledge of Medicine. For example, he may give me a scientific tutorial on his particular medical diagnosis when it becomes clear that he’s memorized some of the scientific facts regarding his condition, but that he lacks a true understanding of the problem or of how Homeopathy would approach this problem.

I begin to wonder about remedies like Sulphur or Lycopodium. The difference is that while Lycopodium does this to compensate for an underlying lack of confidence in himself, Sulphur actually believes that he’s conveying valuable information to me that I need to know.

A good word for this is pedantic.

Someone who is Pedantic makes a display of his knowledge of obscure facts and details, often in an annoying or tiresome way.

I’ve coined another term for this Sulphur tendency, which I’ve borrowed from the word mansplaining. Sulphur has a distinct tendency to Sulph-splain.

Irritable Towards Those Who Don’t Appreciate Him

To make matters worse, Sulphur may become impatient and irritable toward those who grow tired of his sulf-splaining and who fail to appreciate that they should be grateful for his willingness to impart his knowledge to them.

Those Who Don’t Agree With Sulfur Are Labelled As Stupid By Him

In fact, one of Sulphur’s pet peeves is stupidity. Anyone unable to see things his way is by definition stupid. I’ve had more than a few Sulphur patients emphasize to me their intolerance for stupid people.

2- Rationality and Argumentativeness of Sulphur

Another prominent feature of Sulphur is his highly rational nature. Most Sulphur types tend to be left-brain dominant. They’re logical and analytical. They’re more quantitative in perspective than qualitative.

Sulfur Vs Mr Spock from Star Trek

The classic caricature of this, of course, is Mr Spock from Star Trek. Like Spock, Sulphur types are mentally preoccupied. They operate from the level of the mind more than from the heart. They’re much more comfortable with thinking than with feeling.

Sulphur is inquisitive(curious), rational, and intellectual. This arrogance comes from the belief that his logical mind gives him a superior way of perceiving the world and its problems. As a consequence, he seeks to master the facts and details that he believes will provide the key to understanding.

Sulfur Enjoys Mental Jousting(Debates, etc)

This unique combination of rationality and overconfidence tends to make Sulphur rather argumentative. He seeks to engage others in debate. He enjoys mental jousting as if it were a sport for enjoyment. To his credit, he’s adept at debating without becoming emotionally involved.

Quarrelsome & Critical

Of course, sometimes his cockiness can get the better of him, and he may become irritated at the stupidity of his intellectual opponent. Sulphur types can also be quarrelsome and critical. However, winning an argument is not always the same thing as uncovering the truth.

Sometimes logical superiority simply points to the eggheadedness of one’s perspective.

“Egghead” is a slang term for a highly intellectual person, often used humorously or critically to imply someone lacks practical, real-world sense.

Sulfur is The Ragged Philosopher

And this brings me to the fact that the homeopathic books tend to refer to the Sulphur type as the ragged philosopher. Sulphur is the most prominently listed remedy in repertories under:

• Theorizing
• Ability for philosophy

Sulphur is the brainy intellectual who has his head in the clouds, oblivious to the fact that he hasn’t done the dishes in days or put out the garbage in weeks. His mind is preoccupied with what he believes to be more important things. Those things tend to take the form of data facts in all manner of minutiae(minute details of something).

Sulfur is an Absent-Minded Professor & Non-Practical

Another analogy is that of the absent-minded professor. Sulphur is busy theorizing about some scientific or social problem while the more practical aspects of his life go neglected. Sulphur may be smart and may ask many questions, but he’s not necessarily practically grounded or well-rounded. He can juggle a mountain of facts in his busy mind, but tends to lack the ability to make a coherent, sensible synthesis out of the whole.

Again, these remedy profiles are not always so black and white. Some Sulphur types, believe it or not, can be quite practical and down to earth.

3,4- Indolence and Indifference of Sulfur

Okay, now two additional prominent characteristics of Sulphur are indolence and indifference. Indolence is another word for being lazy. And indifference is another word for apathy. Laziness and apathy are somewhat similar and can have overlapping meanings.

Sulphur tends to embody aspects of both. He’s notoriously lazy, especially when it comes to the things that he views as unimportant. He’s usually not lazy about his intellectual pursuits, mind you, just everything else.

Slovenly – Don’t Pay Attention to His Physical Appearance

Slovenly is another word that aptly describes Sulphur.

Slovenly refers to a person who is lazily careless about neatness and cleanliness especially when it comes to physical appearances.

This brings us back to the image of the absent-minded professor who is mentally preoccupied but utterly disinterested in taking care of his physical environment.

Sulphur is a Notorious Collector of Things

To make matters worse, Sulphur is a notorious collector of things. He collects all kinds of things that he believes may come in handy someday in the future. He saves old magazines and collects odds and ends from garage sales. Oftentimes, his most prized possession is his book collection. As time passes, his living space becomes increasingly cluttered with items that never get organized or properly put away.

I’ve had quite a few Sulphur types reassure me that even though they may appear to outsiders to be disorganized and chaotic, there’s a method to their madness. Amusingly, they insist that they have their own system that allows them to know where, amidst the apparent chaos, to find what they need.

Sulphur is Too Lazy About His Personal Hygiene

So the Sulphur stereotype is that of a sloppy, messy, unkempt person who is too lazy to organize his personal belongings. He may even be indifferent to his personal hygiene and may go so far as to neglect bathing.

The homeopathic literature refers to this as:

• An aversion to bathing.

Indifference & Selfishness of Sulphur

He’s indifferent because he really doesn’t care about such trivial matters. Only that which is important to him. In this sense, Sulphur can be selfish. He selfishly tends to his own interests and ignores the things that may be important to his family, friends, and loved ones. When confronted with his bad habits, he may pledge to do better but then fails to make good on his word.

Tendency to Procrastinate (Delay or Postpone)

Sulphur is known for its tendency to procrastinate. He intends to clean up his mess or to clean up his act, but he never quite manages to do so. He always puts it off for another day.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this is a Sulphur stereotype. Sometimes it’s true, sometimes not. In truth, these characteristics can manifest on a spectrum from very mild or even non-existent, all the way up to the obvious and dramatic.

Sulphur Can Be Fastidious too

And yes, indeed, some Sulphur types can actually be fastidious.

Indolence Turning into Depression

On the other hand, sometimes the Sulphur indolence and indifference can grow so strong as to take the form of a depression. In such cases, it can look like the apathetic depression of a Sepia or Phosphoric acid.

How Patients Respond After Taking Sulphur?

The good news is that homeopaths never grow tired of hearing follow-up reports from patients who have recently taken Sulphur. Not infrequently, they will note the surge in motivation that allowed them to clean up a room or organize a project that they had been intending to get to but just hadn’t found the time or energy to begin.

Fears of Sulphur

Okay, now let’s close out the mentals with the Sulphur fears. I find most Sulphur types to have relatively few fears.

Fear of Heights

So, for our purposes here, the only fear worth mentioning is the Sulphur fear of heights. He may fear heights and may get vertigo when in high places.

Sulphur is More Confident than Fearful

There can be other fears, but generally speaking, Sulphur is not a very fear-based remedy. If anything, Sulphur is more confident than fearful.

Gender Clarification About Sulfur

Now, before we go any further, I want to clarify that Sulphur is a remedy that can fit both men and women. I’ve referred to Sulphur here, HE mainly for the sake of convenience.

Physical Generals and Symptoms of Sulphur

Okay, now let’s talk about the Sulphur Generals, modalities, and physical symptoms.

Just like I summarized the mental under four broad categories, I’m going to try to do the same here for the physical symptoms. Therefore, generally speaking many Sulphur physical symptoms tend to fall under the following four headings.

1. Itching
2. Burning
3. Heat
4. Redness

1- Itchy Skin Conditions

First off, Sulphur is notorious for its many itchy skin conditions. Sulphur can have rashes and eruptions of all kinds. It’s one of the itchiest of all remedies, and wherever there’s itching, there also tends to be redness and burning.

Sulphur is so itchy that when I see a skin problem that is not accompanied by itching, I hesitate to prescribe Sulphur. On the other hand, any itchy condition that is also red and or burning must make us think of Sulphur.

Modalities of Sulphur’s Itching

The Sulphur itch is usually:

• Aggravated by warmth.
• Worse from bathing.
• Worse at night.
• Aggravated by the heat of the bed.
• Worse from wearing wool.
• Better by cold.

2- Sulphur is Warm-Blooded

Sulphur is also notoriously warm-blooded. It’s one of the warmest of all remedies.

Easy Perspiration of Sulfur

Sulphur also perspires easily.

Heat in the Soles of the Feet

He frequently sleeps with his bare feet sticking out from under the covers. Some do this because their feet are hot. Some do it because their feet burn.

Feeling Hot Even in Winters

Some Sulphur types sleep without covers at all, even during the winter. When you see the sloppily dressed guy walking around in his shorts in the winter, think Sulphur.

3- Burning Sensation & Burning Pains

In addition to heat, there may also be burning. There can be burning sensations and or burning pains. Oftentimes, the feet can burn, and sometimes the vertex or top of the head can burn.

Top 3 Remedies for Burning Pains

Whenever we see burning pains anywhere, the three main remedies to consider are:

1. Sulphur
2. Phosphorus
3. Arsenicum Album

4- Redness

Many Sulphur conditions also tend to be accompanied by redness. We frequently see redness of the skin and also redness of the orifices. There may be redness of the lips, ears, nose, and anus.

And there may also be redness of the parts affected by a particular condition. So when dealing with conditions like:

• Conjunctivitis,
• Vaginitis,
• Urethritis,
• Blepharitis (inflammation of eyelid margins),
• Rhinitis,
• Otitis,

We think of Sulphur when the associated parts are red, itchy, and burning.

Food Preferences of Sulphur

Desires Hot Spicy Foods

Generally speaking, in terms of food preference,s Sulphur is famous for its craving for hot spicy foods. These are the people who can tolerate foods too spicy for the average person to handle.

When a patient says he prefers mildly spicy food, I hesitate to prescribe Sulphur.

Desires Sweet Things

Sulphur also desires sweet things. When we see a desire for hot spicy and sweets, we think Sulphur.

Likes Sour Foods

Sulphur also likes sour foods, but usually to a lesser extent.

Likes Rich Foods and Alcohol

And they like rich foods and alcoholic beverages.

Likes Ice-Cold Drinks

Sulphur usually prefers ice-cold drinks.

Some Sulfurs Love All Kinds of Foods

Many Sulphur types will say that they love food or that they like all kinds of foods.

Aversion to Eggs

On the other hand, the one consistent Sulphur aversion tends to be eggs. Many do not like eggs.

Modalities of Sulfur

Now, let’s discuss the Sulphur modalities.

Aggravated By Heat

As we’ve seen, Sulphur is aggravated by heat especially by the heat of the bed or by a warm bath.

Aggravated by Bathing

And he’s aggravated by bathing in general.

Aggravated by Standing and Stooping

Sulphur is aggravated by standing and stooping. This applies especially to his back pains or back problems.

Left-Sided Symptoms

Sulphur conditions are often worse on the left side, and he’s prone to developing left-sided symptoms. One common left-sided Sulphur symptom is left shoulder pain.

Worse from Suppressed Eruptions

Sulphur can be made worse by suppressed skin eruptions. This makes sense given Sulphur’s strong tendency to develop skin conditions. Any topical or oral drug designed to suppress an itch or rash can lead to a worsening of Sulphur’s overall health.

Time Modalities of Sulphur

In terms of time modalities, Sulphur symptoms are worse at 11 am. Some like to skip breakfast but then become hungry around 11 am.

Wake at 4-5 AM

Sulphur also tends to wake early, especially around four or five am.

Worse in the Morning

Some Sulphur conditions are also aggravated early in the morning, especially his digestive symptoms.

Digestive Symptoms of Sulphur

Morning Diarrhea With Itching & Burning

Now speaking of digestive symptoms, Sulphur tends to develop diarrhea. The diarrhea is usually worse in the early morning, especially around 5 or 6 am. It may force them to jump out of bed to get to the bathroom. When there’s diarrhea in the morning, accompanied by burning or even itching, we think of Sulphur.

Additional Sulphur digestive conditions that involve burning include gastritis and heartburn.

When to Prescribe Sulphur?

Now, Sulphur is such a commonly indicated polycrest that it may be useful in virtually any type of illness.

If we see general characteristics like warm-bloodedness, sloppiness, and desire for spicy hot foods, then Sulphur may be the needed remedy.

Remedy Relationships of Sulphur

Trio of Remedies: Calcarea Carb, Lycopodium, Sulphur

In terms of remedy relationships, Sulphur is one of three remedies in the commonly indicated sequence of Calcarea, Lycopodium, and Sulphur.

Aconite & Bryonia in Acute Conditions

Both Aconite and Bryonia are commonly indicated remedies for acute ailments contracted by Sulphur types.

Pulsatilla & Medorrhinum (Warm-Blooded)

Remedies to compare to Sulphur include Pulsatilla and Medorrhinum, both of which are quite warm-blooded.

Graphites (Skin Conditions)

Graphites, which has a lot of skin symptoms.

Natrum Sulph & Aloe (Morning Diarrhea)

Natrum Sulphuricum and Aloe, both of which get diarrhea attacks in the morning.

Psorinum (Complementary to Sulphur)

And Psorinum, which is both a complement to Sulphur and can be easily mistaken for Sulphur. Both remedies tend to be apathetic, slovenly, and itchy. The main difference is that while Sulphur is warm-blooded, Psorinum tends to be very chilly.

Sulphur Keynotes Revised

Okay, let’s finish with a quick review of some Sulphur keynotes.

We have:

• Warm-bloodedness and aggravation from heat.
• Desire for hot spicy foods and sweets.
• Aversion to eggs.
• Cockiness and argumentativeness.
• Sloppiness(lack of care and organization).
• Apathy and procrastination.
• Left-sided symptoms.
• Itchy skin conditions.
• And burning pains and sensations.

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