Lapis albus
Quick Facts
- What it is: A homeopathic remedy made by serially diluting calcium silico-fluoride, a calcium, silicon and fluorine mineral salt.
- Main uses: Swollen glands in the neck, Goitre (swelling of the thyroid gland), Hard lumps and swellings, Uterine fibroids (non-cancerous growths in the womb), Constant hunger soon after eating
- Best for: People already using homeopathy who want the traditional indication explained, Nothing on the basis of proven effect, as no human trials exist
- Active ingredients: Calcium silico-fluoride (Calcii silico-fluoras) as the starting material, No measurable source material at 12C and above, Lactose, sucrose or alcohol as the carrier you actually swallow
- Forms: Sugar pellets or granules, Lactose (milk sugar) tablets, Liquid drops in alcohol and water, Common potencies 3X, 6X, 6C, 30C, 200C
- Time to effect: Not established; no effect beyond placebo has been shown in trials.
- Side effects: Usually none from the pill itself; the real risk is delaying diagnosis of a lump or swelling.
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What is Lapis albus?
Lapis albus is a homeopathic remedy made from calcium silico-fluoride, a mineral salt. It is also called silico-fluoride of lime. It is a single remedy, made from one substance rather than a blend.
Homeopaths have used it mainly for swollen glands and for lumps and growths. They also used it for swelling of the thyroid (a gland in the front of the neck). One more old use was hunger that comes back soon after a meal.
The remedy is made by diluting the mineral again and again. First it is ground with milk sugar. Then each step is diluted and shaken.
At 30C, almost none of the first mineral is left in the pill you take.
Evidence verdict: no human trials of Lapis albus have been published. Trials of homeopathy as a whole show no effect beyond placebo (a dummy treatment). Its standing rests on case notes from the 1800s.
Long use in tradition is not proof that something works. Lumps, swollen glands and thyroid changes need a real diagnosis from a doctor.
How does Lapis albus work?
Honest answer: nobody has shown that it works. There is no accepted way it could work.
Homeopathy rests on one idea. A substance that causes symptoms in a well person may, when watered down a lot, settle those same symptoms.
Chemistry tells us that at 12C and beyond, no molecules of the starting material remain. So there is no known way for the finished pill to act on the body.
Old writers linked Lapis albus to hard, swollen glands. One reason was that fluorine salts settle in bone and teeth. That is a historical idea, not a tested one.
Some people do feel better after taking it. The likely reasons are simple. Symptoms rise and fall on their own, time passes, and a long, caring visit helps.
What forms does Lapis albus come in?
Lapis albus comes in the usual homeopathic forms. Sugar pellets or granules are the most common. You may also find lactose (milk sugar) tablets and liquid drops kept in alcohol.
Common strengths run from 3X and 6X up to 30C and 200C. A higher number means a weaker, more diluted product. It also means less source material can be left in it.
You take pellets and liquids by mouth. There is no injected form and no licensed medical form.
Where it comes from:
An Austrian doctor named Grauvogl brought Lapis albus into homeopathy in the 1860s. He worked with mineral spring deposits from Bohemia.
It entered the homeopathic materia medica (the books that list remedies and their uses) as a minor remedy. It was used for swollen glands, goitre (a swollen thyroid gland) and growths.
It has stayed a small, second-line remedy ever since. It has no separate history in herbal, Ayurvedic or Chinese medicine.
Who should avoid Lapis albus?
- Do not use if you have a lump, a swollen gland, a growing neck swelling or unexplained bleeding that a doctor has not yet examined; get the cause found first.
- Do not use if you have been diagnosed with cancer or a tumour and are thinking of replacing your treatment, because this remedy must never take the place of cancer care.
- Do not use if you have a thyroid condition and are tempted to lower or stop the thyroid medicine your doctor prescribed.
- Do not use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor or midwife has agreed, because safety in pregnancy has not been studied.
- Do not use if you want to give it to a baby or young child before a doctor has examined the child.
- Do not use if you have long-term kidney disease (kidneys that no longer filter waste well) and the product is a low potency such as 1X to 6X, since fluoride builds up when kidneys work poorly.
- Do not use if you or your child already take fluoride supplements, unless a dentist or doctor has checked the total fluoride you are getting.
- Do not use if you are lactose intolerant (milk sugar upsets your gut) and the pills are lactose-based; ask for a sucrose or lactose-free form.
- Do not use if you take disulfiram or metronidazole, or must avoid alcohol for any reason, and the product is an alcohol-based liquid.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor promptly if you notice a new lump anywhere, a swelling in your neck that is growing, a swollen gland that lasts more than two weeks, or trouble swallowing or breathing.
Book an appointment too if you have heavy or unusual bleeding, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, a lasting fever, or a racing heart with shakiness, which can point to a thyroid problem.
Stop the remedy and get medical help the same day if you get a rash, itching, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or any trouble breathing after taking it.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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