Innovative use of magnesium oxide in the treatment of “neuralgia of the celiac plexus of rheumatic origin” by G. Moscati in 1923

Abstract

We presented and discussed one interesting medical prescription by doctor Giuseppe Moscati (1880-1927), who prescribed magnesium oxide (magnesia usta) to a patient with the diagnosis of “neuralgia of the celiac plexus of rheumatic origin”. Besides the traditional use of magnesium as antacid remedy at the time, we raised the hypothesis that magnesium could be administered by Moscati in order to treat the neuralgia itself. Considering the scientific background of Moscati at the school of Filippo Bottazzi (1867-1941), a father of Italian biochemistry, we suggested that the doctor tried to apply the preliminary concepts acquired from electrophysiological studies on magnesium to his clinical practice. Only after decades, magnesium was recognized a fundamental ion in the energy metabolism and in contributing to maintain the ionic intracellular homeostasis, including for neurons.