Sulfozinum

Colloidal sulphur, better known as the brand name Sulfosin or one of its spelling variants (sulfazin, sulfozin, sulfozine, sulfozinum), is a pharmaceutical drug originally used for its ability to causes a pyrogenic reaction (body temperature elevation). Sulfosin is a 0.37 – 2% sterilized solution of purified elemental sulfur in peach oil or olive oil for intramuscular injections. The preparation is unstable, so it was prepared only in local hospital pharmacies. The intramuscular injection causes a muscle necrosis, fever, immobility, and severe pain.

Sulfosin was introduced to medical use by Danish physician Knud Schroeder in February 1924. It was used for both neurosyphilis "insanity" and psychiatric "instanity", the latter being inspired by the success of pyrotherapy against neurosyphilis. It was modestly effective for the former, but its effectiveness in non-syphilitic/functional psychoses was far less pronounced: in the most hopeful interpretation, it appeared largely ineffective for schizophrenia, completely ineffective for epilepsy, but slightly effective for manic depression. Nevertheless, it was considered useful in comparison to the other available options. As a result it saw considerable use in many parts of the world (especially in Spain), but was phased out when penicillin and shock therapy became available. The Soviet Union, however, consinued to use it for various psychiatric conditions (including politically-motivated diagnoses), and alcoholism. It was not used in American psychiatry.

In medical applications, a number of improvements aimed to reduce the pain associated with Sulfosin: the injection volume was decreased using the more concentrated 2% strength and a topical anesthetic is typically given before hand. There are also compound medications that combined Sulfosin with a topical anesthetic such as benzocaine (Neosulfosin and Anaesthesulf).