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Re: Epsom Salts (was APD V3 #976



Hello Sherman,

The only error you have made, is to assume that the "USP" grade
indicates "purity". All it says, is that the compund is fit for
pharmaceutical use.

The US Pharmacopoeia lists only "magnesium sulfate" = Eprom Salts.
Because Epsom salts effloresce (loose water) upon exposure to dry air,
the composition is never certain. The water content (on ignition) of the
USP grade is specified as from 40% to 52%. That means, that the water
content can be from about 1.5-7.0 [i.e. MgSO4.(1.5-7.0)H2O]. Yours is
well within that range!!!

Best,

George

> 
>         This morning I picked up a pound of "Rite Aid 100% Natural Mineral
> Epsom Salt, Magnesium Sulfate U.S.P."  It's pharmaceutically pure
> MgSO4.7H2O, right?  On the side of the box, however, it says, "Magnesium
> Sulfate U.S.P. MgSO4.H20" -- not the heptahydrate, but a monohydrate.  I
> assumed that this was simply an error, but just to be sure, I looked it
> up.  It turns out that in addition to "Epsomite", MgSO4.7H2O, there's
> also "Kieserite", MgSO4.H2O.
>         In an attempt to figure out which of the two I actually had, I made a
> solution with a final concentration of 219 mg of the mystery powder per
> liter.  This should (by the arithmetic below) give a GH of 5 with the
> heptahydrate, or a GH of 9 with the monohydrate.  My Tetra GH kit took
> 14 drops in 10 mls, for a reading of 7, exactly midway between my 2
> predicted results. :(  Since my analytical equipment consists of kitchen
> utensils, a postage scale, and a bucket (carefully) calibrated in
> gallons, it's not surprising that the result was inconclusive.
>         For now I plan to err on the safe side, and assume that this really is
> MgSO4.H2O.  But I'm still wondering:
> 1. What's the correct answer?
> and
> 2. How many people out there are mixing their PMDD Magnesium dose at
> nearly 2X strength because their "Epsom salt" is really the monohydrate,
> at only 56% the expected molecular weight?
> - -- Sherman Lovell
> 
> The arithmetic:
> 1 dGH = 7.143 mg per liter of Ca
> 7.143 mg Ca x 24 mg Mg / 40 mg Ca = 4.29 mg Mg per dGH (Right?)
> 
> 219 mg MgSO4.7H20 x 24 mg Mg / 246 mg MgSO4.7H2O x 1 dGH/4.29 mg Mg
>         = 5 dGH for the heptahydrate
> OR...
> 219 mg MgSO4.H20 x 24 mg Mg / 138 mg MgSO4.H2O x dGH/4.29 mg Mg
>         = 9 dGH for the monohydrate
>