Karlsbad Salt
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Karlsbad salt is a mixture of salts similar in composition to the natural salts of Karlsbad mineral springs. It is used as a laxative, typically taken in a teaspoonful of room temperature water before sleep.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
Karlsbad salt, a mixture of salts analogous in composition to the principal natural salts of Karlsbad mineral springs. It usually corresponds to the composition of the Sprudel spring (t° 73°), the principal components of which, calculated as anhydrous salts (per 100 g of Sprudel water), are as follows (in mg): sodium sulfate (208.42), sodium bicarbonate (177.21), sodium chloride (64.35), potassium sulfate (18.64), magnesium sulfate (23.79), sodium silicate (14.54), and calcium chloride (35.76).-Artificial Karlsbad salt (Sal Carolinum factitium, ФУП) consists of 44% anhydrous sodium sulfate, 36% disodium carbonate, 18% sodium chloride, and 2% potassium sulfate. Under the name "crystalline Karlsbad salt," sodium sulfate (Glauber's salt) with a small admixture of NaCl and soda was available in trade. Karlsbad salt is prescribed, like Glauber's salt, as a laxative in a dose of 1 teaspoonful in water at room temperature before bedtime.
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“Karlsbad Salt.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/karlsbad-salt/