Phosphorus

PHOSPHORUS

Source: THE ELEMENT

Introduction:- It is one of our best  deep acting  &  polychrest medicine  in the Homeopathic Materia Medica and is indicated in our day to day practice in the following ailments:-

Haemorrhages - Gastritis  -  Respiratory Disorders -  Alopacia Areata -  Dandruff - Hypertension -

Neurological Disorders  -  Eye disorders - Kidney diseases - Bone disorders.

Constitutional taint:- Psoric. Syphilitic.

Action:- Phosphorus irritates, inflames and degenerates mucous membranes, irritates and inflames serous membranes, inflames spinal cord and nerves, causing paralysis, destroys bone, especially the lower jaw and tibia; disorganizes the blood, causing fatty degeneration of blood vessels and every tissue and organ of the body and thus gives rise to hæmorrhages, and hæmatogenous jaundice.

Produces a picture of destructive metabolism. Causes yellow atrophy of the liver and sub-acute hepatitis

Typical subjects:-  Tall, slender persons of sanguinine temperament (having a warm and hopeful nature, confident). Delicate, waxy, anaemic, and emacaiated. Young persons who have grown too rapidly and are inclined to stoop. Old men with morning diarrhoea. Persons with hereditary tendency to consumption. Phthisical old people with morning diarrhoea. Nervous, weak; desires to be magnetized.(Silicea.). Oversensitive to external impressionslight, noise, odours, touch. Premature old age. "Chlorotic girls who have grown too rapidly and have suddenly taken on weakness, pallor, green sickness, with mentrual difficulties." Persons with haemorrhagic diathesis. Persons who had bone diseases in earlay childhood

They are alert, bright and intelligent persons. When overworked or overtired they develop a kind of mental apprehension and think they are going to be ill, and wonder what kind of illness they will have. Get tense about business. Are efficient but worry about accidents at work. They are always watching you. They have a dislike to talking to people and are terrified in a crowded room. They cannot talk in a crowd and cannot think of anything to say. Crave the company and sympathy of others. When tired become apathetic and indifferent. Fly nto a passion when opposed and then are very ashamed. Experience strange feeling on meeting other people whom they do not really know. Easily exhausted by talking even to one or two people. Sensitive to atmospheres and external impressions. Indifferent to the family when they are ill. May have anxious forebodings and maniacal attacks with violence. They fear the dark, twilight, loneliness, thunder and death. They have premonitions waking or sleeping. In fright they may have involuntary stool or micturition.

Notes & features:- 1. Burning. In mouth, stomach, anus, spine, hands, chest lungs, etc. Burning in spots along the spine. Intense heat running up the spine. Burning of feet; of of palms of hands. Burning between scapulae. Buring of every organ or tissue of the body (Ars., Sulphur.) Buring pain as from excoriation in chest. Burning pain in limbs.

2. Emptiness. Empty, hollow feeling in stomach (entire abdomen feels weak and empty) ; in head; in chest.

3    Tightness. Stiffness. Tightness in chest. Dry, tight cough and tightness across chest; there may be blood spitting. A feeling of tightness of skin of face and forehead. A feeling of tightnes or constriction  of chest  is found associataed with cough, bronchitis, pneumonia and heart troubles. Great stiffness of joints; pains may be there , but stiffness remarkably pronounced. Rheumatic stiffness of the knee. Stiffness of knee; down to feet. Rigidity of some parts. Rigidity of nape of neck. Stiffness in brain. Rheumatic stiffness with morning aggravation, esp. in old people.

Bleeding. It has general tendency to haemorrhage. Haemorrhages from various organs and orifices of the body. Small wounds bleed much. Bleeding from soft chancre. Bleeding from inner parts; threatened phthisis pulmonalis. Scanty bleeding alternating with a profuse one. Bloody discharge like meat washing from bowls. Vicarious harmorrhge in scanty menstruation, from nose, stomach, anus or urethra. Vicarious haemorrhage, from lungs instead of menses. "Blood-spitting with dry, tight, fatiguing cough." Blood streaked discharges from nose, lungs, bowels. False granulations that bleed.

Oversensitiveness:- Extremely sensitive to external impressions, such as slight odours, light noise , touch, storm, electricity. Paralytic lassitude after a very short walk. Exhausted after stool. Trembling of limbs from slight exertions. Very painful sensibility of laarynx, which prevents speaking. Great sensibility of larynx with burning pain.

Vertigo:- Many complaints of this remedy are associated with vertigo. Vertigo when seated. Falls back on attempting to rise in bed. Staggering when waling as if intoxicated. Vertigo with varnishing of ideas. Vertigo with empty sensation in head.

Suddenness. Sudden apppearance of symptoms. Sudden prostration; sudden faintings; sudden sweat; sudden shooting pains. Sudden attacks of blindness. Suddenly prostrated from unpleasant impressions. Diarrhoea as soon as anything enters the stomach.

Violence:- Is a remarkable note of Phosphorus that enters into the symptomatology of the remdy to rather an astonishing degree, although it is often overlooked. Sadness with violent weeping. "Violent imaginations." Becomes vehemently angry. Intense sexual desire, driving him or her franatic; even exposes one's part. Violent delirium. Violent thirst. Burning thirst for ice-cold water. Exasperating hunger which returns soon after eating. Violent tearing pains in chest, stomach. Violent pain in stomach, better from a cold drink. Violent itching in ear. Regurgitation of ingesta by mouthfuls, without nausea. May be added: Stool profuse, pouring away as from a hydrant. Rapid decay of teeth. Hair falls out in bunches. Sudden attacks of blindness. Note tht in such attacks there is lack of any apparent cause. Profuse nosebleed, slow bleeding.

Relaxataion. Anus remains constantly(wide) open. Oozing of mucus from the constantly open anus, with tenesmus. Diarrhoea with sensation as if anus remained open  "In the women, relaxation of the pelvic organs, prolpsus and other displacments." May be added; Difficult articulation; tongue refuses to move, so that he stammers  Complete loss of voice. Inguinal hernia. Flaccidity of abdomen. Obliged to lie down from weakness across abdomen.

Mind:- It acts on mind to cause"great anxiety and restlessness" as in other remedies, Aconite, Arsenicum,etc,.it must be remebered that it is the anxiety and restlessness tht precedes another state. It belongs to a stage of irritation in the brain and nervous system which if not checked will go on to organic changaes, which wil be attended with a very different set of symptoms, such as come for instnace from actual brain softening in which appears apathy, sluggishness, talks slowly, is indiffferent or won't talkik at all . There is one particular symptom wothy of note : the pattient fears to be left alone; is afraid,; afraid of the dark, in a thunder storm., etc. Brain feels tired. Very irritable, easily files into passion, with consequent suffering. Great anxiety and restlessness, especially when alone. Fear of work. Misanthropy. somnambulistic condition. Shamelessness. Clairvoyant state with heightened sensibility.Laughs at serious sthings.  This is more during the irritable stage of which we have spoken.

Head:-:  The headaches of Phosphous are congestive and throbbing. The blood mounts to the head. The headaches are ameliorated from cold and worse from heat, worse from motion, and better from rest, worse lying down. The patient is often compelled to sit upright, with great pressure upon the head and cold applications. The face is flushed and hot; burning in the brain. The warm room, warm surroundings, warm food, putting the hands into warm water will increase the headache,. The complaints of the head like the complaints of the stomach are worse from heat, warm applications and from warm food, and . from cold things; while the complaints of the body are better from warmth and worse from cold. The headaches are most violent and are often attended with hunger or preceded by hunger; headaches with vomiting, red face, and scanty urine; uraemic headaches; violent neuralgic pains darting, tearing, hooting through the head; pressing pains in the head. Periodical headaches, headaches brought on from mental exertion. Great heat in the heat in the head and stiffness in the muscles of the face and jaus. This is sometimes attended with coldness in the back of the head.. The headaches are worse from noise, from light; apoplectic congestion of the head. It has cured acute hydrocephalus and hydrocephaloid symptoms. Chronic inflammation of the meninges of the brain; softening of the brain; imbecility; insanity. Violeant head pains; atrophy of the brain; medulla oblongata. The scalp is covered with dandruff; the hair falls out in patches, leaving bald places here and there. Great heat in the the scalp; tension in the scalp and face and forehead as if bound by a bandage. Scaly eruptins on the bald places of the head; exostoses on the skull. The complaints of the head are brought on from becoming overheated. Sensation as if the hair were pulled; great soreness of the scalp; must let the hair hang down during the headaches. Worst Early on awaking till noon, after dinner, in warm room, sitting, in evening in bed, at rest, after anger, chewing, motion, stooping, mental exertion, after motion in open air, eating warm soup, changes of weather, storms, music. Better: Walking in cool air, after sleep, lying, rubbing, during meals, temporarily from pressure and after eating.Vertigo of the aged, after rising(Bryonia).

.Eyes:-  Cataract. Sensation as if everything were covered with a mist or veil, or dust, or something pulled tightly over eyes. Black points seem to float before the eyes. Patient sees better by shading eyes with hand. Fatigue of eyes and head even without much use of eyes. Green halo about the candlelight (Osmium).Letters appear red. Atrophy of optic nerve. Odema of lids and about e eyes. Pearly white conjunctiva and long curved lashes. Partial loss of vision from abuse of tobacco (Nux) Pain in orbital bones. Paresis of extrinsic muscles. Diplopia, due to deviation of the visual axis.

Momentary blindness(Black-  outs) from sexual excess. Momentary blindness like fainting; seems to suddenly become blind; paralysis of the optic nerve.  Glaucoma. Thrombosis of retinal vessels and degenerative changes in retinal cells. Degenerative changes where soreness and curved lines are

seen in old people. Retinal trouble with lights and hallucination of vision. The eye symptoms like the head and mind symptoms are such as often come on in brain wokers; working under a bright light causing much determination of blood to the head in which th eyes as well as other parts suffer. The eye symptoms, like Phosphorus in general, have amelioration after rest.

Ear:- Phosphorus has a peculiar deafness. One of the most striking features of Phosphorus is inability to understand the articulations of the human voice. Hearing is difficult. He sometimes feels as if there were something over the ears; as if the ears were covered, obstructing the waves of sound. Violent itching in the ears; congestion of the external ear; itching, tearing, thrbbing, burning pains within the ear. It has cured polypi in the ears. Re-echoing of sounds(Causticum). Dullness of hearing after typhoid.

Nose:- Fan like motion of nostrils (Lyco.) Bleeding; epistaxis instead menses(Bryonia); Over sensitive smell (Carbol. Ac; Nux) Periostitis of nasal bones. Foul imaginary odors (Aur). Chronic catarrh, with small haemorrhages. Handkerchief is always bloody. Polypi; bleeding easily (Calc; Sang).

Face:- Face pale, sickly complexion, blue rings under the eyes. The color of the face is very changeable. Circumscribed red spots on face. Bloatedness of face, esp. round eyes. Tearing pain on facial bones. Swelling necurosis of lower jaw (Hecla lava, Amphisbaoena.)

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Mouth:- Swelled and easily bleeding gums; ulcerated. Toothache after washing clothes. Tongue dry smooth, red or white, not thickly coated. Persistent bleeding after tooth extraction. Nursing sore mouth. Burning in osophagus. Dryness in pharynx and fauces. Thirst for very cold water.. Stricture of osophagus.

Stomach:- Hunger soon after eating. Sour taste and sour eructations after every meal. Belching large quantities of wind, after eating. Throws up ingesta by the mouthfuls. Vomiting; water is thrown up as soon as it gets warm in the stomach.Post operative vomiting.. Cardiac opening seems contracted, too narrow; the food scarcely swallowed, comes up again (Bry. Alum.). Pain in stomach; relieved by cold food, ices. Region of stomach painful to touch, or on walking. Inflammation of stomach, with burning extending to throat and bowels.Bad effects of eating too much salat..

Abdomen:- Feels cold (Caps.). Sharp, cutting pains.A very weak, empty, gone sensation, felt in whole abdominal cavity. Liver congested. Acute hepatitis. Fatty degeneration (Carbon tetrachloride, Ars.). Jaundice. Pancreatic disease. Large, yellow spots on abdomen.

Stool:- Very fetid stools and flatus. Long, narrow, hard, like a dog's. Difficult to expel. Desire for stool on lying on, left side.Painless., copious debilitating diarrhoa. Green mucus with grains like sago. Involuntary; seems as if anus remained open.Great weakness after stool.. Discharge of blood from rectum, during stool.White hard stools. Bleeding hæmorrhoids.

Urine:-Hæmaturia, especially in acute Bright's disease(Canth.) . Turbid, brown, with red sediment.

Male:-  The male sexual organs furnish many symptoms of Phosphorus. Violent sexual  desire driving him frantic. Erections frequent and painful day and night. Seminal emissions at night even without lascivious dreams. Sexual debility from the inordinate use of table salt. Lack of powerIrresistible desire, involuntary emissions, with lascivious dreams.Discharges of prostataic fluid during a hard stool. Chronic urethral discharges due to hypertrohy of prostrate. Gland. It has cured hydrocele following gonorrhoea.

Female:- Sexual desire too strong. Nymphomania. Menstruation too early; discharge of blood before the proper time; acrid leucorrhoa. . Slight hæmorrhage from uterus between periods Weeps before menses.  Mammary glands, especially when there are stitching pains in them and are threatened with abscess. Fistulous tracks after mammary abscess.

Respiratory:- Upon the respiratory organs  also this is one of our greatest remedies. Beginning with the voice and larynx, it causes and cures great hoarseness. Patient can hardly make a loud noise, and is apt to be worse in the evening or fore-part of the night. There ispain in the larynx, worse by talking, or can't talk at all on account of it. In croup, it sometimes comes in afterAconitum and Spongia have failed. The disease has progressed downward until it involves the bronchi and parenchyma of the lungs. It is of indispensable value here, and, also when, after the violence of the affection seems to have abated, the patient hoarses up every evening and seems to be inclined to relapse..

In bronchitis the cough is tight, worse from evening to midnight, also from speaking, laughing, reading aloud (Aragentum met.), cold and lying on left side.. The patient suppresses the cough with a moan just as long as he can, because it hurts him so. The whole body trembles with the cough.

It has great oppression of breathing in both acute and chronic affections of the lungs. There is heaviness, as of a weight on the chest.. In pneumonia, for which Phosphorus is one of our best remedies, it attacks by preference the lower half of the right lung. . It is apt to be indicated by the symptoms, either at the beginning of the stage of hepatization, when it puts a stop to the further progress of the disease, but its more frequent application comes in where the stage of hepatization is past and we want to break it up and promote absorption or resolution. Here it has no equal, as I am fully convinced by abundant experience.

Now, do not misunderstand and give the remedy blindly on a pathological indication only. If you do you will sometimes fail, and ought to. But I repeat, this remedy will oftener be found the indicated one here than any other. After the hepatization begins to break up, other remedies like Antimon.Tart, Sulphur and Lypodium.will come in.

In pleuritis you will find stitches in the left side increased by lying upon the left side. Remember in both affections  Phosphorus is characteristically increased by lying upon the left side.

In tuberculosis, it is oftenest indicated in the incipient stage with symptom of cough, oppression and general weakness already mentioned; but I have often found it indicated in the later stages, and if given very high and in the single dose and not repeated have seen it greatly benefit even incurable cases. If given too low and repeated it will fearfully aggravate.

Heart:- Violent palpitation with anxiety, while lying on left side. Pulse rapid, small, and soft. Heart dilated, especially right. Feeling of warmth in heart.

Back:- One of the most characteristic symptoms of this remedy is, "feeling of intense heat running up the back". Again the burning may be in spots along the spine. Also it has intense heat burning between the scapula (See also Lycopdium.  These, like the rest of the burning of Phosphorus,  often occur in diseases of the spine and nervous system, but not necessarily so. Like Zinc., these burnings may be purely subjective, but are none the less valuable as therapeutic indications.Weak spine.

Extremities:- Ascending sensory and motor paralysis from ends of fingers and toes. Stitches in elbow and shoulder joints. Burning of feet. Weakness and trembling, from every exertion. Can scarcely hold anything with his hands. Tibia inflamed and becomes necrosed.Arms and hands become numb.. Can lie only on right side. Post-diphtheritic paralysis, with formication of hands and feet. Joints suddenly give away. Another very characteristic symptom of Phosphorus  is burning of the hands.. It is as strong as the burning feet of  Sulphur, and is found both in acute and chronic diseases; cannot bear to have the hands covered. The flashes of heat all over (which Phosphorus has) begin in the hands and spread from there even to the face.

Sleep:- Great drowsiness, especially after meals. Coma vigil. Sleeplessness in old people. Vivid dreams of fire; of hæmorrhage. Lascivious dreams. Goes to sleep late and awakens weak.Short naps and frequent wakings.

Fever:- Heat: Flying, over the whole body, but first on hands. Universal, anxious heat, afternoons and evenings, with burning on hands and face. Nocturnal., disturbing sleep, mostly after midnight. According back, with somnolencyPulse: Various, ordinarily quickened, at same time full and hard, but sometimes weak and small, more seldom slow or intermittent. Strong ebullition of blood and throbbing of carotids. Chill, Almost only in evening, without thirst, and with aversion to least uncovering, with greatly swollen veins of hands. Internal. with shuddering, not relieved by warmth of stove. And heat alternating at night. Nocturnal, with diarrhoea. running down back. Chilliness in evening till midnight, with great weakness and sleep.. Sweat: Motes on head, hands and feet, with copious urine. Only on forepart of body. After midnight and in morning copious s., followed by great weakness. Sticky. The transpiration often smells like sulphur.

.Skin:- Wounds bleed very much, even if small they heal and break out again. Jaundice. Little ulcer outside of large ones. Petechiæ. Ecchymosis.Purpura haemorrhagica.Scurvy.. Fungous hematodes and excrescences.

Modalities:-touch; physical or mental exertion; twilight; warm food or drink; change of weather, from getting wet in hot weather; evening; lying on left or painful side; during a thunder-storm; ascending stairs.

Better:-  In the dark; lying on right side; from being mesmerized; from rubbing; from scratching; after sleep; from cold things; cold food; cold water (till it gets warm).

Relatianship:- Complementary:- Arsenic Album; Phosphorus removes the ill effects of excessive use of table salt.  Lycopodium &  Silicea are also complementary. ; Sanguisuya 30-Leech- (Persistent haemorrhages; effects of use of leeches.)  Incompatible : Causticum

.Note: Tuberculinum  follows Phosphorus  well and complements its action.

SUMMARY OF INDICATIONS:-

Haemorrhages - Gastritis  -  Respiratory Disorders -  Alopacia Areata -  Dandruff - Hypertension -

Neurological Disorders  -  Eye disorders - Kidney diseases - Bone disorders.

Constitutional taint:- Psoric. Syphilitic.

Dose:- Third to thirtieth potency. Should not be given too low or in too continuous doses. Especially in tuberculous cases. It may act as Euthanasia here.

THIRTEEN IMPORTANT RED LINE SYMPTOMS OF PHOSPHORUS

Pulsations, sticking and burning in the brain.

(2)        As soon as water becomes warm in the stomach, it is thrown up.

(3)        Chronic painless diarrhoea of undigested food, with much thirst during the night.

(4)        Frequent diarrhoea during cholera time; cholerina.

(5)_      Constipation; feces slender, long, dry, tough and hard, like a dog's; voided with difficulty.

(6)        Cannot talk on account of pain in larynx.

(7)        Pains in chest with coughing, relieved by external pressure.

(8)        Dry tickling cough in the evening, with tightness across the chest.

Trembling of the whole body while coughing.

 Can lie only on right side.

(11)      Small wounds bleed much.

(12)      Cough worse in evening and night, from change from warm to cold air.

(13)      Most symptoms aggravated before midnight, and during a thunder storm.