Ferrum Phosphoricum Album. Ferric Phosphate. Ferroso- ferric Phosphate. White Phosphate of Iron (Schusslers’s). This is said to be a true ferric phosphate Fe2 (PO4)2 as contrasted with the ordinary phosphate of iron, which is a ferrous-hydric phosphate, Fe HPO.
Clinical
*Anus, *prolapse of. *Bladder, *paralysis of. Bronchitis. Colic. Cough Croup. Cystitis. *Debility. Delirium tremens. Diabetes. Diarrhoea. Dyspepsia. Dysentery. *Ear, *affections of. *Erysipelas. Fever. *Frost-bite. Gastritis. Gonorrhoea. Hematemesis. Hemoptysis. Haemorrhages. *Hands, *swelling of. Heart, palpitation of. Inflammation. Injuries. Intermittent fever. *Kidneys, *Bright’s disease of. Measles. Mumps. Naevus. Neuralgia. *Nose, *bleeding of. Phthisis haemorrhagica. Pleurisy. Pneumonia. Raynaud’s disease. Rheumatism. Sprains. Styes. Tarsal cysts. *Urine, *incontinence of. *Veins, *varicose. Vomiting. Whooping-cough.
Characteristics
The preparation of *Ferrum phos., which plays such an important part in the therapy of Schussler, has so far over-shadowed the ordinary “Phosphate of Iron” in homoeopathic practice, that I have retained the simple designation, “Ferrum Phosphoricum,” for this preparation as less likely to create confusion. The ordinary phosphate, which has been proved separately, I shall describe next as *Ferrum Phosphoricum Hydricum. Our chief knowledge of *Fer phos., is from Schussler’s work and the clinical experience of those who have used it one his indications. But it has also been proved under Dr. John left Moffat (*C.D.P.).
In Schuessler’s therapy *Fer phos. takes the place filled by *Aconite, *Belladonna, *Gelsemium, *Veratrum *viride, *Arnica, and other remedies which correspond to disturbed states of circulation, irritation, and relaxation of tissue. “Painless irritability of fibre” is Cooper’s keynote as exemplified in diurnal enuresis. It also retains the leading features of the other Iron preparations: anemia, haemorrhages, and disorders of the veins. Inflammation, induration and enlargement of blood-vessels, great physical and mental lassitude, indisposed to physical exertion, nervousness, prostration, rheumatic paralysis. Acute inflammatory rheumatism. The right shoulder is affected as in *Ferrum *mur. The right- sidedness of *Fe. *p. is as, marked as that of the other *Ferrum preparations. Nimier and Parenteau have cured several cases of right-supraorbital neuralgia with morning aggravation with *Fe.*p. 6X. The morning aggravation appears to be the distinctive indication. Nash says the haemorrhages are bright red, but occur, not in the plethoric subjects of *Aconite, but rather in pale, anemic subjects liable to sudden local congestions. Cooper cured with *Fe. *p. a case of phthisis in a patient “of the transparent-skin type, the hemoglobin shining through.” Schussler’s own account of *Ferrum *phos., taken from the final edition of his work, translated by ***L.H. Tafel, is as follows: “Iron and its salts possess the property of attracting oxygen. The iron contained in the blood corpuscles takes up the inhaled oxygen, thereby supplying with it all the tissues of the organism. The sulphur contained in the blood corpuscles and in other cells, in the form of sulphate of potash, assists in transferring oxygen to all the cells containing iron and the sulphate of potash. 1) When the molecules of iron contained in the muscle-cells have suffered a disturbance in their motion through some foreign irritation, then the cells affected grow flaccid. If this affection takes place in the annular fibres of the blood-vessels, these are dilated, and as a consequence the blood contained in them is augmented. Such a state is called hyperemia from irritation, such a hyperemia forms the first stage of inflammation. But when the cells affected have been brought back to the normal state by the therapeutic effect of iron (*Phosphate of Iron) then the cells are enabled to cast off the causative agents of this hyperemia, which are then received by the lymphatics in order that they may be eliminated from the organism. 2) When the muscular cells of the intestinal villi have lost molecules of iron, then these villi become unable to perform their functions: diarrhoea ensues. 3) When the muscular cells of the intestinal walls have lost molecules or iron, then the peristaltic motion of the intestinal canal is retarded, resulting in an inertia with respect to the evacuation of the faeces.”
From the above Schussler deduces the following indications for Iron: “When the muscular cells which have grown flaccid through loss of iron receive a compensation for their loss, the normal tensional relation is restored, the annular fibres of The blood- vessels are shortened to their proper measure, the capacity of these vessels again becomes normal, and the hyperemia disappears, and in consequence the inflammatory fever ceases. *Iron will cure: “1. The first stage of all inflammations. “2. Pains “3. Haemorrhages caused by hyperemia “4. Fresh wounds, contusions, sprains, etc., as it removes the hyperemia.
“The pains which correspond to iron are increased by motion, but relieved by cold, In the muscle-cells iron is found in the form of a phosphate, we should therefore in therapeutics use *Ferrum phosphoricum.” Schussler generally used the 12X trituration. As an instance of hyperemia of a low order may be mentioned a case of Raynaud’s disease of the fingers and toes, in which amputation seemed inevitable. Halbert effected a complete cure with *Fe. *p. 6X trit. *Fe. *p. is suited to the leucophlegmatic temperament, to young persons with varicose veins. Pains go from below upward. Great emaciation. Takes cold easily. Results of checked perspiration on a warm summer day (peritonitis): Open air worse cough, and there is sensitiveness to cold air. Warm drinks worse, cold and cold drinks better toothache. Aversion to meat and milk. While eating at table, chill. Worse By eating. Worse From meat, herring, coffee, cake. Worse From tea. Rest better, motion worse, gentle motion better pain in upper arms and shoulders. Worse At night, and 4 to 6 a.m. Sensitive to touch and every jar.
Relations
*Compare: Aconite (more bounding pulse than Fe. p.), Gelsemium (more flowing pulse), Caustic. and Pulsatilla (cough with spurting of urine). *Compatible: Kali-m. (croup, pneumonia, palpitation, typhus), Kali-p. (colic, threatened gangrene), Calc-s. (hip-joint disease), Calc-p. (chlorosis, haemorrhoids), Calcarea flour. (haemorrhoids), Nat-s. (diabetes), Ant-t. (capillary bronchitis). According to Cooper Ferr-p. *antidoted “violent dysuria, night and day,” caused by Stront-br.
Causation
Checked perspiration on a warm summer’s day. Mechanical injuries.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Very talkative and hilarious, unnatural excitement. Delirium tremens. Physical and mental depression. Unable to concentrate thoughts. Memory impaired: for names, facts, etc., irritated at his own mental sluggishness. Drowsiness, with rush of thoughts, suddenly changing from pleasant to unpleasant. (Sows eat up their young, a transient mania depending on hyperemia of the brain).
Head
Dizziness, feeling as if head was being suddenly pushed forward. Everything swims around him, his muscles seemed so weak he could hardly move about. General dull headache worse 5 P.M. Hammering pain in forehead and temples, fears apoplexy, worse right, formerly worse left Supraorbital neuralgia of right side, with a morning aggravation. Frontal headache, followed and relieved by nose-bleed. Scarcely endurable, dull, heavy pain at vertex during menses, which are profuse. Top of head sensitive to cold air, noise, and any jar, on stopping sharp pain through head, from back to front, at times a feeling as if head were being pushed forward, with danger of falling. Pinching in left temporal region from within outwards. Blind headache, with bearing-down in uterus, and ovarian pains. Headache: with hot, red face and vomiting of food, with nervousness at night, with general soreness of scalp, cannot bear to have hair touched. Rush of blood to head, with vertigo. Violent throbbing up to occiput.
Eyes
On stooping cannot see, seems as if all blood ran into eyes. Blinding headache. Hemianopsia (right) Conjunctivitis and photophobia. Heaviness of lids, especially right Traumatic conjunctivitis. Dry and rough feeling of lining of lids, congestion of eye (*Alumina relieved). Styes on lower lids (left), then upper. Tarsal cysts.
Ears
Hard of hearing, ringing and buzzing. Painful red swelling of parotids.
Nose
Nose-bleed of bright blood, in children. Nose-bleed relieving headache. Erysipelas, with ulceration just inside tip (left).
Face
Face earthy, pale, sallow. Heat, with redness. Hot cheeks, with toothache. Neuralgia in face (right). Acne in chin and forehead.
Mouth
Toothache always appearing after eating food, worse by warm drinks, better by cold. Complaints during dentition, with fever.
Throat
On waking, throat feels swollen and stiff, swelling painful, worse empty swallowing. Feeling of lump (right) on swallowing. Inflammation of palate, tonsils, and pharynx, with dryness, redness, and pain. Membrane on right tonsil, spreading to left.
