Introduction
ANOTHER of Hahnemann’s legacies in Materia Medica Pura. He gives directions for its preparation and for its potentization up to the “trillion-fold dilution”, Of Phosphorus acid he writes.
“The following remarkable, pure, artificial morbid symptoms produced by Phosphoric acid on the healthy body indicate of themselves the natural morbid states in which it is specially curative by reason of its homoeopathic similarity.”
Some drugs exhilarate, others depress: but among the depressants there may be an active depressants condition, Aurum being an extreme instance, where the depression is so great as to drive the victim towards suicide. Not so with Phosphoric acid. Here the depression takes the form of extreme indifference. “Listless, apathetic; remarkable indifference to everything in life : especially if there be emaciation and debility.”
It is “the remedy of ailments from care, grief, sorrow, chagrin, homesickness, disappointed love : particularly when accompanied by night-sweats towards morning, and emaciation”. Bodily, as well as mental functions share in its depression and debility.
And then Hahnemann’s joyful experience, in return for his well- placed dose, “He became very cheerful and well disposed”; the curative effect of a drug that has caused and can therefore cure. It is these things that make life worth living!
Phosphoric acid is a drug of rather narrow, yet very definite and great utility. Look at the types that need its help. The weedy, over-grown, over-wrought schoolchildren, with growing pains that may spell heart-destruction. The tired and apathetic from unequal struggling with adverse circumstances, mental and physical. The “neurasthenics” that plague us; those, at least, who are worn, out, indifferent, apathetic and emaciated: and its burdens and disappointments have proved the breaking strain.
“Deterioration of health from nursing.” Here one considers China: which is also apathetic, indifferent, taciturn, but from loss of vital fluids,-haemorrhages, excessive lactation, suppurations. One has probably after prescribed China, when Phosphorus ac. would have been the better prescription, with its breaking down from, especially nerve strain. Mental enfeeblement, as KENT has it: mind tired: perfectly exhausted.
Consider further:- “Ailments from care, grief”: here one thinks of Ignatia. But Ign is the remedy of the sensitive, the easily excited: with incredibly rapid changes of mood; very unlike the apathy and indifference of Phosphorus ac.
“Ailments from charging.” One thinks at once of Staphisagria, also apathetic, indifferent, low spirited, but with its ailments from pride, envy or chagrin. KENT tells us that when Staphysagria has to control himself, he goes all to pieces, trembles from head to foot, loses his voice, his ability to work, etc. Staphysagria is far more intense and energetic in suffering than Phosphorus ac.
“Ailments from disappointed love”: one is tempted to prescribed Natrum mur. or Hyoscyamus or Ignatia. But Hyoscyamus has marked jealousy, and is far more intense mentally: quite a different drug picture, and Nat, mur, with, possibly, the emaciation of Phosphorus ac., is passionate, intense: weeps, hates sympathy: has none of the dull apathy that cries aloud for Phosphorus ac.
KENT contrasts Phosphorus ac. and Muriatic ac. In Phosphorus ac. he says, the mental symptoms are the first to develop: the remedy runs from the mental to the physical, from the brain to the muscles: the muscles may remain strong after the mind has given out. In Acid Muriaticum the muscular prostration comes first, and the mind seems clear until long after the muscles are prostrated.
KENT says, the Phosphorus ac. patient pines and emaciates, grows weaker and weaker, withered in the face; night sweats; cold sweats down the back; cold sweats on arms and hands more than on feet: cold extremities: feeble heart and circulation; catches cold easily and it settles on the chest and so on to tuberculosis. Pallor with increasing weakness and emaciation.
Most writers on Phosphorus ac. give prominence to the curious fact, that with all its prostration, its diarrhoea, acute or chronic, does not cause prostration, and they point to Calcarea, which “feels better, every way, when constipated”. In Phosphorus ac. there may be “amelioration of complaints by their ending in a diarrhoea”. Kent talks, under Phosphorus ac. of the child with copious, watery stools in summer: so copious that the napkin seems no use: the stool runs all over the mother’s dress and forms great puddles on the floor: the stool is almost odourless, thin and watery, and the little one smiles as if nothing were the matter. The mother wonders where it all came from, yet the child seems well.” “The Phosphorus ac. diarrhoea often ameliorates many of the symptoms, and the patient feels better. Some patients say they are never comfortable unless they have diarrhoea.”
N.B.- Phosphorus acid has pinching and squeezing pains.
GUERNSEY’S great indication for Phosphorus ac. is a condition of complete indifference to everything: not a soporous, delirious or irritable condition, but simply an indifferent state of mind to all things. He does not want anything, not to speak: shows no interest in the outside world. In fevers, difficulty of comprehension: will think about a question, perhaps answer it, then forget all about it. He calls it “dizziness of the mind”.
Besides ailments from mental affections, he gives:-“after suppression of cutaneous eruptions: i.e. any bad effect that comes from such suppression; from loss of fluids, especially seminal.”
NASH’S Leaders:- Drowsy apathetic: unconscious of all surroundings, but can be roused to full consciousness.
Chronic effects of grief: hair turns gray: hopeless, haggard look.
Grows too fast and too tall: young persons with growing pains in bones and so on.
Phosphorus ac. is one of the drugs that are better after a short sleep. (Camph., Phosphorus, Sepia, etc.)
Salty expectoration. (Again, Phosphorus and Arsenicum, Sepia, Lycopodium, Pulsatilla, etc.)
Stupefied with grief: a settled despair.
In regard to growth: “with Calcarea carb., they grow too fat, with Phosphorus ac. too fast and tall.”
In regard to hard study, Nash says, “While it is true that youth is a time to get education, it is also true that it is the time when too great a strain in that direction may wreck and for ever incapacitate a mind which might, with more time and care, have been a blessing to the world. Phosphorus ac. properly exhibited, may be of incalculable benefit in such cases.”
He says, also, “it seems very singular that, after so much talk about the general depression or weakness of this remedy we should be obliged to record that profuse and sometimes long-continued diarrhoea, should not debilitate, as a characteristic symptom. Well there are a good many unaccountable things in both disease and therapeutics, and this is one of them, but the fact remains and we act upon it. The profound weakness and depression of Phosphorus ac. is upon the sensorium and nervous system. He points out that China debilitates by its diarrhoea or loss of fluids: Phosphorus ac. attacks the nervous system primarily and its effects or results are not so much the loss of vital fluids, as in China.
In regard to the profuse watery urine of Ignatia and Phosphorus ac. he points out that in the first case it is hysterical, the latter not at all so.
BLACK LETTER SYMPTOMS
Quiet Indifferent.
Loss of ideas, and weakness of mind.
He cannot collect his thoughts in proper manner.
He speaks unwillingly; talking is irksome.
Speaks little and answers questions unwillingly.
Listless, apathetic: remarkable indifference to everything in life especially if there be emaciation and debility.
Ailments from care, grief, chagrin, homesickness, or disappointed love: particularly with drowsiness, night sweats towards morning; emaciation.
He looks very ill humoured and sullen.
Sad humour, on account of concern for the future.
He became very cheerful and well disposed: (secondary, curative reaction.)
Schoolgirls headaches, from over-use of eyes.
Occipital headaches and pain nape of neck from exhausted nerve power or excessive grief.
Confusion of whole head. Headache like stupidity: buzzing in head.
Constant headache.
On the slightest shock or noise, the pains in the head become extremely violent.
Hard pressure on left side forehead.
Squeezing pressure right temple, more violent on moving.
Squeezing pressure in both parietal bones; worse on moving.
Pains as if temples were pressed towards one another, as if violently pinched by forceps.
Drawing pressure in right parietal and occipital bones, more violent when moving.
Tearing and squeezing pain in brain, here and there.
Tearing pressure in occiput, worse noise and slightest movement.
Violent shooting pain, right temporal, extending into right eye.
Burning, sore pain on the side of nape.
Vertigo towards evening, when standing and walking.
Vertigo in the morning, making him fall when standing.
Transient burning left eye, as if something pungent had been smelt.
