Remedy Name: PHOSPHORUS

Author: JAMES TYLER KENT, A.M., M.D.

PHOSPHORUS
The complaints of Phosphorus are most likely to arise in the feeble constitutions, such
as have been born sick, grown up slender, and grown too rapidly.

Its complaints are found in such as are emaciated, and in those who are rapidly
emaciating; in children who are going into marasmus, and in persons who have in them
the foundation of consumption fairly well laid. Delicate, waxy, anemic and emaciated
subjects. In persons who are vehement, irascible.

This expresses the person's disposition somewhat as well as his internal constitutional
state. Internally he is in a turmoil. Subject to violent pulsations, complaints from electric
changes in the atmosphere; violent palpitations and orgasms. In chlorotic girls who have
grown too rapidly and have suddenly taken on weakness, pallor, green sickness, with
menstrual difficulties. Ebullitions and congestions. Hemorrhagic constitutions.

Blood

: Small wounds bleed much; the prick of the needle will bubble forth much bright red
blood.

Hemorrhage from small wounds, from the nose, from the lungs, from the stomach, from
the bladder and from the uterus. Bleeding from ulcerations. False granulations that
bleed. Purpura hoemorrhagica. Black and blue spots.

Blood settles beneath the conjunctiva, or beneath the skin anywhere.

Bloody saliva; evidences of disorganized blood, or that the blood seems to become fluid.
Small bruises take on broad blue spots. Blows much blood out of the nose. Petechiae all
over the body, such as are found in typhoid fever, low forms of continued fever with
hemorrhages. Fungous growth. Fatty degeneration is a marked feature of Phosphorus,
and can be found in the liver, heart or kidneys.

General

dropsical condition. Bloating of the hands and feet, especially dropsical conditions after
scarlet fever. The mucous membranes are all pale, such as is found after bleeding or in
low forms of disease. A marked state of anemia and relaxed condition of the muscles.
Muscles flabby. Fatty degeneration of the muscles.

The genitals hang down. In the woman, relaxation of the pelvic organs, prolapsus and
other displacements. Stiffness is a marked feature of Phosphorus. Stiffness on beginning
to move. Limbs stiff like a foundered horse, especially in the morning. Rheumatic
stiffness in all the limbs. Phosphorus has tearing, drawing pains in the limbs. Drawing,
tearing pains in affected parts. Phosphorus complaints are worse in cold weather.

The patient himself, generally considered, is sensitive to cold. All his complaints are
worse from cold and cold applications, and better from beat and warm applications,
except the complaints of the head and stomach, which are ameliorated from cold as will
hereafter be described. Phosphorus has been very useful in weak, relaxed conditions of
the joints following sprains, when the symptoms agree.

Necrosis is another feature of Phosphorus, especially of the lower jaw, but may be
useful in necrosis of any of the bones. Exostoses of the skull with tearing pains. Tearing,
boring pains, especially at night. Phosphorus has cured polypi of the nose and cars.
Scrofulous and glandular swellings. Glands enlarge, especially after contusions like
Bellis.

Glandular affections of weak, pale, sickly individuals, such as suffer from diarrhea, such
as suffer from exhaustive conditions, abscesses, fistulous openings, with hectic fever.
Abscesses with copious discharge of yellow pus. Malignant growths are greatly
restrained by the use of Phosphorus, when the symptoms agree. Burning pains are
observed everywhere. Burning in the brain, burning in the skin. Burning in the stomach,
in the chest, and in various parts.

The Phosphorus patient is very sensitive to all external impressions slight odors, noises,
touch. Slight causes lead to exhaustion of either body or mind. Trembling throughout the
body from slight causes, using the bands, from slight exertion, from debility, from
coughing. Weakness prevails in a marked degree, finally becoming paralysis or paralytic
weakness such as occurs in most forms of typhoid fever, with sliding down in bed,
trembling and jerking of the muscles. Paralysis with formication and tearing in the limbs.

Paralysis that comes with apoplexy. Jerking and twitching of the muscles such as has
been found in paralysis. Spasms of the paralyzed parts. Tearing, drawing, burning pains
throughout the body.

The Phosphorus patient wants to be rubbed. He is generally better after sleep. Always
wants to rest. Always tired. The Phosphorus patient undergoes great excitement.
Tremulousness. Wild thoughts. Excitability, keeping him awake at night. Violent
imaginations.

Mind

: Excitability even to ecstasy and clairvoyance.

The mind may be overactive or may be extremely passive with loss of memory.
Irritability of mind and body and great prostration of mind after slight mental effort, and
of the body afar slight physical exertion.
Anxiety, gloomy forebodings. Fear that something will happen. Anxious at twilight.
Anxious when alone. Apprehensiveness. Apprehensive during thunder storms, which
brings on many complaints; palpitation, diarrhea and trembling. Trembling of the whole
body.

Attacks of indigestion from fear. Fear in the evening, fear of death. Fear of strange old
faces looking at him from the corner. Full of strange, insane imaginations. On the border
land of insanity. Inability to sustain a mental effort. Fear of apoplexy. Reflecting brings
on headache and difficult breathing associated with apprehensiveness or sinking at the
pit of the stomach. His fear seems to begin 'at the pit of the stomach.

Apathy or indifference; indifferent to his friends and surroundings. Indifferent to his

children. Answers no questions, takes no notice of his family and things about him,
answers slowly, thinks sluggishly, seems dazed or in a stupor. Everything looks dark, he
is weary of life, gloomy and says nothing.

Dejected; a most marked case of hypochondriasis. Weeping, sad, hysterical; will uncover
the body and expose his person. Violent, loquacious; delirium. Delirium of low forms of
fever, or delirium of mania a potu.

Maniacal attacks come on during sleep with fury and extreme violence, so that no one
dares approach him, and this progresses to imbecility, silliness, weak brain, idiocy. Brain
fag from mental overwork and constant strain of eyes. Vertigo is a very common
symptom throughout all of the complaints of Phosphorus. Staggering while walking as if
intoxicated. Vertigo when in the open air; vertigo after eating; vertigo in the evening.
Heaviness and confusion in the head and things go round; great weakness of the head.

All of these mental symptoms are worse in the dark; worse when alone; sometimes
worse from music; worse from excitement; worse from playing the piano.

Head

: The headaches of Phosphorus 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 better 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, shooting through the head; pressing pains in the head.
Periodical headaches, headaches brought on from mental exertion.

Great heat in the head and stiffness in the muscles of the face and jaws. This is
sometimes attended with coldness in the back of the head. Shocks through the brain.
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. Violent 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 scalp; tension in the scalp and face and forehead as if bound by a
bandage. Scaly eruptions 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
headaches.

Eyes

: The eye symptoms are very numerous; burning, redness, congestion, enlargement of
the blood-vessels.

Objects look red and often blue in the field of vision, or objects sometimes look green
and gray as is observed in incipient cataract. Colors, also, appear black before the eyes.
Vision is vague; the eyes give out while reading; sees better in the morning, in the
twilight.

The eye symptoms, like Phosphorus in general, have amelioration after rest. Momentary
blindness like fainting; seems to suddenly become blind; paralysis of the optic nerve;
blindness after electric shocks, or after a stroke of lightning. It has cured glaucoma. It
has cured inflammation of the retina in Bright's disease.

It has cured opacity of the vitreous humor. It has cured paralytic weakness of the
various muscles of the eyes. It has cured paralysis of the third pair of nerves where
there is falling of the lids; sub-acute inflammation of the eyes.

Burning, redness, and smarting ameliorated from cold applications. The eyelids twitch
and tremble; swelling of the eyelids; dropsical swelling of the eyelids; great darkness
around the eyes; great circles around the eyes. It is a very useful remedy in malignant
growths involving the eye, restraining very much the progress of the disease.

The eye symptoms like the head and mind symptoms are such as often come on in brain
workers; working under a bright light causing much determination of blood to the head
in which the eyes as well as other parts suffer.

Ears
: 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, throbbing,
burning pains within the ear, It has cured polypi in the ears.

Nose

: The nose symptoms are also very numerous; inveterate nasal catarrh.

He takes cold in the nose, but the most common seat of the Phosphorus cold is in the
chest, and most of his difficulties begin in the chest, but Phosphorus cures nasal catarrh
and coryza.

There is painful dryness in the nose; constant sneezing and running from the nose of
bloody water.

Frequent alternations of fluent and stopped-up conditions of the nose; coryza with sore
throat; stoppage of the nostrils; much sneezing and stopping of the nose alternating
with dryness of the nose in scarlet fever; nostrils filled with green mucus; a copious
nasal discharge of greenish-yellow, blood-streaked mucus, worse in the morning; bad
odor from the nose; frequent blowing of blood from the nose; copious hemorrhage from
the nose of bright red blood; swelling of the nose, redness and shining; very sensitive to
touch; necrosis of the bones of the nose.

It has cured polypi of the nose, especially bleeding polypi. Fan-like motion of the nose,
like Lycopodium.

Face

: The Phosphorus patient presents a sickly face, earthy, sunken and pale, such as we find
in consumption and those about to go into consumption those suffering from deep-
seated constitutional conditions; haggard, anemic.

The color is changeable; swollen, oedematous face; puffed under the eyes; lips and
eyelids swollen. Again, red spots upon the checks, which appear in hectic fever; the
hectic blush. Tension of the skin and of the face; tearing, shooting pains all through the
face and about the eyes, from the temples and vertex down to the zygoma. Jerking,
tearing pains in the teeth.

The pains of the teeth are often ameliorated by warmth, while those of the head are
ameliorated by cold. The pains of the teeth are worse when talking and eating, and
worse after eating It has violent neuralgias of the face involving the jaw and temples,
with hot, bloated face, worse from talking and from eating.
It has caries of the lower jaw, with great heat, burning and fistulous openings. Neuralgia
of the face and teeth; has to be wrapped up at night; worse in windy weather.

The countenance is sickly, sunken, declining, as if a serious sickness was coming.

The lips are parched, dry and bleeding. The lips become black, brown and cracked as in
low forms of fever, and with necrosis of the lower jaw. Inflammation of the parotid
gland, especially when it suppurates or there are fistulous openings. Rapid decay of the
teeth. The gums bleed and settle away from the teeth.

Phosphorus is very useful for the bright red hemorrhage after the extraction of teeth.
The tongue is swollen and speech is difficult. It is difficult to articulate. The taste in the
mouth is bitter or sour, especially sour after taking milk; sometimes salty or sweetish;
bitter after eating.

Taste of hydrogen sulphide in the morning. The tongue is coated like fur; sometimes
chalky-white, sometimes yellow; dry, cracked and bleeding; sordes on the teeth. Crusts
form upon the mucous membranes of the mouth, gums, lips and tongue. The tongue is
swollen and the papillae are engorged.

Throat

: Dryness of the mouth and throat; sore, excoriated mucous membranes of the mouth
and throat.

The mouth may be covered with thrush, as in nursing sore mouth; bloody erosions of
the mouth; nursing sore mouth. Much watery saliva and bloody saliva flows from the
mouth. The saliva is copious, tasting sweetish, saltish or foul. The mucous membranes
of the throat are like those of the mouth. Great dryness, roughness, rawness,
excoriation, bleeding, and inflammation of the tonsils; inflammation of the throat;
sensation of cotton in the throat; sensation of velvet in the throat.

The tonsils are much swollen. Intense pain in the throat and burning in the throat that
extends into the oesophagus. Inability to swallow any nourishment because of paralysis
of the oesophagus or acute inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat and
oesophagus; constriction of the oesophagus.

In Phosphorus there is violent hunger and very soon after eating the hunger returns
again. Must eat during the chill. Must get tip in the night to eat. Feels faint and is driven
to eat. Ravenous hunger during headache; he knows that the headache is coming on
because of his violent hunger; in periodical headaches.

The hunger is often spasmodic, because at times there is aversion to food. Again, he
wants to eat and as soon as the food is offered he does not want it. Thirst is one of the
most constant features of Phosphorus.
In acute and chronic complaints there is violent thirst; thirst for ice-cold drinks. Wants
something refreshing; is ameliorated momentarily by drinking cold things, but the thirst
appears as soon as the water gets warm in the stomach. Vomiting comes on as soon as
the water becomes warm in the stomach, but there are many conditions where the ice-
cold water agrees.

Unquenchable thirst. When the water is vomited there is always unquenchable thirst. He
wants cold food as well as cold drinks; refreshing, spicy things, juicy things; desire for
wines and sour things. Phosphorus often cures the violent' longing in inebriates for
alcohol.

It simply resembles the congestion of the mucous membrane of the stomach. Aversion
to sweets, to meat, to boiled milk, to salt fish, to beer, to puddings, to tea and coffee.

Many of the complaints of Phosphorus are ameliorated by eating. The nervous

symptoms of Phosphorus drive the patient to eat and he feels better for a little while,
and then he must eat again or the nervous symptoms will come on. Often he can sleep
better after eating and cannot go to sleep until he eats something.

Stomach

: The stomach symptoms are numerous: pains, nausea, vomiting, burning.

The stomach symptoms are ameliorated by cold things and aggravated by warm things.
The nausea and vomiting are brought on by putting the hands into warm water, from
being in a warm room, from warm things and from taking warm things into the stomach.
The nausea of pregnancy is cured when the woman cannot put the hands into warm
water without bringing on vomiting. Another marked feature of Phosphorus is
eructations of food.

The food is eructated by mouthful until the stomach is emptied of the last meal.
Constant nausea except when something cold is in he stomach. As soon as water
becomes warm in the stomach it comes up. This very much resembles the vomiting and
nausea of Chloroform, and Phosphorus is a great friend to the surgeon because he can
nearly always antidote the stomach affections of Chloroform by Phosphorus. Vomiting
of blood and violent vomiting of sour fluids; vomiting of bile and mucus; vomiting of
black substances, coffee-ground substances. Awful sinking, gone feeling in the stomach.

This sometimes comes at 11 o'clock like Sulphur. Pressing pains, burning pains, tearing
pains in the stomach; pain in the stomach after eating; sensitiveness in the pit of the
stomach; inflammation of the stomach. It has been a very useful remedy in cancer of the
stomach, with coffee-ground vomiting and burning; coldness, as if freezing, in the pit of
the stomach; paroxysms of knife-like pains in the stomach.

The pains in the stomach are ameliorated by ice-cold things for a moment; spasmodic
contractions of the stomach; hemorrhage from the stomach; vomiting of great quantities
of clotted blood; long-standing dyspepsia; much flatulence; regurgitation of food;
distended stomach and abdomen; ulceration of the stomach.

The liver furnishes us many symptoms of Phosphorus. Congestion of the liver, fullness,
pain, hardness, fatty degeneration of the liver, hyperemia of the liver. Phosphorus is one
of the most useful liver remedies; hard, large liver. With the stomach and liver symptoms
there is commonly jaundice.

Abdomen

: Very sensitive abdomen, painful to touch, rolling and rumbling.

Sensation of emptiness in the abdomen; sunken feeling in the abdomen. The abdomen
feels as if relaxed; hanging down sensation and sensation of great weight in the
abdomen. Tympanitic abdomen such as occurs in typhoid fever.

A marked feature in Phosphorus is the peculiar gurgling which begins in the stomach
and gurgles along down through the intestines, attended with involuntary stool. This
occurs in typhoid fever. The gurgling that occurs in Arsenicum is down the oesophagus.

Flatulence; colic; rending, tearing, cutting pains throughout the abdomen; stitching pains
in the abdomen; violent neuralgic pains in the abdomen; inflammation of the bowels, of
the peritoneum; appendicitis. Yellow, brown spots on the abdomen; petechiae over the
abdomen during typhoid fever.

Phosphorus is rich in symptoms of the rectum and stool; involuntary discharges from
the bowels; copious emission of fluids; foetid, gushing stools; horribly offensive, yellow,
watery stools. The patient lies as if dying, the stools passing involuntarily; stools of
white mucus; stools of slime intermingled with little specks like tallow; involuntary
oozings from the constantly wide open anus.

Hemorrhage from the bowels in typhoids, in low forms of disease; bloody discharges like
meat washings, involuntary, on every motion. Burning in the rectum during stool.
Protrusion of the rectum; protrusion of hoemorrhoidal tumors. Sharp, stitching pains
from the coccyx up the spine to the base of the brain drawing the neck backward, and
this symptom occurs during stool. It has occurred during involuntary stool.

After stool painful cramps in the rectum; burning in the anus; violent tenesmus; sinking
feeling in the abdomen; obliged to lie down; exhaustion and fainting. The copious
diarrhea is like the profuse flow of water from a hydrant. It is useful in cholera times and
in cholera morbus. It is a useful medicine for chronic diarrhea with soft, thin stools. It
has been a very useful remedy in cholera infantum. It has also cured dysentery with
bloody mucus, scanty stools with violent tenesmus. It also cures inveterate constipation.

The stool is hard, long, and slender, described in the books as like that of a dog.
Alternating diarrhea and constipation in old people. Spasms of the rectum. Paralysis of
the bowel, so that it is impossible to strain at stool, Hemorrhage from the bowels. It has
cured polypi of the rectum; inflammation of the rectum. It has many times cured
bleeding, protruding hemorrhoids; hemorrhoids that burn. It has cured fissures of the
anus. Among many of these bowel symptoms the anus feels as if wide open.

Kidneys

: Phosphorus is a useful remedy in diseases of the kidneys, especially diabetes, with

sugar in the urine when there is great thirst for ice-cold things and ice-cold water.
Gradual emaciation; gradual weakness; considerable heat of the head; coldness of the
extremities, and sugar in the urine. Phosphorus will cure fatty degeneration of the
kidneys. Renal calculi. No desire to pass urine though the bladder is full.

There is a paralytic weakness which resembles the paralytic weakness throughout all
the muscles of the body. He is unable to strain to pass the urine because such straining
increases pain in the region of the bladder.

Profuse, pale, watery urine; frequent and scanty or completely suppressed urine. Turbid,
whitish urine; curdled like milk. Albuminous urine. Involuntary urination during sleep.

Tearing in the urethra; twitching and burning in the urethra. Periodical sick headaches
sometimes are preceded by scanty urine and sometimes by a copious watery flow of
urine.

Men

: 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. Impotence after excessive excitement and secret vice,
preceded by over-excitement of the sexual organs.

Frequent discharges day and night of thin, slimy, colorless fluid from the urethra. Sexual
abuse with spinal disease. Discharges of prostatic fluid during a hard stool. Chronic
urethral discharges due to hypertrophy of the prostate gland gleety discharge, Swelling
and soreness of the testes and cord; inflammation of the testes and cord. It has cured
hydrocele following gonorrhea.

Women

: In the woman it is equally useful.

Phosphorus has cured many cases of sterility supposed to depend upon violent sexual
excitement. Violent sexual excitement with aversion to coition. Violent pain in the
ovaries extending down the inner side of the thighs during menstruation caused by
inflammation of the ovaries.
Inflammation of the uterus during menstruation and during pregnancy or during
pyoemia. Copious hemorrhages from uterus, bright red, clotted blood after confinement,
during menstruation or during the climacteric period. Frequent and profuse
hemorrhages from the uterus caused from cancerous affections.

The menstrual period is too early, flow bright red, lasting too long, is copious; during the
menstrual period ice-cold feet and hands; nausea; pain in the back, as if broken; blue
rings around eyes; loss of flesh; much fearfulness. It has also menstrual suppression in
consumptives with cough, bleeding from the nose, and spitting of blood. Violent sexual
excitement driving to secret vice.

Copious yellow leucorrhoea with great weakness; leucorrhoea instead of menses; white,
watery leucorrhoea, acrid, excoriating; milky leucorrhoea, copious when walking. The
leucorrhoea is so excoriating that blisters form upon the genitals. Burning and smarting
in the vagina. Stitching pains upward from the vagina into the pelvis. While there is
violent sexual excitement during coition there. is lack of sensation in the vagina, as if it
were numb.

Condylomata appear like fig warts and excrescences about the genitals and in the,
vagina. Bleeding warts. Erectile tumors on the external genitals.

Dropsical swelling of the labia. Cauliflower excrescences with much bleeding. Painful,
hard, large nodosities in the female mammary glands. Fibroid tumors of the breast.
Fibroid tumors of the uterus with copious hemorrhages

During pregnancy and lactation violent sexual desire; vomiting of pregnancy. Much
prostration, sinking, and trembling, puerperal convulsions; pain in the back, as if it
would break. Increased secretion of milk out of season. Inflammation of the mammary
glands with much heat, weight, and suppuration. Erysipelas of the breasts or of the
genitals.

Larynx

: Inflammation of the larynx with hoarseness in the morning; husky voice; great
sensitiveness of the larynx to touch and cold air; pain and burning in the larynx on
talking; weakness in the vocal cords; violent tickling of the larynx while talking;
constriction and spasms of the larynx; constant irritation to cough in the larynx;
tuberculous condition of the larynx; bleeding; loss of voice; cannot speak a word on
account of pain in the larynx; sensation of velvet in the larynx; rawness and smarting in
the larynx.

Phosphorus has cured many cases of croup, membranous croup, when all the symptoms
were present. Every change of weather, from becoming overheated, and colds settle in
the larynx, producing loss of voice and hoarseness, especially in public speakers and
singers. Hoarseness and loss of voice; great dryness in the larynx and all of the air
passages. Hard, dry, rasping cough that shakes the whole body from irritation in the
larynx.
The irritation travels down the air passages, affecting the trachea, along with difficult
respiration; asthmatic breathing; clutching in the larynx; suffocation; dyspnoea; spasms
and constrictions of the chest.

Violent, stridulous inspiration in the evening on falling asleep; fear of suffocation;

labored breathing. Paralysis of the lungs; fullness in the chest after eating, much
irritation in the larynx; difficult breathing; scraping of mucus from the larynx after
eating.

Chest

: In the chest, Phosphorus produces oppression; anxiety, weakness and constriction

going along with its chest complaints. Heaviness as if a great weight were lying upon the
chest. With the cough, bronchitis, pneumonia and cardiac symptoms there is always
more or less constriction of the chest as if bound, or as if bandaged, or as if tied tight
with a string.

Tightness felt over the sternum, and with all complaints great weakness of the chest;
pressure as of a weight over the middle of the sternum; feeling of a rush of blood to the
chest with or without violent pulsations. Sensation of heat in the chest mounting to the
head; flushes of heat in the chest extending upward. Stitching pain in the chest;
spasmodic pains in the chest; violent stitching pains in the left side of the chest better
by lying on the right side. These are pains likely to occur ig pleurisy or in pleurisy with
pneumonia.

Complaints of chest, worse in cold air. Rawness in the trachea extending into the lungs;
burning in the chest; acute pain in the lower part of the lungs; violent pain in the chest
with coughing. The patient is compelled to hold the chest with the hand. Inflammation of
the lungs with anxiety, oppression, and expectoration of bright red blood.

The Phosphorus patient suffers from copious hemorrhages from the lungs in phthisical
conditions, in inflammation, inflammation of the bronchial tubes with intense fever and
violent shaking cough; the body trembles with the cough; tearing pains in the sternum
with the cough; suffocation and constriction of the chest. Pain in the larynx. The
expectoration may be blood-streaked or rust-colored as it is in pneumonia. It may be
purulent. In the later stages it becomes thick, yellow, sweetish.

Phosphorus is a useful remedy in old bronchial catarrhs, in complaints that date from
pneumonia or from bronchitis. Every cold settles in the chest. The lungs seem to be
weak. Again, in hepatization during pneumonia with hard, dry, hacking cough; in
hepatization of the lungs during pneumonia Phosphorus, Sulphur and Lycopodium are
the most frequently indicated medicines.

Phosphorus is often the remedy to follow Arsenicwhen Arsenichas been suited to the
restlessness, prostration, and anxiety that comes to a place where because of
hepatization it is capable of accomplishing no more toward the cure of a case. If, then,
the patient has thirst for ice-cold water, constriction of the chest, dry, hacking cough,
paralytic weakness of the lungs, and expectoration of blood or frothy mucus
Phosphorus is the best remedy.

In pneumonia, there may be burning in the chest, burning in the head, hot cheeks, and
fever; gesticulation and delirium; violent thirst for ice-cold water; fan-like motion of the
nose; difficult breathing; catchy inspiration; lying on the back with the head thrown far
back; short, dry cough.

The carotids pulsate. Rawness in the chest; bruised feeling in the chest; pains are
cutting; burning or sharp and tearing in the lungs when coughing. Suffocation, or
inspiration almost impossible, especially at the beginning of hepatization when the face
becomes livid and the features pointed with cold sweat and quick, hard pulse. Frothy
expectoration in low forms of pneumonia known as typhoid pneumonia.

Threatened paralysis of the lungs. Again, Phosphorus is a useful remedy when

tuberculosis is about to make its appearance, in persons who are narrow-chested,
slender, and of feeble vitality. All colds settle in the chest. After each cold, much rattling,
hard cough that shakes the whole body, in persons who are feeble, pale, sickly, and
disposed to hemorrhages.

Cough comes on in cold air. Emaciation; emaciation of the chest and neck. Along with
these conditions comes hectic fever in the last stages of phthisis; intense fever, red face,
and night sweats; fever coming on in the afternoon and lasting until after midnight.

A powder of Phosphorus very high will reduce this fever and make the patient
comfortable until death. In all incurable cases after the fever has been reduced,
Phosphorus should not be given, as it will intensify the fever and do just what it was
given to avoid. It is not uncommon for a crisis to follow the administration of
Phosphorus. Prolonged sweat and diarrhea, these should never be interfered with as
they will soon stop of their own accord and the patient will be left in a state of quietude.

Phosphorus is a dangerous medicine to give very high in some cases of phthisis, in the
last stages of phthisis. In this case they should have received Phosphorus when they
were yet curable. In these cases Phosphorus 30 th may sometimes be used with safety
and it will act as a test in doubtful cases to see whether reaction can be brought about.
In such cases where reaction can be brought about the administration later of a still
higher potency may be found useful, but in the beginning with Phosphorus in phthisical
cases far advanced it is better not to go higher than the 30 th or 200 th.

Phosphorus very low will act as a poison in really Phosphorus cases and the only safety
some patients have had who have received Phosphorus so very low was due to the fact
that the Phosphorus was not similar enough to either kill or cure.

Heart

: Phosphorus has violent palpitation; worse from motion, and from lying on the left side
especially in the evening; worse at night on waking, with orgasms of blood in the chest,
accompanied by much suffocation.

Tightness in the chest and palpitation over the body; pressure in the region of the heart.
Phosphorus has cured endocarditis. Phosphorus has cured enlargement of the heart and
dilatation and also fatty degeneration. With fatty degeneration where there is much
venous stagnation, puffiness of the face, particularly under the eyelids, Phosphorus is
often the remedy.

In all of these cardiac affections thirst for very cold water will always be present.
Internal heat; he wants something cold to cool his insides.

Violent orgasms of blood in the chest from every excitement, from worry, and from
anticipation. Phosphorus has many neuralgic pains upon the outer chest and yellow
brown spots.

Back and spine

: There are many symptoms in the back; stiffness in the back and in the back of the
neck, between the shoulders, and in the small of the back.

Stiffness on rising from a seat. Sensation of intense heat in the back running up the
back. The patient complains of a hot spine.

Soreness in places up and down the spine; soreness to touch between the! shoulders;
pulsations in various places in the back and in the whole spine.

The coccyx is sensitive to pressure; pain in the coccyx as if ulcerated, preventing

motion. Pain in the back during menstruation and during confinement as if the back
would break. Spinal affections and inflammations, Weakness of the limbs after mental
exertion, prolonged physical exertion, being overheated, sunstroke and sexual excesses;
paralytic weakness. Myelitis; softening of the spine; progressive spinal paralysis.

Phosphorus has been a useful remedy in locomotor ataxia, palliating many of the
symptoms; the pains; restoring the reflexes. Phosphorus is often suitable and restrains
the progress in multiple sclerosis where there is much weakness and trembling of the
extremities. Phosphorus has cured caries of the vertebrae in scrofulous children.
Phosphorus is a broad remedy in various diseases of the spine.

Limbs

: In the limbs we have paralytic weakness extending to both arms and legs, with
trembling and numbness; paralysis of one or of both lower extremities or of the upper
extremities with trembling and numbness.

The hands and arms become very cold. The limbs emaciate and the veins become
distended; the arms burn; periodical constriction of the fingers; numbness increasing to
complete insensibility of the fingers; finger tips feel numb and insensible.
Great restlessness in the lower limbs; weariness in the lower limbs; weakness in the
lower limbs, especially observed on walking, unsteady and trembling gait; paralysis of
the lower limbs. Acute inflarnmation of the joints of the knees and hip joint.

Burning, tearing pains in the limbs from exposure to cold, Rheumatism of the joints and
muscles; stiffness of the joints on becoming cold. All complaints of the limbs are
ameliorated by heat, while complaints of the head and stomach are ameliorated by cold.
The complaints of the chest are ameliorated by heat. The lower limbs are covered with
foetid sweat, The lower limbs are gangrenous. Inflammation of the periosteum of the
tibia. Ulcers upon the lower limbs; feet icy-cold.

The Phosphorus patient wants to lie down; exhausted; he is unable to walk; staggers
when walking from weakness and from vertigo. A gradual progressing weakness creeps
over him; weakness; trembling; faintness.

Jerking and twitching of the muscles; spasms of the paralyzed parts. Epilepsy;
convulsions; neuralgic pains of the various parts of the body and of the limbs especially,
ameliorated by heat. It has cured multiple neuritis.

Sleep

: Restless sleep; starts in sleep; feels in the morning as if he has not kept enough, yet
most of the complaints and aches are ameliorated by sleep, especially the head
symptoms; walks in his sleep.

He sleeps on the right side. Lying on the left side causes anxiety and pain in the heart
and palpitation. Late falling to sleep in the evening; lies awake thinking about the affairs
of the day and borrowing trouble. Phosphorus is a usual remedy in low forms of typhoid
fever on the symptoms previously mentioned.

Skin

: There are many eruptions in Phosphorus.

The eruptions are dry and scaly; dry furfuraceous herpes; blood blisters; purple spots;
yellow spots on the chest and abdomen; formication and itching in the paralyzed parts;
numbness of the skin; irregular brown spots upon the body; psoriasis of the knees, legs,
elbows, and eyebrows; hives and blood boils; phlegmonous inflammation.

Chronic suppurating openings with hectic fever; fistulous openings; ulcers bleed on
appearance of the menses; deep eating ulcers; indolent ulcers; malignant ulcers.

Very useful in cancerous ulcers that bleed and take on fungous appearance and in low
forms of scarlet fever where the rash is very dusky or disappears and suppuration
begins in various places about the neck or upon the extremities or upon the ends of the
fingers and there is violent thirst for cold water, purple appearance in the throat, and
dry, hacking, shaking cough.