When There Is an Open Mind, There Wil/ Always Be a Frontier. Charles F. Kettering
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PHOSPHORUS When there is an open mind, there wil/ always be a frontier. [Charles F. Kettering]
Índice Phosphorus...... 1 Sinopse (1)...... 2 Sinopse (2)...... 6 Mind symptoms...... 9 Indicações agudas...... 10 Grupo VA...... 12 Jan Scholten (1)...... 14 Homeopathy and Minerals: The phosphoricums...... 14 Remedies Essence & Concepts...... 16 Jan Scholten (2)...... 29 Homeopathy and the Elements...... 29 Rajan Sankaran...... 34 The Substance of Homeopathy (1994)...... 34 The Soul of Remedies (1997)...... 37 Structure (2008)...... 39 Vital Quest...... 41 Guy Loutain...... 44 Vithoulkas...... 45 Frans Vermeulen...... 48 PRISMA...... 48 Concordant Materia Medica...... 56 Shama...... 69 Eclectic Materia Medica...... 75 Finley Ellingwood...... 76 Acid phosphoricum...... 78 Phosphorus:...... 79 Phosphorus - 2 SINOPSE (1)
A substância Substância altamente tóxica, usada em vários pesticidas por ser importante inibidor da colinesterase. Após algumas horas de ingestão, ocorre a sensação de queimação na garganta e esôfago, náuseas, seguidas de eructações com sabor de alho e vômitos escuros com sangue e depois diarréia tb escura. Se a morte demora a ocorrer, teremos a instalação de hepatite tóxica com icterícia, aumento do fígado, púrpura e epistaxe. Logo em seguida os rins são atacados e a morte ocorre por uremia (IRA) . As preparações homeopáticas foram feitas a partir de ossos calcinados e as potências a partir de solução saturada do phosphorus amarelo em álcool. É um elemento essencial para a vida e sua presença é essencial para a transferência de energia das células pelos processos químicos. Sua patogenesia foi publicada na 1a edição das DC. Ação Irrita, inflama e degenera as mucosas. Irrita e inflama as serosas. Inflama a medula e os nervos causando paralisias. Destrutivo para os ossos, especialmente a mandíbula e tíbia. Desorganiza o sangue, causando degeneração gordurosa dos vasos sangüíneos e cada tecido e órgão do corpo, dando origem a hemorragias e icterícia hemolítica. Produz atrofia amarela do fígado e hepatite sub-aguda. Tendência às hemorragias, frequentes, abundantes e repetidas, que se detêm e logo reaparecem (hemoptise, epistaxe, melena, hematúria, metrorragia). Hemofilia. Petéquias. Púrpura hemorrágica. Equimose. Afeções ósseas. Osteomielite. Os sujeitos de Phos são do tipo artistas, imaginativos, criativos, além de clarividentes. Mentais Tão logo a escuridão da noite começava a envolver a Terra, minha paz era perturbada pelas mais amedrontadoras visões e pensamentos; constante medo da morte, com um quase incontrolável desejo de cometer suicídio. - Às vezes, ao anoitecer, sente ansiedade, como se ele fosse morrer. - Senti-me nervoso, como se eu fosse morrer. - Cheio de presságios tristes. - Preocupada com a vida. - Ansiedade, como de desgraça iminente. - Um indescritível sentimento de medo. - O mundo lhe era amedrontador, apenas o pranto lamurioso poderia aliviá-lo. - Ele imagina que tem hidropleura. - Ansiosamente solicita em relação ao desventurado término de sua doença. - Desencorajado acerca de sua saúde. Medo horrível no final da tarde, como se um rosto horrível estivesse olhando por todos os cantos. -Delírio; frequentemente cochila, mas somente para entrar lentamente em estado de semi delírio; uma fase peculiar desenvolveu-se em seu delírio; toda vez que ele virava seus olhos, via rostos; eles fervilhavam/vinham em grande numero sobre ele numa longa sucessão Phosphorus - 3 panorâmica; eles o olhavam de soslaio ao pé da cama; eles o olhavam com olhar de desdém/inveja através das janelas, ou entravam em grande número atropeladamente quando as portas eram deixadas entreabertas; ele veria essas aparições por horas, reclamando que elas não o deixariam dormir; os rostos assombradores da alucinação previa haviam desaparecido e ele imaginou que fosse outra pessoa ou que ele estava em vários pedaços e não conseguiria ajustar os fragmentos apropriadamente. · Fantasias delirantes, enquanto descansando e acordado, como se ela estivesse em uma ilha distante, tivesse muito trabalho, fosse uma nobre senhora, etc. - Fantasias muito vívidas, causadas por leitura de uma historia boba, tanto que eu fui obrigado a fazer empenho intenso para realizar meu trabalho. - Imaginação vívida, geralmente a tarde, quando a presença de coisas desagradáveis causou estremecimento. Minha mente foi muito oprimida por melancolia; lágrimas vinham sem motivo; um sentimento de temor dominou-se, como se estivesse na expectativa de algo terrível, até agora incapaz de resistir ou mudar; às vezes parecia que eu estava começando a inchar e então eu podia ouvir uma multidão de vozes em euforia, alegres gargalhadas altas, dizendo: "Encha-o um pouco mais e ele estourara" seguido de gargalhada demoníaca, o que provocou arrepios frios a correrem por mim. Imaginei-me uma aurora boreal, e podia ouvir distintamente vozes gritando: "Lindo! Oh!, não e esplendido?" a medida em que as dores se tornavam mais severas e prolongadas; breve, entretanto, a agonia tornou-se ato grande que arremessou para longe o estupor, anuviando os meus sentidos. Apreensiva, como se ela estivesse sofrendo por alguma coisa, frequentemente recorrente. Ansiedade durante toda a noite, sem calor, como se ele tivesse assassinado alguém, com constantes sacudimentos. Sentimento de medo, como se ele estivesse para ser atropelado por uma locomotiva. Tristeza e melancolia, como se alguma desgraça tivesse acontecido. - Triste, apreensivo, sentimento de extremo desencorajamento. - Triste, silencioso, pensativo. - Tristeza ao crepúsculo, por varias tardes sucessivas, a mesma hora. - Depressão mental e um medo ou timidez muito incomuns, com grande fadiga. - Espirito muito deprimido, com indisposição para trabalhar, sem motivo. Sobressalto involuntário quando alguém abre a porta; barulho e muito incomodo para mim - Grande excitação emocional, sem nenhum motivo. - Excitado por qualquer modalidade. - Muito facilmente amedrontado. Taciturno, muito afetado por tudo, particularmente por pessoas e barulho. - Estado de espirito triste e muito susceptível a distúrbios emocionais, particularmente a apreensões, através de toda a experimentação. Um fato desagradável a faz ansiosa, combinado com medo e aborrecimento, e tende a chorar lamentosamente. Mal humor durante os últimos dias da experimentação; ela tornou-se excessivamente sensível ao choro de uma criança, o que a afetou muito desagradavelmente, o que antes nunca tinha ocorrido. Extrema agitação, com enorme calor, grande sede. Quando pensa em alguma coisa desagradável, ele entra num tipo de depressão, cuja sensação localiza-se, na maioria das vezes, na "boca do estômago". Animado, bem humorado; ela canta e dança com os lábios fechados para si mesma. Ansiedade, opressão, como se eu tivesse ouvido noticias desagradáveis. - Ansiedade e sem descanso interior, sem motivo para isso. Não gostou de estar só. - Grande ansiedade e irritabilidade quando esta só. Extremamente descontente. Grande apatia, tanto que o paciente ficou quase sem vontade de falar Foi obrigada a rir contra sua vontade enquanto estava triste. Meus desejos eram variados e numerosos. Excitado e veemente/impetuoso/apaixonado Phosphorus - 4 Veemente/impetuoso/apaixonado. Irritabilidade mental. incomum veemência em argumentar. - Senti-me excessivamente petulante o dia todo; nada deu certo; senti insatisfação comigo mesmo e com os outros; parecia que todo mundo dizia ou fazia alguma coisa para me provocar. Preocupado, tanto que perdeu seu auto controle por qualquer banalidade. Obstinado. - Sensível, delicado. - Muito caprichoso, sensível. Descontente e irresoluto. Grande excitação; ela cantou, riu e logo após dormiu; na manha seguinte acordou com grande ansiedade. Sem pudor; ela se descobre e quer sair nua, como se estivesse insana. Resignado, apático, delira as vezes. Delírio, no qual o paciente levantou-se da cama e foi achado deitado no chão, gritando de medo e sacudindo-se. - Delírio com constantes tentativas de escapar; foi necessário confinar o paciente na cama; isto foi seguido após algumas horas de completa inconsciência, com rosto magro/encovado. Devaneios, com mente preocupada. - Mente super ativa, grande fluxo de idéias, difícil de organizar. - Memória geralmente rápida. Liberdade da mente, bom humor, com agradável calor por todo o corpo, particularmente nas mãos, as quais são bem vermelhas devido ao afluxo de sangue; tudo parece mais radiante. Sensações Intensa sensação de vazio ou languidez: na cabeça, no estômago (com náuseas) e não melhora comendo, no abdome, no tórax. (acompanhados de calor entre as omoplatas) Sensação de ardor/queimação ou calor, em placas, ao longo da coluna, entre as omoplatas. Vê um halo verde ao redor da luz (osmium). Os objetos parecem vermelhos. Um mar de fogo ao fechar os olhos. Vê relâmpagos e chispas, na escuridão. Sensação de algo fofo como algodão na garganta. Como se o ânus estivesse aberto. Como se imerso em água quente. Como se puxado pelos cabelos. Phosphorus - 5 Causalidade Cólera. Medo. Pena. Preocupações. Emoções fortes. Música. Odores fortes. Flores (desmaios) Tempestades. Relâmpagos. Excessos sexuais. Traumatismos. Feridas. Lavar roupas. Modalidades Agg. < frio (pp. mãos na água fria), antes e durante tempestades, molhar os pés, deitar sobre lado esquerdo, crepúsculo, escuro, altura, aglomeração, solidão, excitação. Amel. > calor, massagem (mesmerismo), sono leve, repouso, meditação, relaxamento, cia, segurança, apoio afetivo, Desejos e aversões Desejo de sal, condimentos, picantes, leite frio, sorvete Aversos aos pudins, doces, chás, café, leite quente, carne, cerveja, peixe Agravam pelos doces e chás Sede veemente e por água quase congelada Lateralidade esquerda; ou cruzada (esquerda inferior e direita superior). Funcionais Febre queimante, com sede insaciável de bebidas frias. Febre alta do lado direito. O calafrio aparece depois do meio-dia, entre 13 e 18 horas. Calafrio no corpo todo. O enfermo tem necessidade de se cobrir. Tem uma sensação de frio glacial entre os joelhos (Carbo-v =o tempo todo. Phos = só durante a febre). Fome durante a febre. Concomitantes Batimento de asa de nariz - Fome durante a febre.
Phosphorus - 6 SINOPSE (2) Mentais * Tão logo a escuridão da noite começava a envolver a Terra, minha paz era perturbada pelas mais amedrontadoras visões e pensamentos; constante medo da morte, com um quase incontrolável desejo de cometer suicídio. - As vezes, ao anoitecer, sente ansiedade, como se ele fosse morrer. - Senti-me nervoso, como se eu fosse morrer. - Cheio de presságios tristes. - Preocupada com a vida. - Ansiedade, como de desgraça iminente. - Um indescritível sentimento de medo. - O mundo lhe era amedrontador, apenas o pranto lamurioso poderia aliviá-lo. - Ele imagina que tem hidropleura. - Ansiosamente solicita em relação ao desventurado término de sua doença. - Desencorajado acerca de sua saúde. Medo horrível no final da tarde, como se um rosto horrível estivesse olhando por todos os cantos. -Delírio; frequentemente cochila, mas somente para entrar lentamente em estado de semi delírio; uma fase peculiar desenvolveu-se em seu delírio; toda vez que ele virava seus olhos, via rostos; eles fervilhavam/vinham em grande numero sobre ele numa longa sucessão panorâmica; eles o olhavam de soslaio ao pé da cama; eles o olhavam com olhar de desdém/inveja através das janelas, ou entravam em grande número atropeladamente quando as portas eram deixadas entreabertas; ele veria essas aparições por horas, reclamando que elas não o deixariam dormir; os rostos assombradores da alucinação previa haviam desaparecido e ele imaginou que fosse outra pessoa ou que ele estava em vários pedaços e não conseguiria ajustar os fragmentos apropriadamente. · Fantasias delirantes, enquanto descansando e acordado, como se ela estivesse em uma ilha distante, tivesse muito trabalho, fosse uma nobre senhora, etc. - Fantasias muito vívidas, causadas por leitura de uma historia boba, tanto que eu fui obrigado a fazer empenho intenso para realizar meu trabalho. - Imaginação vívida, geralmente a tarde, quando a presença de coisas desagradáveis causou estremecimento. Minha mente foi muito oprimida por melancolia; lágrimas vinham sem motivo; um sentimento de temor dominou-se, como se estivesse na expectativa de algo terrível, ate agora incapaz de resistir ou mudar; as vezes parecia que eu estava começando a inchar e então eu podia ouvir uma multidão de vozes em euforia, alegres gargalhadas altas, dizendo: "Encha-o um pouco mais e ele estourara" seguido de gargalhada demoníaca, o que provocou arrepios frios a correrem por mim. Imaginei-me uma aurora boreal, e podia ouvir distintamente vozes gritando: "Lindo! Oh!, não e esplendido?" a medida em que as dores se tornavam mais severas e prolongadas; breve, entretanto, a agonia tornou-se ato grande que arremessou para longe o estupor, anuviando os meus sentidos. Apreensiva, como se ela estivesse sofrendo por alguma coisa, frequentemente recorrente. Ansiedade durante toda a noite, sem calor, como se ele tivesse assassinado alguém, com constantes sacudimentos. Sentimento de medo, como se ele estivesse para ser atropelado por uma locomotiva. Mágoa inconsolável, com choro e gritos pela manha Tristeza e melancolia, como se alguma desgraça tivesse acontecido. - Triste, apreensivo, sentimento de extremo desencorajamento. - Triste, silencioso, pensativo. - Tristeza ao crepúsculo, por varias tardes sucessivas, a mesma hora. - Depressão mental e um medo ou timidez muito incomuns, com grande fadiga. - Espirito muito deprimido, com indisposição para trabalhar, sem motivo. Sobressalto involuntário quando alguém abre a porta; barulho e muito incomodo para mim - Grande excitação emocional, sem nenhum motivo. - Excitado por qualquer modalidade. - Muito facilmente amedrontado. Taciturno, muito afetado por tudo, particularmente por pessoas e barulho. - Estado de espirito triste e muito susceptível a distúrbios emocionais, particularmente a apreensões, através de toda a experimentação. Phosphorus - 7 Um fato desagradável a faz ansiosa, combinado com medo e aborrecimento, e tende a chorar lamentosamente. Mal humor durante os últimos dias da experimentação; ela tornou-se excessivamente sensível ao choro de uma criança, o que a afetou muito desagradavelmente, o que antes nunca tinha ocorrido. - Mal humorado com tudo, triste, lamuriento. Extrema agitação, com enorme calor, grande sede. Quando pensa em alguma coisa desagradável, ele entra num tipo de depressão, cuja sensação localiza-se, na maioria das vezes, na "boca do estômago". Ataque de ansiedade, como se abaixo do busto esquerdo, o que foi tão dolorido, que todo o seu corpo estremeceu, as vezes com arrotos amargos; palpitação. Delírio violento, na primeira alternância, com intervalos de consciência, interrompido mais tarde; este delírio, o qual precedeu a morte, foi erótico com indicação de grande excitação sexual, seguido de respiração estertorosa e morte. Animado, bem humorado; ela canta e dança com os lábios fechados para si mesma. Ansiedade, opressão, como se eu tivesse ouvido noticias desagradáveis. - Ansiedade e sem descanso interior, sem motivo para isso. Não gostou de estar só. - Grande ansiedade e irritabilidade quando esta só. Extremamente descontente. Grande apatia, tanto que o paciente ficou quase sem vontade de falar Foi obrigada a rir contra sua vontade enquanto estava triste. Meus desejos eram variados e numerosos. Excitado e veemente/impetuoso/apaixonado Veemente/impetuoso/apaixonado. Irritabilidade mental. incomum veemência em argumentar. - Senti-me excessivamente petulante o dia todo; nada deu certo; senti insatisfação comigo mesmo e com os outros; parecia que todo mundo dizia ou fazia alguma coisa para me provocar. Preocupado, tanto que perdeu seu auto controle por qualquer banalidade. Obstinado. - Sensível, delicado. - Muito caprichoso, sensível. Descontente e irresoluto. Grande excitação; ela cantou, riu e logo após dormiu; na manha seguinte acordou com grande ansiedade. Sem pudor; ela se descobre e quer sair nua, como se estivesse insana. Resignado, apático, delira as vezes. Delírio, no qual o paciente levantou-se da cama e foi achado deitado no chão, gritando de medo e sacudindo-se. - Delírio com constantes tentativas de escapar; foi necessário confinar o paciente na cama; isto foi seguido após algumas horas de completa inconsciência, com rosto magro/encovado. Devaneios, com mente preocupada. - Mente super ativa, grande fluxo de idéias, difícil de organizar. - Memória geralmente rápida. Liberdade da mente, bom humor, com agradável calor por todo o corpo, particularmente nas mãos, as quais são bem vermelhas devido ao afluxo de sangue; tudo parece mais radiante. - Muito bom humor, particularmente pela manha. Temática: Abandono, Acidentes, Culpa, Grandeza, Infortúnio, Isolamento, Identidade,Liberdade, Solidão, Compaixão Gerais * Irrita, inflama e degenera as mucosas. Irrita e inflama as serosas. Inflama a medula e os nervos causando paralisias. Destroe os ossos, especialmente a mandíbula e tíbia. Desorganiza o sangue, Phosphorus - 8 causando degeneração gordurosa dos vasos sanguíneos e cada tecido e órgão do corpo, dando origem a hemorragias e icterícia hematógena. Lateralidade esquerda; ou cruzada (esquerda inferior e direita superior). Produz atrofia amarela do fígado e hepatite sub-aguda. Tendência às hemorragias, frequentes, abundantes e repetidas, que se detêm e logo reaparecem (hemoptíase, epistaxe, melena, hematúria, metrorragia). - Hemofilia. Petéquias. Púrpura hemorrágica. Equimose. Afecções ósseas. Osteomielite. SENSAÇÕES: Intensa sensação de vazio ou languidez: na cabeça, no estômago (com náuseas) e não melhora comendo, no abdome, no tórax. (acompanhados de calor entre as omoplatas); Sensação de ardor ou calor, em placas, ao longo da coluna, entre as omoplatas. - Vê um halo verde ao redor da luz (osmium). Os objetos parecem vermelhos. Um mar de fogo ao fechar os olhos. Vê relâmpagos e chispas, na escuridão. ; Sensação de algo fofo como algodão na garganta. - Como se o ânus estivesse aberto. - Como se imerso em água quente.- Como se puxado pelos cabelos. CAUSALIDADE : Cólera. Medo. Pena. Preocupações. Emoções fortes. Música. Odores fortes. Flores (desmaios) Tempestades. Relâmpagos. Excessos sexuais. Traumatismos. Feridas. Lavar roupas. CONCOMITANTES: Batimento das asas do nariz. - Abatido, esgotado, durante a febre. - Afunda ou desliza na cama. - Sede violenta de grandes quantidades, de bebidas frias ou geladas. Vomita depois. - Fome, à noite, durante a febre ou a cefaléia. Útil no pré-operatório. 1 dose de 1000 antes da intervenção, produz sedação, previne as hemorragias durante o ato cirúrgico e as consequências da anestesia geral. Particulares Glaucoma agudo. Olhos doloridos e com sensação de plenitude. Apendicite. Peritonite. Úlcera gástrica ou duodenal. Dor na laringe, pior pela pressão, ao tocar ou falar. Laringites agudas ou crônicas. Pseudo crupe e crupe diftérico. Rouquidão, pior à noite. Pneumonia direita. Abscesso pulmonar. Tuberculose pulmonar. Febre queimante, com sede insaciável de bebidas frias. Febre alta do lado direito. O calafrio aparece depois do meio-dia, entre 13 e 18 horas. Calafrio no corpo todo. O enfermo tem necessidade de se cobrir. Tem uma sensação de frio glacial entre os joelhos (Carbo-v =o tempo todo. Phos = só durante a febre). Fome durante a febre. Phosphorus - 9 MIND SYMPTOMS Extroverted, expressive, AFFECTIONATE and SYMPATHETIC. M Too OPEN and easily IMPRESSIONABLE. Sensitive to ALL EXTERNAL IMPRESSIONS. Sensitive to surroundings/atmosphere. May be clairvoyant. . "The phosphorus type is also sensitive and delicate psychically; also supersensitive toward sensory impressions, against light, noise, music, odours, perfumes, and contact. Such people are also sensitive to personal influences. In general they are in need of support, they feel badly when they are alone and they welcome moving around and contact with healthy people. Dahlke's view that the desire for massage and the improvement fiom it may be explained from this psychic situation is quite enlightening. The great sensitivity for impressions permits such people to proceed in an animated manner; indeed, it approaches ecstasy and clear-sightedness which signifies the extremely fme sensitivity. To these corresponds the alert, animated facial expression; the psychic processes are found without difficulty in the gestures and mien. On the other side, from the intensity and the tempo of their experiences, these delicate people become easily fatigued, become tired and indifferent and ever demand rest. Memory fails; sleep improves. The conversion from the animated, indeed excited and at times vehement, state to fatigued, indifferent, and anxious picture is sudden." [Leeser] Easily distracted. Suggestible. Quick perception. . "Greatly excited fantasy from reading a silly little story, so that he must take a great effort to go on with his work." [Hughes] . "The personality, devoid of mental firmness as well as of vital stamina, is bound to be a drifting straw, an almost helpless victim of outer influences and inner emotions. . .. Finding no source of strength within himself, he must look for support and recharging of his energies from without, thus always depending and leaning upon others. ... All in all he is a truly flower- or butterfly-like being, thriving in the sunshine of favourable circumstances but wilting in the darkness and coldness of adversity." [Whitmont] M Full of FEARS and ANXIETIES: darkness, twilight, death, alone, ghosts, future, health, diseases, about others, thunderstonns. Self-love; self-centred. . "The Phosphorus sparkle proceeds not only from eager responsiveness to others and love of life but also from self-love. He considers himself more sensitive and refined, more intuitive, more entertaining, more gifted, more spiritual than others. He can be quite fascinated with himself and view his person as the centre around which others revolve, or as a latter-day Prometheus whose talents enrich mankind like the fire stolen from heaven. ... Phosphorus does not dominate aggressively yet still manages to divert attention to hirnself. ... The Phosphorus narcissism may manifest itself in a liking for mirrors; these individuaIs, both male and female, will have a number of them distributed around the home. They explain them as enhancing the light ar expanding the space, but the unconscious motivation is a desire to admire themselves in any room of the house. Likewise, Phosphorus may be suspected as a component of the constitution of any individual whose house is covered with photographs of himself in various activities, poses, or stages of life. ... The Phosphorus penchant for histrionics can degenerate into hysterics, exhibitionism, and the courting of difficulty and danger to exploit the attention and sympathy of others." [Coulter] . "Histrionic personality is characterized by immaturity, excitability, emotional instability, a craving for excitement, and self-dramatisation [an attention-seeking device that is often seductive in nature]. Sexual adjustment is usually poor and inter personal relationships are stormy. These individuals often show dependence and helplessness and are quite gullible. Usually they are self-centred, vain, and overconcemed about approval from others, who see them as overly reactive, shallow, and insincere."l Phosphorus - 10 Scattered. . "Having just prepared some tincture of Phosphorus [strength not stated], I took 5 drops about 5 p.m. Thinking no more about it, I retired about 10, but was unable to sleep; desire for it was very great, but I could not fmd a comfortable position. My mind was greatly oppressed with melancholy; tears would start without cause; a feeling of dread, as if awaiting something terrible, while unable to resist or move, overcame me. Sometirnes it seemed as if I was beginning to bloat, and then I could hear a multitude of voices saying, in high glee, 'Fill him up a little more and he will burst,' folIowed by demonical laughter, which made cold chilIs run over me. Darting, cutting pains gave me much distress, starting from separate points and flashing over whole abdomen; I imagined myself an aurora borealis, and seemed to hear distinctly voices shouting, 'Beautiful, oh! was not that splendid?' as the pains became more severe and lasting. Soon, however, the agony became so great that it threw off in a measure the stupor that clouded my senses. Springing from bed, I hastily dressed and sat down to colIect my scattered thoughts. My fmgers were alI thumbs; I felt a numbness of the whole body accompanied by a sensation as if encompassed by innumerable needles that just touched, and on slightest motion entered, my body. Throat felt dry and parched; a flame seemed passing through me. When I attempted to walk my legs seemed glued to the floor; the slightest motion caused great pain. With great exertion I reached the vessel. The moment the bowels began to move the pain assumed the form of cramps. The passages were like the scrapings of intestines and were almost constant, attended with tenesmus for upwards of 2 hours, at end of which I lay down on bed weak, sore, and almost helpless." [Hughes] Sudden weakness. . "Quickly prostrated by unpleasant impressions." [Boger] Usually CHILLY, may be warm. < COLD in general, but craves fresh air. . "The avidity for oxygen gives elementary phosphorus the property of luminescence in air. Thereby it is remarkable that the luminescence of phosphorus requires slight amounts of °2 and on the contrary the self-luminescence ceases when phosphorus is brought into an atmosphere of pure oxygen. The light energy in luminescence of phosphorus arises from the chemical energy which becomes free in the oxidation. Above a certain oxygen pressure the speed of this oxidation does not progress with increasing °2 concentration, but in apparent contradiction to the law of mass action there is a decrease." [Leeser] Cold air > head and face symptoms, but < those of chest, throat and neck. G Sensation of HEAT when eating WARM food. G Ravenous hunger; nightly [waking from hunger]. Ravenous hunger preceding attacks [e.g. headache]. . "The marked hunger has a certain spasmodic nature. Soon after eating, the hunger
INDICAÇÕES AGUDAS
Causalidade Cólera. Medo. Pena. Preocupações. Emoções fortes. Música. Odores fortes. Flores (desmaios) Tempestades. Relâmpagos. Excessos sexuais. Traumatismos. Feridas. Lavar roupas. Phosphorus - 11 Sintomas característicos Irrita, inflama e degenera as mucosas. Irrita e inflama as serosas. Inflama a medula e os nervos causando paralisias. Destroi os ossos, especialmente a mandíbula e tíbia. Desorganiza o sangue, causando degeneração gordurosa dos vasos sanguíneos e cada tecido e órgão do corpo, dando origem a hemorragias e icterícia hematógena. Produz atrofia amarela do fígado e hepatite sub-aguda. Tendência às hemorragias, frequentes, abundantes e repetidas, que se detêm e logo reaparecem (hemoptíase, epistaxe, melena, hematúria, metrorragia). Hemofilia. Petéquias. Púrpura hemorrágica. Equimose. Afecções ósseas. Osteomielite. Útil no pré-operatório. 1 dose de 1000 antes da intervenção, produz sedação, previne as hemorragias durante o ato cirúrgico e as consequências da anestesia geral. Glaucoma agudo. Olhos doloridos e com sensação de plenitude. Apendicite. Peritonite. Úlcera gástrica ou duodenal. Dor na laringe, pior pela pressão, ao tocar ou falar. Laringites agudas ou crônicas. Pseudo crupe e crupe diftérico. Rouquidão, pior à noite. Pneumonia direita. Abscesso pulmonar. Tuberculose pulmonar. Febre queimante, com sede insaciável de bebidas frias. Febre alta do lado direito. O calafrio aparece depois do meio-dia, entre 13 e 18 horas. Calafrio no corpo todo. O enfermo tem necessidade de se cobrir. Tem uma sensação de frio glacial entre os joelhos (Carbo-v =o tempo todo. Phos = só durante a febre). Fome durante a febre. Sensações Intensa sensação de vazio ou languidez: na cabeça, no estômago (com náuseas) e não melhora comendo, no abdome, no tórax. (acompanhados de calor entre as omoplatas) Sensação de ardor ou calor, em placas, ao longo da coluna, entre as omoplatas. Vê um halo verde ao redor da luz (osmium). Os objetos parecem vermelhos. Um mar de fogo ao fechar os olhos. Vê relâmpagos e chispas, na escuridão. Sensação de algo fofo como algodão na garganta. Como se o ânus estivesse aberto. Como se imerso em água quente. Como se puxado pelos cabelos. Concomitantes Batimento das asas do nariz. Abatido, esgotado, durante a febre. Afunda ou desliza na cama. Sede violenta de grandes quantidades, de bebidas frias ou geladas. Vomita depois. Fome, à noite, durante a febre ou a cefaléia. Sintoma 5 e 13 no original da MM de Hartlaub und Trinks! HLB2-4) Pela manhã acordou chorando violentamente e com melancolia. Ele ainda se lembrava que algumas palavras de sua mãe tão tristes o atingiram de tal forma que: ficou tão comovido que não conseguia parar de chorar, nem se acalmar, continuando a chorar durante um quarto de hora e se lamentando, e dois dias inteiros depois ainda continuava triste e melancólico, e acreditava que durante a sua ausência de casa uma desgraça tinha acontecido (após 2 semanas). Três semanas mais tarde este fato voltou de forma semelhante, mas somente que pela manhã se lembrou que durante a noite passada tinha chorado amargamente devido a algo de que não se recordava. (Tradução de Maren Boveri, uma vet. da EPH) Phosphorus - 12 GRUPO VA Ânions – Grupos VA VIA VIIA
Recebem 3,2,1 eletrons para manter a estabilidade de 8 elétrons na última camada. Atividades para salvar o relacionamento. Atividade decresce no grupo (descendente). Grupo VA Nitrogen Nitrogenium: aethyl-n., am-act., am-ar., am-bi., am-br., AM-C., am-caust., am-f., am-i., AM-M., am-mlb., am- n., am-ox., am-p., am-pic., am-s., am-sel., am-t., am-val., am-van., arg-cy., ARG-N., ars-n., aur-cy., aur-kcy., bism-sn., cadm-n., calc-n., cob-n., cupr-cy., cupr-n., ferr-cy., ferr-n., gunp., Hydr-ac., kali-aur-cy., kali-cy., kali-fcy., KALI-N., kalium-ns., lysd-dnp., mag-n., MERC., merc-cy., merc-n., merc-ns., merc-o-cy., nat-n., NIT- AC., nit-m-ac., nitro-o., nitrob., nitroph., plb-n., PLUT-N., rhodi-o-n., stront-n., stry-n., trinit., uran-n., urea- n., verat-n., zinc-cy., zinc-n.
Expansion of the ego: assertive Assertive Enthousiast Enjoy Forgiving Tension Relax Hypochondry [Unforgiviness] Deleitar-se Necessidade de espaço – Expansão Sair Congestão – Explosivo Tensão – Relaxamento. This gas is so inert that Lavoisier named it “azote,” which means “without life.” YET, 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere is made of NITROGEN and NITROGEN is essential in DNA and proteins Ammoniums Ammonium salts: am-ar., am-bi., am-br., AM-C., am-caust., am-f., am-hox., am-i., AM-M., am-mlb., am-n., am- p., am-s., am-sel., am-van., Idealising Disappointment Resentment Critical Angry Closed Ressentimento – Rancor Cólera - Ódio – Crítica Fechado – Reservado Idealismo Desapontamento - Desalento Phosphorus - 13 Phosphor
Phosphorus: Alum-p., alumin-p., am-p., arg-p., bar-p., calc-hp., CALC-P., calc-py., creat-p., cupr-p., FERR-P., ferr-p-h., ferr-py., hphos-ac., kali-hp., KALI-P., lith-p., mag-gp., mag-hp., Mag-p., mang-p., merc-p., nat-hp., NAT-P., PH-AC., PHOS., phos-h., phos-m., phos-pbr., phos-pchl., phos-ps., phos-tbr., phos-ti., plb-p., ZINC-P., zinc-phic. Sharing in relations: communication Communicative Sympathetic Brother Friends Learning Travel Homesick Comunicação Amigos - Vizinhos – Conhecidos Irmãos Nostalgia Linguagem – Aprendizado Curiosidade – Viagens Inquietação - Medos Arsenicum Arsenicum: am-ar., ant-ar., arg-ars., ARS., ars-ac., ars-br., ars-h., ARS-I., ars-met., ars-n., ars-pyr., ARS-S-F., ars-s-r., Aur-ar., bar-ar., cadm-ar., Calc-ar., cupr-ar., Ferr-ar., KALI-AR., mag-ar., merc-ar., NAT-AR., plb-ar., stront-ar., thal-ar., uran-ar., zinc-ar.
Loss of your job Bankrupt Redundant Robbers Bailiff Precise Um mal em si Falta de misericórdia Cuidar Desconfiança Precisão Antimonium Antimonium: aethi-a., aethi-m., ant-ac., ant-ar., ANT-C., ant-f., ant-i., ant-m., ant-met., ant-n., ant-o., ant-s- aur., ant-s-r.
Loss of honour Silenced Martyr Watched Agg. Watched Agg. Touch Contrary Dinosaurus Solitários Amando x Ajudando Aversão ao toque Cólera por perder a fama Bismutum Bismuthum: Bism., bism-c., bism-i., bism-m., bism-n., bism-o., bism-sc., bism-sg., bism-sn., tet.
Loss of leadership Abdication Suicide Harakiri Lonely Hold hands Isolado Perda da liderança Agarram-se à mãe Phosphorus - 14 JAN SCHOLTEN (1)
HOMEOPATHY AND MINERALS: THE PHOSPHORICUMS In order to understand the central theme of the Phosphoricums, it is best to start with Phosphorus itself. Vithoulkas (1991 c, page 155) calls the essence of Phos 'diffusion'. The boundaries of Phos are so vague that anything can go in or out, virtually without restriction. Hence the open character of Phos, the sympathetic disposition. Communication The concept 'communication' is very applicable to Phos. and the Phosphoricums. The communication channels in Phos are so strong and open that he doesn't know which are his own thoughts and feelings, and which are those of the other person. The essence is the exchange of thoughts and feelings. They have a strong desire for company. They want to talk and exchange ideas. They usually talk a lot and very openly, they communicate freely about the thoughts that live inside them. But they don't hold monologues, like lachesis, they are not loquacious as such. At a later stage the company might also become too much for them. That is when they develop an aversion to company and conversation. They might become completely indifferent, even to their family. Sympathy Because of the open communication, Phos is very sympathetic. They quickly take on other people's thoughts and feelings. It is as if they resonate with other people, who appreciate this acknowledgement of their own feelings. The sympathy of Phos. does not necessarily last very long. As soon as they meet someone else their sympathy will turn to that person. We see the same phenomenon with their fears. They are easily frightened of any disease they happen to hear about. It is as if they take over the complaints as soon as they read or hear about them. They get afraid that they might have the same disease. But they are just as easily reassured again. If the doctor sets their mind at ease that these complaints are not serious they accept his reassurance and their complaints disappear. But as soon as they hear about another disease, this reassurance can disappear again as quickly as it came. Phos. is also listed in the repertory as sympathetic. Friends, acquaintances, neighbours, brothers Phos and the Phosphoricums have a problem with respect to friends, acquaintances and relations. They have many friends and consider someone to be a friend even when they have only just met them. The classic picture of Phos, for instance, is the patient whom you feel you know so well after the first consultation that you would like him to be your friend. Brothers and sisters are in the same category. It is easy to feel relaxed in their company, communication flows naturally with them. Homesickness Phos has homesickness as a typical symptom. It is a keynote for Phos-ac. But the other Phosphoricums suffer from it too. In Calc-p and Phos it is already known. I have also met it in Ferr-p and Kali-p. The homesickness stems from a loss of contact. They miss the usual contact with neighbours and friends, so they feel homesick. Love disappointments are also felt in a similar way: the most important aspect is that they miss the contact. Passion plays a much smaller part. Phosphorus - 15 Language and learning Another aspect of communication is the use of language, in all its facets, such as talking and listening, reading and writing. Connected to this is the aspect of thinking and learning. Thinking and learning is done for a large part through language. The Phosphoricums usually like talking, much and often. We often see problems at school with the Phosphoricums. The headache of school-children is well known in Calc-p and Phos-ac. Kali-p has exhaustion from too much study. Mag-p can get very sleepy from studying. Mental exertion can become a big problem. They can become completely exhausted and confused from studying. Eventually they might become apathetic and dazed, even have blackouts. These learning problems might occur especially during puberty. In addition to their studies the growth of their bones also takes a lot of energy. Curiosity and travel Connected to learning we also see curiosity. They display a great desire to expe-rience new things, to explore and discover. They need variety, and travel fulfils this need. When travelling one can continuously experience a variety of surroun-dings, culture and people. and all these people provide an opportunity for new contacts. Their interest goes out to new cultures and their general knowledge can be of a high and refined standard. The other side of the coin is that they are quickly bored if there is no promise of new and interesting events. Restlessness and fears Another characteristic is the nervousness and restlessness. This is also expressed in the travelling. The continual need for new things brings with it a general dissa-tisfaction with the ordinary. They restlessly search for new things, new contacts and discussions. There is a particular restlessness in their thoughts. Their thoughts are usually going very fast, with great imagination and fantasies. This great imagination also makes it easy to think of all the things that could go wrong. Hence the many fears, particularly of disease and death. They are easily startled, also in their sleep. The restlessness can also take the form of compulsive movements. General characteristics Location: right Physique: thin, tall. Temperature: cold, sensitive to thunderstorms. Time: agg. 9 pm. Desire: spicy, salt, fish (3), cold drinks (2). Aversion: salt, fish. Menses copious, bright red. Physical: agg. movement, walking, amel. rubbing. Complaints Burning pains. Haemorrhages of bright red blood. You could see these haemorrhages as being symbolic of the open type of character of the Phosphoricums. Bone problems, growing pains, rachitis, osteoporosis. Neurological diseases, convulsions, hyperventilation. Weakness with nervousness. Migraines. Tuberculosis, lung affections, bronchitis, asthma. Phosphorus - 16 REMEDIES ESSENCE & CONCEPTS Phosphorus 'Any communication is better than no communication'. Phosphorus has been so extensively described in all the homoeopathic literature that we will not spend too much time on it. The great openness of Phos and the easy communication are well known. It is typical of a Phos to lean towards you during a consultation. Concepts Single All or nothing Disconnected No integration Phosphoricum Communication Sympathetic Friends, acquaintances, neighbours Brothers Homesickness Curiosity and travel Restlessness and fears Group analysis There is however one side of Phos which is the complete opposite of this openness. We see this in the delusion that he is alone and isolated on a little island. There is a total absence of contact. He is as isolated as Robinson Crusoe. Here we find the 'all or nothing' aspect of the single remedies again. We have also seen this with Graph, Chlor, and Sulph. One could imagine the original situation of Phosphorus to be one in which a person is suddenly transferred to a society and a culture that is completely unknown to him. For example, a person who is shipwrecked and lands on a strange island. He ultimately has two choices: either he withdraws and hides, or he tries to get adopted into the new society. In that case he has to try and make contact with these new people as soon as possible. In order to become one of them, he has to learn to think, feel and act like they do. So he has to learn many new things, like using new tools or a new language. He has to be very curious and be open to everything. He also has to be open to these people, to adopt their way of thinking, their way of feeling, their norms and values. He has to learn to feel exactly the way they feel. He also has to make many friends, in order to feel secure in that society. The slogan of Phosphorus could be described as 'any communication is better than no communication'. Phosphorus - 17 Calcarea phosphorica 'The worst thing is if they think I am stupid'. The general picture of Calc-p is quite well known. It is all the more surprising that we do not know a central theme or essence yet. Concepts Calcarea What do others think Sensitive to criticism Insecurity Shyness Fears Protection Withdrawal Phosphorica Communication Sympathetic Friends, acquaintances, neighbours Brothers Homesickness Curiosity and travel Restlessness and fears Group analysis The group analysis provides as the central theme of Calc-p the delusion that others will think that they are not very good at learning or making friends. This theme is a little unexpected at first sight. We don't find any indications towards it in the literature. One reason why this theme is not present in the literature could be the shy and hiding character of Calcarea itself. If we pause to think about this theme for a while, we will see that the usual expressions of the Calc-p state can be the result of this basic delusion. In Calc-p schoolchildren with headaches we usually find this theme as the underlying cause. In the case described below we also find the theme as deduced through group analysis. Calc-p is extremely sensitive about what others will think of his learning capacities. One expression of this theme might be that they start to study very hard, just to prevent others thinking that they can't learn or communicate very well. They are always busy developing their knowledge, they continually want to see and experience new things. We find this in the repertory under 'desire to travel' and 'desire to wander'. But they feel uncertain about the things they have seen and learned. They doubt their own powers of observation and judgment. That is the reason they want to experience new things, or variations of these, again and again. The desire to develop themselves further makes them very impatient and restless. They remain dissatisfied with what they know, and want to keep on experiencing new things. Zaren (seminar Lelystad) concluded that they are often very boyish. Girls would rather climb trees, have excitement and do naughty things, than sit quietly at home. They might get mentally exhausted from all this intensive learning. Then they cannot study anymore, even talking becomes too much for them. Here we get the symptom 'prostration of mind from talking'. Another reaction is that they might give up and withdraw. They are afraid that they can't live up to expectation and that others will notice this, so they would rather withdraw. We often see this with schoolchildren. The demands of school are too high for them, they cannot cope with spelling or Phosphorus - 18 maths. They develop an aversion to school. At school they might get a headache or a stomach ache. We find this in the repertory as 'desire to go home' and 'headache in schoolgirls'. Another situation in which Calc-p might be needed is when there is a lovesickness. In this case it is useful to differentiate between Calc-p and the Sulphuricums. The latter have a problem in the whole area of love and and partners. In Calc-p and the other Phosphoricums it is more a matter of the breaking of a contact, the loss of a friendship. Calc-p is afraid that others will think that that they cannot be a good friend. Case A woman, aged 35, has mental problems. She has the feeling that she can't do things the way she wants to. She feels that she has to cope with everything on her own. It is really all too much for her. She feels there is no time left for herself, and she is not satisfied with that. She has to be there constantly as a mother for her two children, as a wife, as a friend, as a teacher. She wants to do a lot of things besides that. She does do a lot of courses and therapies as well as her housework and her job. She doesn't want to play the victim. As a child she learned to take on lots of work: 'no complaining, there are jobs to be done'. She often had to help in her parents' bakery and on her afternoon off school she had to do the delivery round. Now she is searching for further self development. Of all the children she is the only one who went her own way and she is very involved in all sorts of alternative therapies and ways of thinking. She is an open type of person who talks readily and shows her feelings easily. She is very spontaneous and often acts before she has thought about it properly. As a child she was very playful and happy. She would rather climb trees with the boys than play with dolls. When she was 12 this spontaneous playfulness changed. It happened during a parents' meeting at school, when she was handed her final school report. The head teacher told her parents that she was not very good at studying and he advised them to send her to an easy secondary school. This shocked her terribly. She decided to go to a grammar school after all and she worked incredibly hard to show everyone that she was capable of studying. This turned her into a serious girl. She cannot make choices. Dreams: she dreamt that her arms were changed around, but her left index finger kept on pulsating, it wouldn't heal. Somebody said 'You used to have such brave little hands, why do they have to be changed?'. In another dream she was getting out of a car with a child in her arms, when a big tiger suddenly came towards her. Complaints: She often has a low backache, at the level of her sacro-iliac joints. This complaint started after her pregnancies. The pain is nagging, the spot is hot and red. The pain is worse before menses, amel. pressure of her hands, agg. lying on her back. The above mentioned mental problems also play a role here. When she wants to do too much and keep on top of everything, the pains are worse. When she lets things be she feels better. Since her pregnancies she has difficulty passing stools. She also started to suffer from piles, with pain and itching. Because of the tensions she grinds her teeth. Past history: She often used to have bronchitis and she had pneumonia once. She also regularly had colds with sore throat and ear ache. These complaints stopped since her pregnancies. Itching palms of the hand. When she was 16 she got arch supports for her shoes, because of pain in her feet. General characteristics: Temperature: cold feet. agg. draught, wind, damp, humid weather. -amel. fresh air, open spaces: this makes her feel good. Time: amel. evening, when she can do things for herself. Desires: sweet, spicy, cheese, fruit, raw vegetables. Aversion: cauliflower, snails. Menses: late. Sleep: good, but less sound if she has to work very hard. Analysis Phosphorus - 19 The dissatisfaction and the boyishness already make us think of Calc-p. The back pains also fit in this picture: 'back pain, sacro-iliac' and 'back pain sacral, lying on back ameliorates'. Other symptoms that fit are: agg. draught, agg. wind, desires sweet and spicy food, and the many bronchial complaints. But even more striking is the incident at the age of 12 that made her lose her spontaneity. She was told, in the presence of a large group of people, that she had learning difficulties. And this is the central theme of Calc-p. The dream about her hands is also important. Hands are to do with writing, language and doing arithmetic. You can use them to manipulate things, knowledge for instance. Her little hands, once so brave, had to be changed around. So she was obviously not good enough, could not use her hands properly. This fits the situation in which she was told that she was not a good student. Reaction After Calc-p there was a marked improvement, more than 80%. She felt much better and calmer, she even got back her old playfulness. The backache disappeared too. After a while she needed Graph. as a complementary remedy for her feelings of uncertainty. Picture of calcarea phosphorica Essence: they are afraid that others will think they are stupid. Mental: They have a great fear that others will think that they can't keep up. To compensate for this they will do their utmost to study well. They want to develop themselves, gather knowledge, see new and far away places. This makes them very restless, they always want to explore new things, travel far away and meet new people. If they don't succeed in their self development, they become very dissatisfied. They withdraw and want to stay at home. If they are at school and they can't keep up with the work in spite of all their efforts, they will get headaches or stomach aches. When they are really exhausted any mental strain is too much. And more studying will bring more complaints. They like to have company with a lot of contact and discussions. They are very open, spontaneous and extrovert. They have many friends. If they lose their friends, through moving house for instance, they can get very homesick. They will long for the old friends and all their discussions together. This situation can also occur when a love relationship is broken. The loss of contact can make them feel very gloomy. Fear: being alone, disease, death. Easily frightened. General characteristics: Location: right sided. Physique: thin, tall. Temperature: cold, sensitive to thunderstorms, draught and wind. Time: agg. 3 pm and 9 pm. Desires: spicy, smoked, salt, sweet, fish, cold drinks. Aversion: salt, fish. Menses: copious. Physical: agg. movement, walking. amel. rubbing. Complaints: burning pains. Haemorrhages of bright red blood. Neurological complaints, convulsions, hyperventilation. Weakness with nervousness. Migraines. Tuberculosis, lung problems, bronchitis, asthma. Bone problems: growing pains, Scheuermann, scoliosis, fractures, rachitis, osteo-porosis. Phosphorus - 20 Magnesium phosphoricum Of Magnesium phosphoricum we only really know the usual physical complaints, such as the typical spasmodic pains, which improve with pressure, bending double and warmth. But the mind picture is quite unknown. What is the underlying theme in Mag-p? Concepts Magnesium Pacifism Aggression Fear of loss Pain Phosphoricum Communication Sympathetic Friends, acquaintances, neighbours Brothers Homesickness Curiosity and travel Restlessness and fears Group analysis The group analysis gives the theme for Mag-p: the fear that their aggression will take away the possibilities for contact. They need to make many contacts, to exchange ideas and feelings. But they are afraid that they will say something wrong and make the other person angry. Then the other person might even break off the friendship. So they are very careful. They quickly have the feeling that their ideas might offend someone. They become more and more tense, almost spastic. Eventually it becomes such an effort to have a normal contact that they start to avoid it altogether. They even develop a fear of people. A variation on the theme could be that aggression will take away the possibility for study. They can have the fear that they will not be allowed to carry on with their studies if they show their anger too often. For instance a child at school, who would like to study, but who is afraid that he is not allowed to go on to university. Another variation is that they might have a brother who is aggressive. They feel suppressed by that brother. They feel that they cannot express their own ideas and opinions because he always brushes them away. This can also cause the with-drawing and timid behaviour as described in the previous paragraph. It is rather striking that both Magnesium and Phosphorus have a great need for contact and are afraid of losing contacts. This theme comes out clearly in a proving dream of Lassauw (personal report): 'I was standing in a courtyard enclosed by a school building (Phos) on three sides. It felt a bit like a prison. There was nobody else there, I suddenly felt very lonely (Mag and Phos), away from home, not knowing where to go. It was an awful feeling; I had never had it before. There was a black person who came out of the building and walked away. I then started wandering through the town. I was then approached (Phos) by a woman, who offered to show me a beautiful park. She was a very nice (Mag) person. We went to the park down a long stairway. It was all very beautiful, but it did not make me any happier. I still had the feeling 'all this isn't for me. When it is all over I will be left with the lonely feeling I had in the courtyard'. The feeling of loneliness in this proving is even stronger than in the other Magne-siums and Phosphoricums. Case Phosphorus - 21 A man, aged 28, comes with mental problems. He feels very insecure, is afraid of people. He feels that everyone is always observing him. He has a strong inferiority complex, cannot make decisions. He would rather stay at home. In his dreams he often has confrontations with other people. When he feels insecure and nervous he feels a tightening in his diaphragm. It is in a spot exactly between his xyphoid and his navel. The pain is agg. breathing deeply. Sometimes it is accompanied by nausea. His nervousness also shows in other ways. He has a severe nystagmus,he cannot look straight at you for a single moment. He speaks haltingly. He has had one or two severe bouts of hiccoughs, which were very difficult to stop. He also smiles continuously, as if he wants to please you all the time. His sense of smell is very poor. He has pain in the throat agg. strong, dry wind. He often has a headache right behind his eyes, agg. heat and sunlight. His neck and shoulders are stiff. Itching legs below the knee. Nagging pain in kidney region, with the sensation as if his kidneys are being pushed out. Sometimes pain in testes. General characteristics: Temperature: cold, cold hands and feet. agg. heat and sun. agg. strong, dry wind. -amel. sea. Perspiration: copious. Time: agg. 3 pm. Desires: spicy, bitter. He is a vegetarian. Aversion: sour, sauerkraut, sprouts, meat, fish, eggs, milk. Sleep: not relaxed; sleeps on his side. Childhood: His parents are divorced. They were always quarrelling. They were not a good match for each other. After his father had left his mother was always speaking ill of him. During his secondary school years he went to live with his father. When his father found a new girlfriend the boy was kicked out. Mind: He is very vulnerable and unsure of himself, as described above. He is rather apathetic. He feels as if everything is grey and flat, as if he can't get into contact with real feelings anymore. He thinks that he is too serious, he can't laugh anymore. He is very sensitive and vulnerable. He feels unappreciated. In the past his ideas were often challenged. He was declared unfit for military service because of his nystagmus. He is really an individualist who wants to carry out his own ideas. He can be very forceful in this, when everything has to be done quickly. He gets very annoyed if his friends want to push him in a certain direction. It makes him afraid of getting trapped, of being imprisoned. He had a relationship in the past, but this did not last. Now he is afraid of starting a new one, in case he can't express himself freely anymore. He likes playing games, just for the sake of playing. He hates it if things gets too serious. His father always pushed him to study 'otherwise you will be swamped by the big, threatening world'. He is a good learner, studied law and English, but didn't finish it. In the end he couldn't absorb anything anymore. He now does part-time administrative work. Analysis His biggest problem is his fear of people. He has difficulty making contact with them. This leads us to the Phosphoricums. Other symptoms which confirm this are: agg. alone, exhausted from studying, very sensitive, -amel. spicy food, agg.- fish. The Magnesium side is less obviously present. The quarrelling and divorced parents make us think of Mag-m in the first instance, but this can apply to all Magnesiums. We do find a few more symptoms of Magnesium: agg.- sour, milk and meat, agg.- confrontations. There are two very characteristic symptoms of Mag-p: he wants to carry through his own ideas and, in contrast to this, he is very afraid of his ideas being challenged. We also find Mag-p in the physical symptom of nystagmus. Phosphorus - 22 Reaction One month after he was given Mag-p 1M he had become a little more sure of himself. In the following 6 months he received Mag-p 1M three more times. Slowly but surely he improved. His fear of people became less. He could feel emotions again and he felt more secure and stable inside. Picture of magnesium phosphoricum Essence: The delusion that they will lose all contacts if they get angry. Mind: They are very nervous and fearful, especially in their contacts with other people. They are afraid that the other person will get angry with them. They are afraid of saying something wrong, which will annoy the other person. And they are afraid of quarrels, in case the fragile contact gets broken. But they do have a great desire for contact and communication. However, in the long run they start to avoid these contacts again, because the tension that comes with them gets too much for them. School is difficult for them. They feel that they cannot learn fast enough. They think that others will blame them for this and will start quarrelling. Or they think that they will be sent away from school. Because they are so tense while they are studying they soon get exhausted. They like travelling or, quite the opposite, they often suffer from homesickness. Fears: of being alone, people, disease, death. Easily frightened. General characteristics: Location: right sided. Physique: thin and tall. Temperature: cold, sensitive to thunderstorm. Time: agg. 7 am and 9 pm. Desires: spicy, salt, fish (3), cold drinks (2). Aversion: salt, fish. Menses: copious. Physical: agg. movement, walking, amel. rubbing. Complaints: burning pains. Haemorrhages of bright red blood. Neuralgias, neurological complaints, convulsions, hyperventilation. Cramps, colics, chorea, Parkinsons, writers cramp. Nystagmus. Migraine. Tuberculosis, lung problems, bronchitis, asthma. Bone problems, growing pains, rachitis, osteoporosis. DD: The remedy which most closely resembles Mag-p is Colocynth. Both have suppressed anger. The difference, as far as I have discovered until now, is that Coloc suppresses his anger because of social pressure or a social code of behaviour. Mag-p however suppresses his anger because he is afraid that he might lose his contact with others. The physical complaints are very similar in both remedies: spasmodic pains, amel. pressure and bending double, amel. warmth. But there is a slight difference here too. Coloc is ameliorated more by pressure, which we could translate as 'keeping it under control', or 'holding it in'. Mag-p is ameliorated by warmth, which we could translate as human warmth, or 'contact'. Kalium phosphoricum We know the general picture of Kali phosphoricum quite well, but we do not know a lot about the essence. Concepts Kali Principle and duty Phosphorus - 23 Closed Optimism Work, task Family Phosphoricum Communication Sympathetic Friends, acquaintances, neighbours Brothers Homesickness Curiosity and travel Restlessness and fears Group analysis One expression of the theme is that they feel obliged to have a lot of contacts. They enjoy this too, they are optimistic and it does them good to have many friends and relations. They enjoy talking about all the things that happen in their life, they are very sociable. They also keep close contacts with their family. They like to stay in touch with all their brothers and sisters, even if they don't see them very frequently. If they do lose contact they feel very unhappy and lost. They don't know what to do anymore, don't know what their task is. This is expressed in the symptom 'delusion everything is strange'. The theme can also be expressed in the opposite direction: duty stands in the way of making contact. For example, a 'task' in the form of family or work might be so demanding that they have no time left for friends or relations. They sometimes impose this burden on themselves. Or their partner or boss might make their task so much heavier that they cannot find the time to visit their friends and family. This can make them homesick. They start to wish for the times that they still had all those contacts. But their sense of duty still makes them carry on with their tasks, often against their better judgment. Another variation on the theme can be that they see it as their duty to study well. They are good at learning anyway, but they can go too far in pursuing this. Their study might demand so much of them that they develop complaints like headaches, stomach aches or growing pains. Sometimes they show this dutiful attitude to studying already in childhood. When they grow up they also think that their own children should study hard and finish their studies. To them a good education gives you the prospect of a good job, so that you can take good care of your family. A good education also brings many new contacts. A final variation on the theme is that they think it is their duty to have good communication with people. They are good businessmen, they are open and can be relied upon to make sound business deals and contracts. When they come for a consultation they are also very open. They feel that they should tell you everything otherwise you will not be able help them. But they are not as open and spon-taneous as Phos. They are more inclined to tell you their problems in answer to a question of yours, but they do give very clear answers. Phosphorus - 24 Case A 35 year old woman comes with sinus problems. She has already had three courses of penicillin and several other treatments, but nothing helped. When it first started she woke up one night with a terrible headache and swollen eyes with a lot of yellow pus. She has now had it for three months. It is worse when she is very busy with her two children, agg. smoke, agg. chemical smells in the hairdressing salon where she works as a receptionist. She has been chronically tired for 9 years, ever since the birth of her eldest daughter. She easily catches colds, which always gives her a sore throat. A little while ago she had the sensation of a large lump in her throat, swallowing was very difficult and caused a sharp pain to appear in her chest and back. This feeling disappeared after a few days. She sometimes has a cough which lasts a few days. She has had this all her life. The cough is worse in the evening and at night, agg. when she first lies down (2), and agg. draught (2). Eating chocolate gives her spots. Past history: 5 years ago she has had a minor nervous breakdown. She carried on for too long and finally couldn't sleep anymore. Before the age of 5 she had had pneumonia 4 times. After that she had bronchitis every winter until she was 18. General characteristics: Temperature: warm, agg. damp (2), agg. draught (2), amel. sea. Perspiration: easy on exertion; sometimes at night; suffers from clammy feet. Desires: fish (2), sweet, salt, spicy. Aversion: kidney, liver. Menses: copious; during pregnancy she felt fine, very energetic. Sleep: not good; very light, she feels tense and often wakes at 2 am; sleeps on her right side. Mind: She feels that she constantly has to over exert herself. She has always had a job, even after she had the children. Her husband thought it would be good for her to keep working. She found a job as a freelance stewardess. It was a very hectic life. She used to get called away at short notice and did not dare to say no, even if she was dead tired. She would take the children to her mother quickly and go to work. She could not sleep well at that time, also because the children often woke her up. She did not really enjoy this busy life, but everybody said she had such a nice life, so she used to just say 'yes, lovely'. She is generally rather tense, because she wants to keep things under control. She prefers to do everything herself, doesn't easily accept help. But she does like to help others, and this makes her feel good. She dashes around to help everyone and to make them happy. She is cheerful and optimistic. She likes contact with other people. She also likes to be busy, doesn't like to laze around. She does not have any definite fears, but she is certainly not much of a heroine, and prefers not to do anything too daring. Her moods are changeable and she would like to feel a bit more steady. Her mood can vary from day to day. Marriage: 4 years ago she got divorced. Her husband ended the relationship, because he felt 'it was not going well'. He hated family life. But she found that it was going very well, and it has upset her great deal. She has only recently got over her grief, with the help of haptonomy. After the divorce she felt that she had failed, and she was very lonely. Analysis The normal homoeopathic analysis will also indicate Kali-p in this case. But the importance of this case is that it shows us the essence clearly. She feels bound by duty to maintain the many contacts and to keep everyone happy. Everybody likes seeing her busy and so she likes it too. The Phosphoric element of taking on other people's opinions is clearly present. So is the sympathetic trait. But here Phosphorus - 25 it is linked to the principle of duty. Her reaction to being deserted by her husband is also typical. She has sadness, but mostly she feels the loneliness and the fact that she has failed. Failure is characteristic of Kali, failing to accomplish your duty. Together with this we have the lonely feeling of the Phosphorus element, where the contact has been broken. Reaction After one month she had regained 70% of her energy. After three months she said that she was her old self again. The picture of kali phosphoricum Essence: The duty to keep up your study and your circle of friends. Mind: They are strong and can manage to do a lot of work, while they remain quite open and easy going, making new contacts all the time. It is as if they can do their work very easily. Those contacts are part of their job. They need to have people around them to discuss things with, and they usually choose a type of job that involves a lot of communication, for instance teaching or representing. They like having many friends and relations and staying in close contact with them. If they lose these friends, through moving house for instance, they can get very upset. As a child they can also suffer from homesickness. Studying is a duty to them. They feel that it is necessary to learn in order to get on in life. They can go so far that they totally exhaust themselves with their studies, which results in all sorts of complaints. They also expect their children to do well at school. They have a strong desire to travel. They can be nervous and restless. Fear: being alone, disease, death. Easily frightened. General characteristics: Location: right sided. Physique: generally rather robust. Temperature: cold, sensitive to thunderstorms. Time: agg. 3 am and 9 pm. Desires: spices, salt, fish (3), cold drinks (2). Aversion: salt, fish. Menses: copious. Physical: agg. movement, walking, amel. rubbing. Compaints: burning pains. Haemorrhages of bright red blood. Bone problems, growing pains, rachitis, osteoporosis. Neurological problems, convulsions, hyperventilation. Weakness with nervousness. Migraine. Tuberculosis, lung complaints, bronchitis, asthma. Sciatica. Phosphorus - 26 Natrium phosphoricum Natrum phosphoricum is not a very well known remedy. There are not many really clear cases to be found in the literature. One would expect the opposite, since both Phosphorus and Natrum muriaticum are well known to us. Natrum phosphoricum is sometimes regarded as a refined but rather closed type of Phosphorus. Concepts Natrum Sadness and depression Closed, alone Restriction Denial, forbidden Sensitive Holding on Phosphoricum Communication Sympathetic Friends, acquaintances, neighbours Brothers Homesickness Curiosity and travel Restlessness and fears Group analysis The theme according to the group analysis is that communication is forbidden. Vithoulkas said at one of his seminars that a typical trait of Nat-p is that they walk around with a secret. They have the feeling that there is something that they are not allowed to share with others. Their conscience forbids them to talk about their ideas or their problems. They carry the heavy burden of their secret around with them. Their fear of the telephone is a typical expression of this. When the telephone rings they suddenly have to talk to someone. They are afraid that they will say something wrong or that they will say too much. A variation on this theme is that the communication is very sensitive and refined. They like to communicate, but only if it is at a very high level. That could mean culturally refined, but also delicate with respect to other people's feelings. They are very subtle and sensitive in the way they treat others. They expect others to treat them in the same way, because they feel very vulnerable. Another variation could be that they feel they are alone with their learning problems. They think that they have to sort out every problem on their own. Later in life they feel that they have to cope with their work by themselves, find solutions to problems on their own. They feel that their thinking process is slow, that something is holding them back. This can also be expressed in the feeling that they are forbidden to be too curious. They are not allowed just to ask anything. All these restrictions they put upon themselves do not make it easy for them to make good progress in their studies, hence they become slow learners. A final variation on the theme might be that they don't have any brothers or friends. This could be the situation of an only child, or a child whose brother has died. Not having any friends is also similar to this situation. They feel lonely and depressed, they go their own way. This situation might come about through the loss of friends after moving house, or after the death of a friend. Case A man comes with skin problems. His skin is dry and scaly, especially in the neck and fingers, notably the third and fourth fingers of the right hand. The nails are pitted. It looks like a fungal infection. Headache agg. air conditioning, agg. coffee, alcohol. Phosphorus - 27 Past history: Eczema in the hollow of knees and elbows. asthma agg. cold, winter, damp, mist, cats (2), dogs(2), dust, mite, exertion. amel. fresh air. The asthma started after he had to repeat a year at school. The asthma shocked him very much. For a whole year he did not say anything, bottled up everything and pretended everything was fine. Hayfever with lachrymation amel. sitting up straight, amel. in the tropics. General characteristics: Temperature: agg. cold, winter, damp, mist, aversion to sea, irritable in bad weather. agg. air conditioning; afraid of thunderstorms (3), as a child he was panic stricken once, when he became entangled in his bed sheets during a thunderstorm. Time: agg. 2 pm, amel. evening. Desires: spices (3), meat (2), fish (2), salt, pasta. Aversion: liver (3), pork. Sleep: unrefreshed. Mind: His complaints started after he broke off a relationship. They had been living together for 7 years. He had been very demanding. She broke off the relationship because she had had enough of him. It was as if his whole world collapsed. He did not speak to anyone about it. He is very tense because of his job. He is the manager of an educational institute. The work is nice but very hectic. It is never finished. He works long hours in order to do his job well. This makes him feel depressed from time to time. He can't delegate well either, takes too much on himself. He feels that he has to sort everything out by himself, and this causes him to be overloaded with work. He is a very closed person. He never talks about his grief over the broken relationship. He is ashamed to do so. He does not talk about any other problems either. He does not want to disappoint others. On the other hand he can be quite open, other people come to him with their troubles. He is very sympathetic. He can also be very enthusiastic and willing to try anything new. He feels that he is impatient. Stress and tension make his head flush. He is very fastidious, in his work, in cooking, in the way he dresses. But he still thinks he is too sloppy. He is unsure of himself and was very shy as a child. He used to be ashamed because he was the smallest of the class, and also because he often had a bandage round his face because of the eczema. He is afraid of the telephone. Analysis There are many traits of Phosphorus in this case: fear of thunderstorms, sympathetic,desires fish and salt, enthusiastic to do new things. Natrum symptoms are also present: closed, lovesickness, aversion to sea, desires fish, salt, pasta. The beauty of this case is that the theme of Nat-p comes up clearly, following the group analysis: solving everything at work on his own, dislikes the telephone, dislikes talking about his grief, restricted in his relationship, not talking about having to repeat a year at school, being the smallest in the class. Reaction After Nat-p 1M the eczema became worse for two weeks, after which it got much better. He also felt more energetic and optimistic. Picture of natrum phosphoricum Essence: They have the delusion that there is something that they cannot talk about. Mind: They have the delusion that there is something that they have to solve on their own, something that they cannot talk about. They can walk around with a secret for years. Usually there is a certain taboo on the subject too. For instance, they might have financial problems, or they might be homosexual, or they might know of a suicide which has been declared as an accident, or any such matter. They often have the feeling that they should protect others: if others knew all the Phosphorus - 28 facts, it might be more than they could bear. Because of their sensitivity they have a very acute feeling and understanding of the vulnerability of other people. Sometimes they project their own sensitivity on to others and make them seem more vulnerable than they really are. They have a great desire for company and like to have many friends. They are very sympathetic and open to other people's problems. But they are not that open about themselves. They hold on to their contacts with friends and relations but they do not express themselves easily, even to them. If a relationship is broken they will be very upset, they tend to keep longing for this old contact. But they do not express this openly either, they bear their own problems in silence, because they don't want to burden others with them. They are rather refined people, very sensitive to rudeness. They are easily touched by cultural beauty, they like to write poems for instance. On the other hand they can be very closed. They prefer to be alone at times, so that they don't have to talk, especially if the conversation threatens to become rough or coarse. They feel much more at ease with delicate and sensitive subject matters. They may have learning problems, but here again they will not talk about this. Fear: telephone, being alone, thunderstorms, disease, death. General characteristics: Location: right sided. Physique: tall, thin. Temperature: cold, sensitive to thunderstorm, agg. sun. Time: agg. 11 am and 9 pm. Desires: spices (3), salt, fish (3), cold drinks (2), fried eggs. Aversion: salt, fish. Menses: copious. Physical: agg. movement, walking, amel. rubbing. Complaints: Burning pains. Haemorrhages of bright red blood. Bone problems, growing pains, rachitis, osteoporosis. Neurological problems, convulsions, hyperventilation. Weakness with nervousness. Migraine. Tongue and roof of mouth coated yellow or white. Tuberculosis,lung problems, bronchitis, asthma. Phosphorus - 29 JAN SCHOLTEN (2)
HOMEOPATHY AND THE ELEMENTS 'Any communication is better than no communication' 'Alle Menschen werden Bruder' Phosphorus – Signature The name is derived from the Greek word 'phosphorus', bringer of light. It was discovered in 1669. It exists in three different forms: red, white and black. The white form glows in the dark, but it is quite unstable and turns from white to yellow to red under the influence of light. Phosphorus ignites very easily, which is why it is used in matches. Phosphates, in the form of ATP, adenosine triphosphates, are important carriers of energy within the body. Phosphates also play an important role within the nervous system. Concepts Stage 11-15 Containing Preserving Holding on Spreading Continuing Expansion Full Enjoying Loss Forgiving Exchange Sharing Silicium series Relationships Family Other You Love Hate Communication Language learning Presentation Game Teenager Home Neighbourhood Group analysis Enjoying the communication: communicative. Exchange within relationships: communication. Preserving relationships. Enjoying relationships: friends. Sharing within the family: brothers. Exchanging with others: diffusion. Exchanging love. Expansion of love: sympathetic. Holding on to the neighbourhood: homesickness. Preserving within the house. Sharing relationships. Exchanging with others: learning. Fear of loss of relationships. Picture of phosphorus Essence: spreading the word, communication. Phosphorus - 30 Preserving relationships They have a great desire to have many relationships and they are sure that they will succeed, because they find it easy to make contact with others. But they also like to preserve these contacts, so they put a lot of energy into them. They like company and hate to be alone. You could imagine the original situation of Phosphorus being that of a person who suddenly finds himself in a completely unknown society, for instance a survivor of a shipwreck who lands in a strange country. He then has two options: either he withdraws and tries to fend for himself, or he tries to be adopted within this new culture. In order to do the latter he has to make contact with these new people as soon as possible. He has to find out how they think and feel and act, so that he can learn to think and feel and act the same way. So it is a matter of learning a new language, learning new customs, learning how to work with new tools etc. He has to be continuously open to new information, but also to the way these people feel, so that he can understand them and take over their norms and values. He also has to make friends in order to feel secure within this new society. Enjoying the communication: communicative They can really enjoy communication: they love talking and exchanging ideas. They are very open and talk with ease about their inner feelings. They also have the capacity to feel the other person's feelings. They tend to lean over towards them during a conversation and show and encourage a feeling of trust. Expansion of love: sympathetic Because they are so sympathetic to the other person's feelings they can easily take over their pains as well. It is as if they suffer with them. They like to share their love and they resonate with other people which makes the other person feel comforted and understood. They can even resonate with feelings or problems that they read in a magazine: they truly belong in the rubric 'sympathetic'. Exchanging with others: diffusion Sometimes they are too open to impressions, as if their boundaries are diffuse (Vithoulkas)and all impressions can move freely in and out. They may even have clairvoyant dreams and sensations. The communication can be so open that they no longer know which thoughts and feelings belong to themselves. The feelings they have absorbed don't usually stay for very long. As soon as they meet someone else they start to resonate with this new person. Their fears are also quite short lived: they are easily frightened, especially when they hear about a disease, but they are also easily reassured. Sharing within the family: brothers When the family expands with a later addition they are quite happy too. Their contact with brothers and sisters is easy, since they accept them as equals and like to communicate with them. Enjoying relationships: friends They have a lot of friends and they easily make friends too, even with people they have only just met. People like their sympathetic attitude and neighbours and acquaintances soon become good friends. They are not at all jealous about their contacts, as they like everyone to get to know everyone else and become friends with each other, 'the more the merrier'. Exchanging with others: learning and language Another aspect of communication is language, with all its facets of listening, speaking, writing and reading. This is directly connected to learning and thinking. Learning and thinking happens mainly through the medium of language. It is an exchange of information, rather than a form of achievement. Phosphorus - 31 Phosphoricums often have problems at school, and the mental exertion can become too much. They get exhausted and confused by all this studying and finally become apathetic, with blackouts and spells of complete indifference. These problems often take appear during puberty, when a growing body demands its share of energy too. Extending communication: curiosity and travelling Curiosity is connected to the desire to learn. There is a great desire for variation and new things. Travelling is a way of fulfilling this desire: you meet something new every day, not only new places, but also new people to communicate with. Their interests are broad and varied, but very much concerned with culture. Loss of relationships They are afraid of losing their relations and try and avoid this by getting to know as many people as possible. If they lose too many friends they get exhausted. They had invested so much energy in these friendships that together with the friend part of themselves has gone too. This can make them indifferent towards the rest of their friends and family. They get an aversion to people and conversation. They feel alone and deserted. This is expressed in the delusion of being alone, marooned on an island, like Robinson Crusoe. Loss of love Disappointment in love is one of the most important causes of problems and disease in Phosphorus. They miss the fact that they can't talk with their loved one anymore. It is not so much that they miss the passion, it is much more the acute loss of contact with the other person that causes the suffering. Holding on to friends: homesickness Another typical symptom is homesickness. The homesickness is once again caused by the loss of contact. They lost their neighbours and their friends and they long to see them again. They long for the neighbourhood and the house where their family has always lived. Expressions Fears: alone, dark, thunder (!), twilight, future, disease and death of family and friends; easily frightened and easily reassured; jumpy. Mood: nervous, restless, discontented. Mental: curious, restless, lively fantasy. Contacts: -amel. company,new contacts, conversations, eroticism. Hobbies: travelling, games. Generals Build: thin, tall, red-haired. Locality: right. Weather: cold, sensitive to thunderstorms. Time: agg. 9 pm. Desires: spices, salt, fish (3), ice-cream, sweet, chocolate, chicken, cold drinks (2). Aversion: salt, fish, oysters. Menses: profuse. Sleep: on right side; amel. short sleep, somnambulism. Physical: agg. motion, walking, lying on left side; amel. rubbing; agg. cats, smells, wool. Phosphorus - 32 Complaints Burning pains. Haemorrhages of bright red blood. Cerebral haemorrhage, petechia. Hair loss. Neurological complaints, shocks, chorea, neuralgias, paralysis. Weakness with nervousness. Migraine. Lung complaints, bronchitis, asthma, hyperventilation. Tuberculosis. Vomiting agg. drinking. Liver complaints. Diabetes. Diarrhoea, kidney stones. Bone problems, growing pains, rickets, osteoporosis. Tingling finger tips. DD Silicium series, Stages 11-15, Hyoscyamus. DD Silicium: likes things the way they are, doesn't feel an urge to change it. Phosphorus also takes the relationship for granted, but he does want to make an effort. He likes to extend his relationships and share with others much more than Silicium. DD Lachesis: Phosphorus doesn't talk in monologues like Lachesis does. They are able to stop and listen and are therefore not in the rubric 'loquacious'. DD Calcarea phosphorica: also has the headaches in school children. Kali-p has exhaustion from study as well; Mag-p may get very sleepy from studying. Case A 65 year old woman comes with all sorts of complaints, the most important one being a pain on the lateral side of her left knee. It is a nagging sort of pain that radiates upwards towards her buttocks and downwards to her ankle and the top of her foot. She also gets a sudden swelling in her knee sometimes, with a pulsating, burning hot pain, which is ameliorated by rest and cold wet towels soaked in vinegar. She has suffered from chilblains on hands,and sometimes feet, all her life. Her fingers go cold, white and numb. She had gallstone colic in the past which made her crawl around the bed with pain. The pain below her ribs radiated to back, neck, teeth and ears. This was accompanied by a dry mouth and desire for carbonated drinks. She also mentions several other complaints. Her ears itch at times. She used to have piles, especially during and after her pregnancies. She has chalky nails on all toes. She gets frequent colds with a barking cough at night and much perspiration. She often has pain in her shoulder and she has tennis elbow, worse from over-exertion and bad posture. She has pain in the joints of her fingers and thumbs. As a child she used to have frequent tonsillitis, especially after being out in cold wind. When she was 16 she had jaundice. During the war she had foot and mouth disease, which made her feel very ill and permanently damaged her teeth. She is married to a rather dominant man, which stops her from fully developing herself. He won't let her out of his sight, so she can never get away on her own. She easily makes friends and keeps her friends for a long time. She is happy and easy to please, and people often ask her for advice. She talks quite openly during the consultation, she seems friendly and sympathetic. She is also quite firm in her decisions. She gets worried about the children, during thunderstorms and when they have to travel by plane. She herself is afraid of flying. Generals Weather: -amel. sun; fear of thunder (3); -amel. woods, -amel. sea. Phosphorus - 33 Perspiration: little. Desires: fish (2), vegetables (2), garlic (2), spices (2), grapes (2), sweet, chocolate. Aversion: meat (2), sour. Analysis There is a great variety of complaints in this case, which doesn't make it easy to find a remedy. It is easier to look at her type and then take a few key notes. She is of the type that easily makes friends, she is open and sympathetic, which we know to be a Phosphorus characteristic. She likes to talk and she gives good advice to others. She also has a strong fear of thunder and anxiety about the children, all Phosphorus symptoms. Other confirming symptoms: burning hot pain, numb finger tips, -amel. fish, spices, chocolate; profuse bleeding during menses, sleep on the right side. Reaction One month after Phosphorus 1M the pain in her knee is much better, and the feeling in her leg has returned as well. Her toenails are better, the pain in her joints is less. After she took the remedy she felt as if it was travelling round her body trying to find all the places where there was something wrong. Two days after the remedy she had pain in her gall bladder, after which her neck was very stiff for a few days. On the whole she feels much better, as if she has got a new skin. Everything feels more supple and refreshed, her head too. She is more adventurous. During the course of the next 7 years she had another 6 doses of Phosphorus 1M, which helped a lot every time. In between she took some other remedies which also did a lot of good: Calcarea sulphurica, Plantago major and Valerianum. Phosphorus - 34 RAJAN SANKARAN
THE SUBSTANCE OF HOMEOPATHY (1994) Natrium phosphoricum 1. The main feeling of Natrum phosphoricum is: "The person I love is indifferent to me". 2. They are self-possessed, self-dependent and very helpful people. Very friendly, sensitive and sympathetic. 3. Indifference to loved ones, many fears: "Delusion, images, frightful", "Anxious about the future", "Starting from noise", "Starting easily, irritability from trifles". 4. Discouraged; Imbecility. Physical symptoms: - Sourness, acidity but with desire for highly pungent, strong tasting things; - Crave fried fish and eggs. Kalium phosphoricum 1. The main feeling is: "I am not loved (Phosphorus) by the people from whom I seek support (Kalium)." 2. I have seen Kalium phosphoricum patients to be very cheerful, friendly and expressive, quite independent, very supportive of their family, sympathetic and cooperative. 3. The Kalium phosphoricum person can be tremendously anxious, highly nervous, oversensitive and affected by trifles. They are always on the edge, so nervous that even a slight noise causes startling, apprehensive about future and health. The mind is full of thought and activity and they cannot sleep. Kalium phosphoricum is a well-known remedy for insomnia. The dreams are very frightening. One patient narrated a dream in which she was chased by a tiger. The tiger was knocking at the door while she and her children were in the house and her husband was missing. On the other hand, they can get very irritable, even cruel to their husband or baby. A businessman may find that his partners have let him down and suddenly he has to face it all alone though he seeks support ("Clinging, wants to be held"). He doesn't find such support and gets quite desperate ("Delusion, being doomed"). He tries his best to manage the business by himself but soon gets worn out ("Businessmen, worn out"). 4. "Work seems to drive him crazy owing to the impotency of his mind": This rubric represents a worn out, paralytic state of mind, where his senses become dull, he cannot use his mind anymore, becomes imbecile, indifferent to business. Case A boy aged 10 was brought in by his mother fort treatment of a long standing, extensive ringworm infection which extended over his abdomen, thighs and nates. The mother also mentioned that the boy has become "very touchy and irritable", did not like to study and could not concentrate. At the beginning of the interview, the telephone rang and the boy was visibly startled by the sudden noise. I noticed that he put fingers into the mouth and made funny gestures throughout the interview. He had to search for words before answering, making it often seem like he was stammering. When asked about his dreams, he said he had a vivid dream that he watches his brother being chased by a bull and then falling down and breaking his leg. When asked about the pregnancy, the mother said that she had fallen on her abdomen then, as she was walking fast and did not see an object on the floor. She had a tense time in pregnancy, as she was alone (her husband was mostly out of town on work), and had to look after her children. She had a dream around this time that there was a tiger after her. She tries to climb the stairs and get into her house to protect her children and herself. Ultimately she escapes. She described herself as being "overinvolved" with her children. "Children are my whole life". She is very friendly, communicative and caring for others. The rubrics chosen were: Phosphorus - 35 - Starting easily; - Starting from noise; - Starting from fright; - Gestures, ridiculous or foolish; - Restlessness during mental labour; - Fear, of being alone. Kalium phosphoricum was given and the child's mental state improved considerably, and the ringworm disappeared totally. Here one can see in the dreams, the extreme anxiety of Kalium along with the "Caring for others" feature of Phosphorus. Together, this leads to the idea of Kalium phosphoricum: "Need to take care of the family (on whom she depends)". The mother was later benefited by the same remedy. Physical symptoms: - Weakness - fagged out; paralytic weakness; - Oversensitive physical states; - Chilly patients; - Careworn look on the face; - Hungry soon after eating; - Craves sweets. Calcarea phosphorica The essence of Calcarea phosphorica can be grasped by studying the features of bone, in which it is the chief mineral component. Bones provide security and stability to the body. At the same time, the presence of bones in the body greatly facilitates movement as is evident in the contrast between a crawling invertebrate and a galloping horse. Thus bone is that portion of the body which makes the body stable and mobile. The need to be stable and secure is brought in by the Calcarea element while the ability to make new connections is the Phosphorus trait. Calcarea phosphorica may be present in one of the following four phases: 1. The need to be both stable and mobile, i.e. the ability to go out of his stable environment and make new connections. At the same time, the person needs to return to the stable environment: "Home, desire to go out and when out of home, desires to go home". The fact that Calcium phosphate is found in such large quantities in the human body indicates that the Calcarea phosphorica situation is a common everyday situation. It is seen that people like to have established relations but also like to make new connections. Everyday people leave their home but always come back - this is a regular cycle and it is normal but the Calcarea phosphorica person is fixed in this mode. 2. The Calcarea phosphorica people are in a stable environment and are able to make new connections very fast. They are very friendly, love to travel and they make new homes wherever they go. They care even for strangers and soon become part of their family. This may seem like Phosphorus but the difference is that the Phosphorus person does not make a home - this additional element is found in Calcarea phosphorica because of the Calcarea element, with its need for stability. They are very active physically as well as mentally, and very sensitive. Calcarea phosphorica people are often found to be sportsmen - they are good at various physical sports. This is possibly explained by the fact that games involve a good deal of friendliness as well as activity and mobility. They are often of an athletic build - tall, muscular and rigid fibre - unlike the physical soft, flabby Calcarea patient. This is the type of Calcarea phosphorica seen very often in practice - the Calcarea phosphorica state is only an exaggeration of a normal feature of man. Calcarea silicata, on the other hand, is not found as a compound in man and the situation is not an everyday one. Phosphorus - 36 Phosphoricum acidum As we have noted, the main feeling of Phosphorus is of being unloved and uncared for, to which the person reacts by being affectionate, friendly and sympathetic in the hope that this love and care will be reciprocated ("Affectionate, returns affection"). The effort of Phosphorus, therefore, is in the direction of caring for others, being sympathetic to them, etc. When this effort becomes constant, i.e. when he feels the need to make a constant effort in caring for others, the state is that of Phosphoricum acidum. 1. The main feeling of Phosphoricum acidum is: "I must constantly care for others in order to be loved / accepted". 2. Increased activity. Hurry. Caring for others. 3. He can be quarrelsome; still, later, he becomes dull, sluggish and indifferent, or quiet and brooding. The factors that result in such a state are ailment from cares, disappointment, i.e. despite all his love and caring, when he is disappointed by those he cared for, he becomes tired and apathetic. The best description of this stage is given by Phatak in his Materia Medica: "Apathetic; from unequal struggling with adverse circumstances, mental and physical". The words "unequal struggle" is characteristic of most acids, and this is their feeling - that they are in an unequal struggle. 4. Settled dispair and hopelessness. Physical symptoms - Tremendous weakness; weary; - Marked desire for refreshing, juicy things; also highly seasoned food; - Much ameliorated by afternoon sleep; by a short nap; - Aggravated from grief with sleepiness; - Emaciation from grief; - Long standing painless fever; - Diabetes mellitus. Case Mr. M.N. came to me with a complaint of severe backache which, he was told, had its origin in a cervical spondylosis. He was a diabetic (PPBS 304 mg %) and had a carbuncle in the right axilla. He also mentioned "writer's cramps" while I noted that he was bald already at the age of forty two. He tires easily and often wants to lie down and not do anything. However, he feels much better in general when occupied. He is dejected when unable to work and has a great fear of failure. He is much worried about his brother who is mentally ill. He has been looking after his brother for long and is often sad and brooding on his account. He recalled a pleasant dream "of a happy family". In another dream, he is on his death bed, gasping, and pleading with his family that he wants to get out. He craves juices and spicy food. With Phosphoricum acidum 1M , repeated six times in the course of two years, we saw an improvement in every sphere. His carbuncle disappeared in two months, the diabetes came under control (PPBS 172 mg % within three months) and he became more energetic. The backache was greatly relieved. Clinical observations One of the strongest features of Phosphoricum acidum that I have found is the hypochondriacal neurosis, where the person constantly broods about his health: "Brooding about his health", "Brooding about his disappointment". The other feature is homesickness, which in this remedy represents a longing for a happier situation / moment - a memory of times when he received love unconditionally. Phosphorus - 37 THE SOUL OF REMEDIES (1997) Phosphorus Phosphorus lies in Group V of the Periodic Table, next to Silica and Sulphur, and is closely allied to these two remedies. It is a tubercular remedy. The main feeling of Phosphorus is of being unloved and uncared for, to which the patient reacts by being affectionate, friendly and sympathetic in the hope that this love and care will be reciprocated ("Affectionate, returns affection"). He must be sensitive to the feelings of others to win their affection. The effort of Phosphorus therefore is in the direction of caring for others, being sympathetic to them. Phosphorus has wide ranging sensitivity and reactivity. He is sensitive to all emotions - anger, fear and grief, and has the unique symptom: "Hot flushes from excitement". He feels alone and hence very vulnerable to environmental and emotional factors. Hence, we have: - Fear, of the thunderstorm; - Delusion, choked by forms, being; - Ailments from grief; - Ailments from disappointed love. Phosphorus is a vital constituent of all living beings. The Phosphorus patient can be very animated, often resembling patients of an animal remedy. The sensitivity and reactivity in humans is manifested by the sympathetic attitude: sensitivity to the suffering of others, and the desire to give and receive love. It is this sensitivity and reactivity that allows man to make contact, establish relationships and to find his place in the world. My experience with Phosphorus people is that they are very sensitive to those around them. They tend to attract attention towards themselves, either by their appearance (if you examine the typical Phosphorus constitution you find that he is lean, fair with long curved eyelashes and a graceful walk, a physically attractive person), manner of speaking, or the warmth they show. It is difficult to ignore a Phosphorus person. Yet behind this sensitivity is lurking the feeling that they are not getting enough attention, care and love. This creates an insecurity in Phosphorus which makes the person seek more company, more friends, etc. He tries to get the love he misses. He can do this by caring a lot for others, being helpful to others and going out of his way for them. Phosphorus can make friends very easily. The situational Materia Medica of Phosphorus is of a child who does not get attention and love from the people in his house and therefore makes a lot of friends outside in order to fulfill this need. Though he may have a lot of friends, yet Phosphorus is often unable to make close intimate friends and most of his relationships are at quite a superficial level. They are very emotional, very loving, affectionate, sympathetic, caring. At the same time they can be very easily excited, very anxious, fearful, clairvoyant and restless. In the intellectual sphere, we find the increased activity expressed as: "Ideas abundant, clearness of mind", "Memory, active", "Industrious", "Senses acute". On the other hand we may find indifference, apathy, deficiency of ideas, weakness of memory, indolence and dullness of senses. This represents the collapsed or failed side of the remedy. Phosphorus has "Delusion, island, is on a distant". Such a feeling creates a strong desire for company. This may be followed by a tiredness or weakness. There is an intense need to get out of his home - the place of his isolation - where he doesn't find any love or care. One can recognize the tubercular miasm in Phosphorus; high energy with emaciation and weakness. And Phosphorus is also an important remedy for tuberculosis. Clairvoyance in Phosphorus is generally expressed as a feeling of tremendous intimacy. They may say: "I knew as soon as I walked into the room, there was vibration between us, though we had never met each other before." There is a desire to be magnetized and the magnetic waves can travel. Another way in which the clairvoyance of Phosphorus is expressed is in the anxiety the patient feels for the other person. One of my colleagues for whom I prescribed Phosphorus had the feeling, three times, that his father was having a heart attack and each time within one hour of Phosphorus - 38 getting this feeling he received a phone call telling him that his father indeed had had a heart attack. This kind of feeling for another person is very typical of Phosphorus. Causticum and Nitricum acidum are also sympathetic remedies. But there is a kind of selfishness behind the sympathy of these two. They stand to gain by their sympathy whereas Phosphorus is genuinely sympathetic. Causticum is sympathetic in the sense that he is anxious for others, but Phosphorus feels the anxiety of others. In Causticum if her child goes out and gets a little late, even though the child is enjoying itself, the mother feels worried. Phosphorus is not so. Phosphorus feels anxiety of others: when the other person is anxious, Phosphorus feels it. Nitricum acidum is sympathetic conditionally. As long as you are his friend, he will be sympathetic towards you. But the moment you offend him, he will want to kill you. So his is not a genuine sympathy. Rubrics - Affectionate, returns affection. - Amativeness. - Children, watchful, who are on the lookout for every gesture. - Clairvoyance. - Delusion, choked by forms, being. - Delusion, island, is on a distant. - Estranged from her family. - Fear, thunderstorm, of. - Indifference, loved ones, to. Kent - Appetite, increased during fever. - Desires ice-cream. Phatak - Growth, too fast. Phosphorus - 39 STRUCTURE (2008) Rajan Sankaran – Structure. Pg. 496-498 vol 1. PHOSPHORUS (P): PROPERTIES OF PHOSPHORUS: Phosphorus comes from the Greek word phos meaning 'light' and phoros meaning 'bearer'. Due to its high reactivity, phosphorus is never found as a free element in nature. Phosphorus is a component of DNA and RNA and an essential element for all living cells. Phosphorus compounds are also widely used in explosives, nerve agents, friction matches, fireworks, pesticides, toothpaste and detergents. Understanding of Phosphorus In Phosphorus they have an identity apart from what has been given to them. The feeling is: 'I am not you.' They have to develop and have their own identity, own will and own choice. This is the stage of development where the child can be alone and afford to be different. They have a clear identity; they know who they are and what they want. Yet they are not independent enough to insist on their choice. This is the point in the child's life when they start saying, "Mommy, can I have a sleepover at a friend's house?" They are expressing that their choice is different from their parents' and that goes with the feeling, 'I don't need you so much; I can take care of myself.' At that point if they are imposed with another's choice then they have a dilemma, either to give up their choice or to stick with it. The feeling is, 'Do I have that much within me?' That is always the question. At that point they take a distance from their family (from whom they feel imposed) to establish their own identity. Then they become very friendly with outsiders (usually friends). Usually the parents will say, "He hardly talks to us anymore. He is always on the phone talking to his friends." So a Phosphorus patient can be very affectionate, but can also be indifferent. It means the same thing, that they are expressing their choice, that they have their own friends. They start feeling indifferent to the family to which they are attached and so they take their identity away from the family by making outside friendships. This is reflected by the rubric, “indifference, apathy: family, to his. One of the commonest expressions at this stage is, 'I don't care. I have my own choice.' Excerpts summarized from earlier books: Phosphorus is a vital constituent of all living beings. The Phosphorus patient can be very animated, often resembling patients of an animal remedy. The main theme of Phosphorus and Phosphates is activity. This activity is basically in response to stimuli and is hence actually reactivity. Phosphorus is one of the most reactive remedies of our materia medica. It is reactive both mentally and physically, and this reactivity is a function of heightened sensitivity - sensitivity and reactivity are the main features of Phosphorus. This activity is reflected in the active metabolism, with features like increased hunger with emaciation, diseases of rapid metabolism like diabetes and tuberculosis, and fevers with increased activity and appetite. Looking at it another way, we can say that he is sensitive and reactive because he perceives the situation to be one where he must react and move (be active) in order to survive. Broadly speaking, it has the feeling experienced in the situations: - of a thunderstorm (fear of thundersforms) - of being attacked (delusion, choked by forms, being) - of grief (ailments from grief) - of disappointed love (ailments from disappointed love) or in short, any situation which calls for sensitivity, activity and movement. Phosphorus people are extremely emotional; there is a lot of love, affection, care and sympathy. At the same time, they can be easily excited, very anxious and fearful, clairvoyant and restless. In the intellectual sphere we find the increased activity expressed as "Ideas, abundant; clearness of mind; memory, active; industrious; senses acute". On the other hand, we find indifference, apathy, deficiency of ideas, weakness of memory, indolence and dullness of senses. This represents the "failed" or collapsed side. The essence of the Phosphorus mind is that he feels treated like an inanimate object. He feels neglected, uncared for, taken for granted. He feels exploited, oppressed, stifled, silenced and therefore wants to be more animated, oversensitive and overactive. My experience with Phosphorus people (and Phosphates) is that they are very sensitive to other Phosphorus - 40 people around them. They tend to attract attention towards themselves, either by their appearance, manner of speaking or the warmth that they show. It is often difficult to ignore a Phosphorus person. Yet behind this sensitivity lurks a suspicion that they are not getting enough attention, care and love. This creates insecurity in Phosphorus which makes him seek more company, more friends, etc. He tries to get the love he misses. He can do this by caring a lot for others. Thus Phosphorus and Phosphates in the coped up form are very caring and helpful people, going out of their way to care for others. They can be very sensitive and active in their caring. There is a desire to be magnetized and the magnetic waves can travel. Phosphorus has 'Delusion, island, is on a distant'. Such a feeling creates a strong desire for company. This may be followed by a tiredness or weakness. There is an intense need to get out of his home - the place of his isolation - where he doesn't find any love or care. One can recognize the tubercular miasm in Phosphorus: high energy with emaciation and weakness. Rubrics: Affectionate, returns affection Amativeness Children, watchful, who are on the lookout for every gesture Clairvoyance Delusion, choked by forms, being Delusion, island, is on a distant Estranged from her family Fear, thunderstorm, of Indifference, loved ones, to Desires ice-cream Grow too fast Phosphorus - 'Sympathetic' We know from the materia medica that Phosphorus is one of the most sympathetic remedies and also equally desires sympathy. I tried to understand this feeling and realised that at this stage the person for the first time tries or desires to be different from others, by having a different identity or choices ('being different' as explained earlier is an important feature of row 3). At the same time they also need someone who can understand them for who they are. In Natrum and Magnesium this need to be understood comes from a need where without having to say anything they expect to be understood by the people on they depend for care and nourishment (implicit need). This is exactly what a child expects from his mother, understanding without voicing his needs. In Phosphorus this has developed more consciously as a feeling of 'sympathy'. The feeling is, 'Even though you are different from me / can understand you' (and vice versa). So Phosphorus is in a stage where he wants to be different and he is different but he still wants support in the form of understanding and recognition in terms of his identity. The care that Phosphorus wants is different from Magnesium and Natrum. They are not independent enough to say 'I don't care', but they do say 'Recognize my individuality and identity and support me for who I am. I am not you but understand me for who I am. ' For example, we commonly see children as they grow from their school days and enter college, they want to try new fashions or a new look by having a new hair cut or trying different clothes (appearance as we know is also very important in row 3), which many times is not approved by their parents. They often demand to be accepted in spite of these things, and if not they are not, they can become completely indifferent towards their family. Phosphorus - 41 VITAL QUEST PHOSPHORUS Phosphorus belongs to the meeting point of series 3 and column 15. Understanding of series 3 "I am lacking identity." There is a question of identity here. "I am separate, but who am I?" It is a stage where a child is born but not yet named. It is just a baby; baby of so and so, separate identity is not established When we study the development of the above understanding along the series 3, in the initial elements like Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum we see that the identity has not developed completely and they are dependent on parents for that. Silica has a fixed identity given to him by his parents. Phosphorus is the first element where he experiences his own identity apart from what is being given to him by his parents. With Sulphur the identity develops further and there is ego. Chlorine is completely opposite of the identity given to him. Understanding of column 15 is The structure is being eroded. It is coming away in parts and its integrity can not be preserved. One has to be careful and see how much and how long can he preserve things "I can’t depend on others for that. Feel alone to face it." Note on the understanding of Nitrogen and Phosphorus: When we study the elements of the periodic table in vertical columns, they show some similarities in the problem of their structure. This holds true till column14. In column 15, 16 and 17 we see some different behavior in the elements of series 1, 2 and 3 (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Oxygen, Sulphur, Fluorine and Chlorine) When we study the Homoeopathic understanding of Series 4, 5 and 6, starting from column 1, we see a gradual development of the structure reaching its peak at column 10 and then a gradual loss of function and degeneration of the structure by column 17. But in Series 1, 2 and 3, the development of the structure is not complete at 10 and it continues to develop further in columns 15, 16 and 17. So from this, Understanding of Phosphorus is "I am not you." He has an identity apart from what has been given to him. He has to develop and have his own identity, his own will and his own choice. Expressions seen in patients "It is a dead lock situation, no middle way; either I have to choose home or career. The dead lock situation is as if I am on an island, all alone and there is no way out. You have to work your own way out without any help and there are no resources. The island is beautiful and you can do whatever you want there" "It is a situation about what you want to be and what you don't want to be" "How much can one bend or blend. You cannot force anyone to do what he does no want to do or behave the way he wants. You need that space" Phosphorus - 42 Acid Phos Natural Information about Phosphorous Symbol: P Atomic no.: 15 Group name: Non-Metal. Electronic shell configuration: 2-8-5 Phosphorus is a soft, waxy, white nonmetallic chemical element of the nitrogen family (group VA of the periodic table). HISTORY It was prepared in 1669 by the German alchemist Hennig Brand in the elemental form from a residue of evaporated urine. SOURCES It is 12th in abundance in the crust of the earth. It is always found in the combined state in nature except in few meteorites. It occurs in compounds that are distributed in rocks, minerals, plants and animals. An important source is in the form of phosphate rock that contains mineral apatite, which is an impure tri calcium phosphate. It is heated in the presence of silica and carbon in a furnace and the steam of gas is condensed to the liquid and eventually in the solid state and stored under water as it ignites on spontaneous contact with air. Large quantities can be mined from Russia, Morocco, Idaho, Florida, Tenesse, Utah and other various regions. It is present in fluids in the cells of living tissues as phosphate ion, which is useful for cellular activity. Also a constituent of DNA molecules. Calcium phosphate is an important constituent of bones and teeth. PROPERTIES l It exists in 4 or more allotropic forms; white (or yellow), red and black (or violet). Ordinary phosphorus is a waxy, white solid that is colorless and semitransparent and glows in the dark. l It is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulfide. l It burns with spontaneity in air and forms dense white fumes of the oxide. l When white phosphorus is exposed to sunlight or heated in its own vapor at 250C it is converted to the red variety, which is not as dangerous as the white. It may convert to white at some temperature and emit toxic fumes when heated. APPLICATIONS l White phosphorus is used in chemical warfare as a nerve gas for smoke production and to fill incendiary shells and grenades. l Red variety used for striking surface in safety matches. l Radioactive phosphorus 32 is used in studies of life cycles of plants and animals. l It is used mainly in the agricultural field for making fertilizers and pesticides. l Used for making special glasses especially in sodium lamps. l In the form of calcium phosphate its utility is seen in fine chinaware and other useful products. l Important in production of steels, phosphor bronze etc. l As a cleaning agent, as a water softener and to prevent corrosion of boiler tubes and pipes. ADDITIONAL NOTES White phosphorus is fairly poisonous. 50mg is approximately a fatal dose. It should be kept in water as it reacts dangerously in presence of air. It should be handled with caution preferably with forceps as it can harm the skin causing burns. Phosphorus - 43 PHOSPHORICUM ACIDUM Phosphorus belongs to the meeting point of series 3 and column 15. Understanding of Acid Phosphoricum acidum belongs to the sycotic miasm. The main theme of an acid is struggle followed by collapse: exertion and exhaustion. The theme of struggle and collapse is clearly expressed in certain symptoms common to all the acids: hurry, industry, the feeling that their efforts are unsuccessful, fear of failure, and also fatigue, indolence and indifference. The main feeling of Phosphorus is of being unloved and uncared for, to which he reacts by being affectionate, friendly and sympathetic in the hope that his love and care will be reciprocated. Thus the main feeling of Phosphoricum acidum is: “I must constantly care for others in order to be loved or accepted.” We see in Phosphoricum acidum a lot of effort in this direction. There is increased activity and hurry along with his caring for others. But when he has put in too much effort and does not achieve what he had wanted to, he begins to get quarrelsome, later becoming dull, sluggish, indifferent, or quiet and brooding. The factors that result in such a state are (Ailments from) grief, care, disappointment, death of a child, i.e. despite all his love and caring, when he is disappointed by those he cared for he becomes tired and apathetic. Phatak describes in his Materia Medica: “Apathetic from unequal struggling with adverse circumstances, mental and physical.” The words “unequal struggle” reflects the feeling of most acids; it is characteristic to this group of remedies. In Phosphoricum acidum, the mental state is one of sleepiness, brooding, aversion to business, indifference, hopelessness and despair. Correspondingly in the body there is weakness, lack of energy and disposition to lie down. The situation of Phosphoricum acidum is that of a man who has made an effort to climb a mountain and has become so tired that he doubts his capacity to climb further. He is a person who tries, but the mountain seems a tough task for him. He feels like taking rest by lying down. He is totally exhausted. He has no energy left so he sits, sad and brooding about this unattainable goal. Ignatia is complementary to Phosphoricum acidum. When a young oversensitive woman finds that time and again her hopes have been belied, she may finally get into a state where there is no use trying. She needs to become insensitive and apathetic, because at this point her sensitivity is of no use – even her hysteria is of no use – this insensitive state (indifference) is the state of Phosphoricum acidum. Rubrics: l Brooding, condition, over one’s. l Brooding, disappointment, over. l Brooding, disease, over his. l Business, averse to. l Cares, worries, full of. l Indifference, everything, to. l Quiet disposition. l Speech, monosyllabic. Kent: l Desires juicy things. Phatak: l Unequal struggling. l Growth in limbs, too fast. l Homesick. l Irritable when questioned. l Short sleep ameliorates. Phosphorus - 44 GUY LOUTAIN
Phosphorus Tradução Gisela – Workshop RJ. Precariedade de sua existência; tanto medo da morte que poderia se suicidar; ele está perto da extinção; necessidade de magnetismo e de amor de alguém bom. É necessário sempre alimentar sua combustão pela comida, acalmar seu fogo pela bebida. Vive somente pelas manifestações de amor que ele recebe. Depende de uma ligação de amor para existir, então sem os outros, ele não é nada. Se ele fica indiferente é pela falta de resposta a seu amor. Compartilha clarividência, magnetismo, excitabilidade e sensibilidade com os animais. Ele tem um pé em um mundo e outro em outro que as demais pessoas não percebem; faces diabólicas que riem do seu sofrimento. Apaixonado que se consome em fraternidade e ternura. Ele quer ser o coração dos outros, por quem ele existe. Queria ser a luz do conhecimento, queria ser a luz ela mesmo e não seu reflexo, porque Deus é belo e perfeito por sua luz. Pode dar também a impressão de hipersensibilidade sendo uma grande dama ou uma aurora boreal. Sensível à beleza que ele percebe, ele fica pendendo entre o real e o mundo paranormal. A luz permite a vida orgânica, mas ele tem muito medo de morrer para dar sua vida a um amor verdadeiro. Adora o sol, regar as flores, ou sente-se triste pelo odor. Phosphorus: Précarité de son existence: peur telle de la mort qu´en viendrait à se suicider; il est prés de l´extinction: besoin de magnétisme et d´amour par quelqu´un de bom; il faut toujours alimenter sa combustion par la nouriture, calmer son feu par la boisson. Ne vit que par les manifestations d´amour qu´il reçoit. Dépend pour exister du lien d´amour, donc sans les autres, il n´est rien. S´il devient indifférent, c´est par manque de réponse à son amour. Clairvoyance qu´il partage avec les animaux, magnétisme, excitabilité et sensibilité: il a un pied dans un monde, l´autre dans un autre que les gens ne perçoivent pas: faces diaboliques que rient de sa souffrance. Passioné Qui se consume en confraternité et tendresse. Veut être el couer des autres, par Qui il existe. Voudrait la lumiére de la connaissance, voudrait être la lumiére elle-même et non le reflet, car Dieu est beau et parfait par sa lumiére. Peut assi se donner l´impression de vivre par hypersexualité, en étant une grande dame ou a une aurore boréale... Sensible à la beauté qu´il perçoit, il reste tendu entre le réel et un monde paranormal. La lumiére permet la vie organique, mais il a trop peur de mourir pour donner sa vie dans un vrai amour. Adore le soleil, arroser les fleurs. Ou se sent triste à leur odeur! Phosphorus - 45 VITHOULKAS Phosphorus Diffusion is the term which runs through the Phosphorus pathology. Diffusion is the process of spreading outward into the environment, like smoke spreading outward into the air, or the colour from a tea bag diffusing uniformly into water. The same happens to the energy, the awareness, the emotions, and even the blood of the Phosphorus patient. It is as if there are no barriers for this - physical, emotional, or mental. Because of this, the Phosphorus patient is vulnerable to all types of influences. On the physical level, we see that almost any injury or stress results in haemorrhage; this occurs because the sheaths of the blood vessels are weak and easily allow the blood to diffuse into surrounding tissues. On the emotional plane, the Phosphorus patient's emotions freely go out toward others, with little ability of the patient to contain them and protect the self form emotional vulnerability. Mentally, the patient easily forgets himself, even to the degree that awareness can become too diffuse and unfocused; the patient becomes easily "spaced out". Let us first describe a person in the healthy state who nevertheless possesses the Phosphorus predilection, which can emerge into a disease state if the defence mechanism becomes overwhelmed by too much stress; in doing so, however, keep in mind that we only prescribe on the pathological symptoms, not on the healthy ones. The Phosphorus patient physically is usually lean, tall, and delicate in features, hair, skin and hands. As a child, this person is warm, outgoing, affectionate, artistic or musical and very sensitive. The child is very open and impressionable; one can "see through" such a child, whose being is effortlessly manifested. without much reserve. During adolescence, there is a tremendous growth spurt which leads to the typically lean, lanky appearance. Throughout life, the Phosphorus type person is a warm, friendly extrovert who enjoys friendship and company very much, but also may enjoy solitude to pursue artistic endeavours. Such a person is enjoyable to have around, because he or she is truly sympathetic, freely putting the interest of friends above personal concerns. The Phosphorus person is highly intelligent and refined. There are no secrets for such person; whatever is on his mind he shares freely Warmth and affection diffuse freely towards friends and even strangers. Much of his or her life revolves around interpersonal relationships. Such a person makes a good politician, the type that pushes for humanitarian causes, or a Phosphorus type may become a sales agent because he has the ability to sell anything he believes in. The Phosphorus person is very impressionable and wil believe anything which is told to him in an area outside of his own competence, then once he has adopted a belief he will be enthusiastic and convincing to others. Such a person makes an enjoyable patent for the homoeopath because he s impressionable and trusting; the Phosphorus patient believes in what the prescriber tells him and follows directions willingly and with effusive gratitude. Right from the first interview, the patient views the prescriber as a friend, shaking his hand warmly, sitting forward on the seat, and perhaps reaching out to touch the prescriber's hand or wrist when emphasising a point. This patient gives symptoms freely, without holding back. There is a predisposition toward anxieties of various types, but these are relieved easily by just a few reassuring words. The diffusion of awareness is evident by the fact that the Phosphorus patient is easily startled. All of us can relate to the state of mind of daydreaming; awareness drifts to a far-off place or circumstances. During a daydream, if there is a sudden noise, like a blaring horn, a slamming door, or a burst of thunder, the daydreamer is startled because awareness is pulled suddenly and joltingly back into the immense reality. This is the state to which the Phosphorus patient is highly susceptible. It is a diffusion of awareness which the patient may not be able to control readily. During a thunderstorm, the normal person wil hear a clap of thunder and then easily prepare himself for more; the Phosphorus patient, however, tends to become diffuse automatically, and so will be startled with each noise. Phosphorus - 46 In the first stage of Phosphorus pathology, the physical symptoms usually predominate. In the childish stage of development (whether 5 years or 35 years of age), there may be a tendency to easy haemorrhages. Nosebleeds occur with little provocation. Menses may be profuse and prolonged. The bleeding tends to be bright red in colour. The bleeding tendency is symbolic of the general essence of Phosphorus. What warmth and brightness the Phosphorus patient possesses diffuses freely outward, with little sense of barriers. It is as this stage that we see the Phosphorus patient who is easily refreshed by sleep. This is understandable when we reflect that sleep is a time when the ordinary effort to maintain immediate physical awareness is relaxed and rested. People who are more controlled and mentalised take a long time to achieve this rest; they must fall into a deep sleep. The Phosphorus patient, on the other hand, is quickly refreshed because his awareness can diffuse in this manner very readily. During this stage, we also see the characteristic Phosphorus thirst, particularly for cold drinks. If there happens to be burning in the stomach (Phosphorus experiences burning pains internally - a manifestation of warmth), the pains will be relieved by cold things but this lasts only until the drink or food warms in the stomach, and then the stomach may be again aggravated. There is a typical craving for chocolate and sweets; Considering the thirst and the craving for sweets, it is easy to see the Phosphorus predilection for diabetes. As the physical pathology progresses further, the process of haemorrhage may be evident on deeper levels. There may be painless haemorrhage from the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in an unexpected haematemesis or melaena. There may be bronchitis in an early and mild phase, yet with haemoptysis of bright red blood. There may be haematuria unaccompanied by any other symptoms. Laboratory tests and x-rays may be done, and nothing found. In these circumstances think of Phosphorus as a possible remedy. While the physical symptoms predominate, there are few symptoms in the emotional or mental spheres. As the pathology progresses, however, into the second stage, we see a subsidence of the physical symptoms and an increase in anxieties and fears. Of course, there is a true anxiety for the welfare of another, whether friend or stranger. It can be carried to a pathological degree of anxiety, dissipating even the energy of the patient himself. This is the true state of sympathy, whereas other remedies in the same rubric are anxious about others out of a primary motive of self- concern. There is a strong anxiety about health in Phosphorus. The patient becomes so suggestible that even if he hears of someone else with a particular illness, he will be concerned about the possibility that he also might have that illness. This vulnerability to suggestion, however, is easily assuaged by counter-suggestion; a few reassuring words by the homoeopath, and the patient sighs with relief and is profusely thankful, only to come back when he hears another alarming possibility. It is during this stage that there is the emergence of many fears. There is fear of the dark, fear of being alone, and fear at twilight. There may be a fear of thunderstorms. At first these anxieties and fears are fairly mild, and still corroborated by thirst and refreshed sleep. As the third stage emerges, the patient becomes overwhelmed by the anxieties and fears. Whereas before they were mild and manageable by simple reassurance, they gradually occupy more and more of the energy and attention of the patient. the patent finds it increasingly difficult to relax, and anxiety may lead to hyperventilation and resultant imbalances in the pH of the blood. The undercurrent of anxiety and tension prevents relaxation even during sleep; the patient awakes unrefreshed and also with great anxiety (like Lachesis, Graphites and Arsenicum). Eventually, the continuous anxiety becomes a "free-floating anxiety" with no identifiable cause. There is a fear that something bad will happen which pervades the person's life, like background music. Every possibility anticipated with fear. There is a fear of impending disease, particularly a fear of cancer (rather than heart disease), but eventually the fear of any impending disease. Finally, the Phosphorus patient falls into a fear of death, a panic state over the idea that death is imminent. The patient feels like he is dying, especially when he is alone. There is the sensation of fuzziness internally, like bubbles rising and diffusing outward, or that the soul is leaving the body. Phosphorus - 47 There is great panic, hyperventilation, excitability and palpitations. This is the point when the patient develops a need for company, because of the fear that death is imminent. The need for company car, e so strong as to drive him to leave his house to find friends to talk to. This is not a need to talk to people about health in particular, as in Arsenicum; rather, Phosphorus just feels the need to talk to anybody about anything, in order to relieve the panic. As the states of fear increase, many of the other corroborating symptoms on the physical level disappear. There may be no thirst, no craving for salt, and no craving for fish. Finally, in the fourth stage the mind breaks down completely. The fears diminish, but the mind degenerates. There is a difficulty in concentration, an inability to think coherently, or an inability to understand what is being said by others. The body and the mind become weak. The patient becomes indifferent to company and indifferent to surroundings. The result is a state of senility or imbecility. Another common end result in Phosphorus is a stroke in which many mental faculties are lost. The final stage can be a very difficult on n which to prescribed because there is a paucity of symptoms to distinguish Phosphorus from other remedies. For this reason, a careful history of the past sequence of events and proper knowledge of the stages of pathology of remedies is crucial to being able to benefit the patient Once the essence of Phosphorus is seen, one needs only to confirm the remedy with corroborating symptoms. From experience, some of the most useful are, thirst, desire for salt, desire for fish, desire for chocolate, desire for sweets, worse left side, unable to sleep on the left side, formication of the tips of the fingers, painless loss of voice. In addition, different Phosphorus patients may be either warm blooded or chilly - though not n the same patient. Phosphorus - 48 FRANS VERMEULEN
PRISMA Phosphorus Phos. When there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier. [Charles F. Kettering] Signs Phosphorus. CLASSIFICATION Phosphorus is the second element in group 15 of the periodic system; nitrogen is the lightest member, arsenic, antimony and bismuth follow after phosphorus. Phosphorus does not occur naturally, but only in the oxidized form of phosphates, e.g. in the minerals apatite, phosphophyllite, turquoise, and vivianite. Russia, USA, Morocco, Tunisia, Togo, and Nauru are the main mining areas. Phosphorus is the 11th most common element in the earth's crust. FORMS Phosphorus has a number of allotropic forms. The soft, waxy, and flammable white phosphorus [also called yellow phosphorus] exists in three modifications: alpha, beta, and gamma. When pure white phosphorus is colourless and transparent. Red [or amorphous] phosphorus, powdery and usually non-flammable, is a combination of white and violet phosphorus, and obtained by heating white phosphorus [alpha] at 250o C with air excluded or by exposing it to sunlight. Black phosphorus has a graphite-like structure and is made by heating white phosphorus at 300o C with a mercury catalyst or at 200o C under a pressure of 12,000 atmospheres. Black phosphorus is the most stable form and is, like graphite, a semi-conductor of electricity. Violet phosphorus arises when white phosphorus [alpha] is dissolved in molten lead and the mixture is cooled. PROPERTIES White phosphorus and red phosphorus have more or less opposite properties. White phosphorus is waxy and soft, and brittle when frozen, red phosphorus is powdery or crystalline. White p. is extremely poisonous, causing burns when brought in contact with the skin, red p. is less dangerous but emits toxic fumes when heated. White p. ignites spontaneously at about 30o C in moist air [ignites at higher temperatures in dry air], red p. ignites when heated in air to about 260o C. White p. should be kept under water, red p. is stable. White p. is soluble in carbon disulphide and fatty oils, red p. is insoluble. White p. melts at 44.15o C, red p. cannot be molten under normal pressure. White p. emits a greenish light in the dark, red p. does not. White p. reacts violently and is a dangerous explosion hazard, red p. is not. White p. can be converted more easily into red p. than the reverse; to obtain the latter, red p. has to be distilled at 290o C and then cooled off quickly. USES White phosphorus is used for the manufacture of rat poisons; for smoke screens; gas analysis. Red phosphorus is used in pyrotechnics; manufacture of safety matches, fertilizers, pesticides, incendiary shells, smoke bombs, and tracer bullets; in organic synthesis. Included as GRAS [Generally Recognized As Safe] by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, phosphates have various functions as food additives, and thus are found in numerous foods [as E339, E340, E341, E450, E451 and E 452]: cooked meats, ham, sausages, processed cheese products, processed meats, processed seafoods, processed fish products, instant desserts, jelly glazing mixes, sauce mixes, non-dairy powdered coffee creamers, drinking chocolate mixes, milk and cream powders, ice cream mixes, self-raising flour, baking powder, instant milk-based desserts, tinned tomatoes, cake mixes, potato- based snack foods, instant [powdered] soups, gelatine, beef spread, reduced-sugar jam products, edible ices, chewing gum, toppings and glazings. 1 Phosphates are also present in such products as antifreezes, automatic dish detergents, bath beads, laundry detergents, and latex paints. FIRE Phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by Hennig Brand, an alchemist from Hamburg, Germany. Brand isolated it from urine. "The alchemist who made the discovery stumbled upon a material the like of which had never been seen. Unwittingly he unleashed upon an unsuspecting world one of the most dangerous materials ever to have been made. On that dark night our lone alchemist was having no luck with this latest experiments to find the philosopher's stone." [If taken literally, Phosphorus - 49 alchemists believed that the philosopher's stone for making gold was contained in the dregs of the human body.] "Like many before him he had been investigating the golden stream, urine, and he was heating the residues from this which he had boiled down to a dry solid. He stoked his small furnace with more charcoal and pumped the bellows until his retort glowed red hot. Suddenly something strange began to happen. Glowing fumes filled the vessel and from the end of the retort dripped a shining liquid that burst into flames. Its pungent, garlic-like smell filled his chamber. When he caught the liquid in a glass vessel and stoppered it he saw that it solidified but continued to gleam with an eerie pale-green light and waves of flame seemed to lick its surface. Fascinated, he watched it more closely, expecting this curious cold fire to go out, but it continued to shine undiminished hour after hour. Here was magic indeed. Here was phosphorus."2 Brand decided to name this new substance phosphorus, from the Greek phos, light, and phoros, bringing or bearing. [Phosphoros was also the ancient name for the planet Venus when appearing before sunrise.] Coincidence has it that the name of the discoverer of this magical fire was Brand, the German word for 'fire'. Bitter irony has it that the place of discovery was Hamburg, a city engulfed in hellish fire from thousands of phosphorus fire-bombs during World War II. Homoeopathically, fire is a known element of the Phosphorus symptomatology, e.g. delusion a flame of fire seems passing through him, sees a sea of fire on closing the eyes, sees flashes in the dark, and sees sparks and lightnings on falling asleep. MISFORTUNE Being the thirteenth chemical element to be isolated in its pure form, phosphorus seemed predisposed to become an ill-fated element. "To begin with, phosphorus was greeted with great acclaim and yet it was damned from the moment it was born. It displayed properties that humans were in no position to cope with. ... It promised cures but it delivered mainly curses. It is a deadly poison and yet soon after its discovery it was being sold by pharmacists as a treatment for all kinds of illnesses and esp. mental conditions. ... While doctors used phosphorus, hoping to cure their patients, others used it to murder them; and while some scientists were researching it with a view to making pesticides to benefit human beings, others were secretly turning it into nerve gases, the better to destroy them. Even Nature finds it difficult to control phosphorus, having assigned to it the role of limiting all life on Earth. Phosphorus is in short supply, yet is essential for every living cell. However, when humans increase the amount in the environment by using it as fertilizers and detergents, the life-forms that flourish may not be the ones we want. Phosphorus has the power to burst into flames; again a mixed blessing. Its ability to burn was put to use in various ways down the ages, starting with phosphorus tapers and phosphorus matches, and ending with phosphorus bullets and phosphorus bombs. The irony was that Hamburg was to be devastated by phosphorus in the twentieth century, when tens of thousands of its citizens would be burned alive by it. Back in seventeenth-century Hamburg all this was well into the future, but, for good or evil, the genie of phosphorus had been loosed on the world."3 PHYSIOLOGY Phosphorus is essential to life because it is one of the five elements which make up DNA; the others are hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. It is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body, second only to calcium. It is required for the formation of bones and teeth, and is necessary for the metabolism of fats, protein, and carbohydrates. It functions as activator for the vitamin B complex. As a component of phospholipids - fat molecules essential to cell membranes - it helps maintain both fluidity and permeability of cell membranes, allowing nutrients to pass in and out of the cells. The regular contractions of the heart are dependent upon phosphorus as are normal cellular growth and repair. More than 80% of the phosphorus in the body is located in bone [as calcium phosphate]; the rest is contained in the muscles, nerves, and red blood cells. The human brain contains larger amounts of phosphorus than any other organ of the body. The absorption of phosphorus in the intestine is aided by the presence of vitamin D. Most of the absorbed phosphorus is eliminated by the kidneys in the urine. Caffeine causes increased phosphorus excretion by the kidneys. About 30% of dietary phosphorus escapes absorption and is excreted in the faeces. The primary controller of phosphorus levels is parathyroid hormone. ENERGY Phosphorus is part of the body's energy storage and release system. It converts glucose into glycogen, helps to maintain blood sugar levels and helps to form lecithin. "Nature has discovered that phosphorus has a subtle personality that makes it particularly suitable for the deployment of energy in organisms. One salient characteristic of life is that it is not over in a flash, but involves Phosphorus - 50 the slow uncoiling and careful disposition of energy: a spot of energy here, another there, not a sudden deluge. Life is a controlled unwinding of energy. Phosphorus, in the form of adenosine triphosphate [ATP], turns out to be perfect vector for the subtle deployment of energy, and it is common to all living cells. Viruses lack it, but acquire it from their hosts, and are sparked into activity once it becomes accessible. Here we see another organic alliance between nitrogen, which is crucial to the utilisation and conversion of energy, and phosphorus, which is crucial to its deployment, under control of the proteins that nitrogen constructs. The central importance of phosphorus has prompted the agrochemical industry to set up major activities in this region of the kingdom [periodic table], for the growth of crops depends critically on the ready availability of abundant phosphorus."4 FOOD SOURCES The best dietary sources include sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, wheatgerm, soy flour, peas, nuts, tuna, cereals, brown rice, veal, eggs, ice cream, asparagus, beet, cucumber, radish, watercress, and dairy products. "Contrary to previous beliefs that phosphate content of the diet had a crucial influence on calcium absorption, it is now accepted that dietary relationship between the two is not important. However, for babies the calcium : phosphorus ratio of 2:1 in human milk is considered more desirable than that of 1,2:1 in cow's milk. Dried milks are now adjusted to the more favoured ration of 2;1 and the levels of both minerals reduced to those of human breast milk."5 Although the phosphorus content of nuts, seeds, and grains is considerably higher than that of dairy products, the former is partly contained in compounds indigestible for humans, whereas all of the phosphorus in eggs, milk, and cheese is digestible. DEFICIENCY Phosphorus deficiencies from a lack of dietary phosphorus are unlikely because of its widespread distribution in foods. Many medical conditions, however, can induce low blood phosphate levels. Causes of chronic hypophosphatemia include hyperparathyroidism, other hormonal disturbances [Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism], renal tubular defects, theophylline intoxication, chronic diuretic administration, prolonged and excessive use of antacids containing aluminium or of anticonvulsant medications, chronic starvation, and phosphorus malabsorption. Severe chronic hypophosphatemia usually results from a prolonged negative phosphate balance and leads to phosphate depletion, anorexia, muscle weakness, and osteomalacia. 6 Other deficiency symptoms that may develop include debility, joint stiffness, paraesthesia, speech disorders, tremor, and mental confusion. Decreased growth, poor bone and tooth development, and symptoms of rickets may occur in phosphorus-deficient children. EXCESS Excessive intake of junkfood, e.g. processed foods, soft drinks, meats, may result in too high phosphate levels, which can cause diarrhoea, and calcification in organs and soft tissues, and can prevent absorption of iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. TOXICOLOGY White phosphorus is much more toxic than red phosphorus. It can be absorbed through skin contact, ingestion, or breathing. Ingestion of 50-100 mg white phosphorus is lethal to humans. Chronic exposure to white phosphorus leads to poor wound healing in the mouth and necrosis of the jaw [phossy jaw], changes in the long bones leading to brittleness and spontaneous fractures, anaemia, and weight loss. Ingestion of even small amounts of white phosphorus may produce severe gastrointestinal irritation, bloody diarrhoea, liver and heart damage, kidney damage, skin eruptions, oliguria, circulatory collapse, coma, convulsions, and death. COMBUSTION Equally bizarre as gruesome, spontaneous human combustion is a phenomenon of which many well-documented case reports are on record. The cause is poorly understood; some believe it to be a myth, whilst others think it to be phosphorus-related. Sceptics declare that the source of ignition is an external one, but this leaves many cases unexplained in which victims were reduced to ashes while their clothes remained unburned or the surroundings undamaged. Another typical element is that some victims appear to have been in a trance-like state, since they didn't make any attempt to escape. 7 In Victorian times spontaneous combustion was considered to befall only alcoholics or other sinners. Charles Dickens's description in Bleak House is illustrative: "Plenty will come but none can help ... Call the death by any name ... say it might have been prevented how you will, it is the same death eternally - inborn, inbred, engendered in the corrupted humours of the vicious body itself - spontaneous combustion - and none other, of all the deaths that can be died."8 Phosphorus - 51 LIGHTNING Lightning is life-giving or death-dealing. Being struck by lightning was in some traditional cultures synonymous with divine punishment, yet others compared it with seminal ejaculation, symbolizing God's virile action in creation. "On the spiritual plane, lightning produces inward light since it forces the individual to close his or her eyes, that is, to meditate. Lightning marks the individual deeply in the sense of Job's 'he hath set his mark upon me'. ... As the weapon of Zeus, forged in fire [symbol of the intellect] by the Cyclops, lightning is 'the symbol of intuitive and spiritual enlightenment', or of the sudden flash of inspiration. However, while it enlightens and stirs the spirit, lightning strikes down 'the drive of unsatisfied and uncontrolled desire', represented by the Titans. The symbol is ambivalent - it both enlightens and destroys. ... Its association with rain - celestial semen - is almost world-wide. Together they comprise two facets of the same symbol, based upon the twofold nature of Fire and Water, which can be either positive or negative. They may be the agent of fertility, but they can also be divine punishments wiping mankind out by fire or flood." 9The flash of lightning is related to dawn and illumination, being universal in the image of Logos piercing the darkness. Lightning is connected with the first sign of the Zodiac [Aries], symbolic of the spring-principle and of the initial stage of every cycle. Jupiter's three thunderbolts symbolize change, destiny and providence - the forces that mould the future, expressing the action of the higher upon the lower. 10 PROVINGS •• [1] Hahnemann - 10 provers; method: unknown. •• [2] Holcombe - self- experimentation, 1858; method: repeated doses of alcoholic solution for five days. •• [3] Sorge - 12 provers [8 males, 4 females], c. 1862; method: repeated or increasing doses, daily or in intervals, of 3x, 2x, 1x [dils.], or of alcoholic solution, for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 7 months [!]. •• [4] Heath - self-experimentation, 1865; method: single dose of 5 drops of "some tincture of phosphorus." •• [5] Robinson - 5 provers [2 males, 3 females], c. 1867; method: 30x dil. [every third morning; or night and morning], 1x dil. [four times a day for eight days], 3x dil. [three times a day], tincture [20 to 50 drops at bedtime]. •• [6] Martin - 7 provers, 1875-76; method: 1x, 2x, and 3x [trits.], manner not stated. Martin's proving was conducted with red [amorphous] phosphorus. "All these provings were subsequently sent to Dr. T.F. Allen, of New York, for publication in his Materia Medica. I expected that he would give them a separate place in his valuable work; but he placed them amongst the uncertain symptoms of the ordinary phosphorus which were obtained from reports of people who had been poisoned by swallowing matches containing some phosphorus, as well as considerable [amounts] of sulphur, chlorate of potash, etc. Permit me to remark here that while I concede to Dr. Allen great praise for his painstaking labour in the production of his valuable work on the Materia Medica, I protest that, since he has attempted to give the profession a pure Materia Medica, he ought not to have incorporated in the work symptoms of persons accidentally poisoned by swallowing matches, etc. etc., as he does in the provings of phosphorus. ... During the past year I have habitually used Amorphous phosphorus in place of the common substance for many of the symptoms for which the ordinary phosphorus is usually prescribed, and it does not disappoint me, and I have also had the satisfaction of knowing that I was giving pure phosphorus."11 [1] Hanssen, E for Additives. [2-3] Emsley, The Shocking History of Phosphorus: A Biography of the Devil's Element. [4] Atkins, The Periodic Kingdom. [5] Mervyn, Vitamins and Minerals. [6] Merck Manual. [7] Michel and Rickard, Phenomena: a book of wonders; London, 1977. [8] Dickens, cited in Emsley, The Shocking History of Phosphorus. [9] Chevalier and Gheerbrant, Dictionary of Symbols. [10] Cirlot, A Dictionary of Symbols. [11] H. Noah Martin, Provings of Amorphous Phosphorus; Transactions of the American Institute of Homoeopathy, 1882. Affinity: CAVITIES [head; LUNGS; heart]. CIRCULATION [blood; BLOOD VESSELS; arteries]. MUCOUS MEMBRANES [STOMACH; BOWELS; lungs - lower lobe]. NERVES [brain; cord]. Bones [jaw - upper; shin; spine]. Liver. * LEFT SIDE. LEFT LOWER and RIGHT UPPER. Modalities: Worse: LYING ON [LEFT or painful side; BACK]. SLIGHT CAUSES [EMOTIONS; talking; touch; odours; light]. COLD [HANDS [in water]; open air]. WARM FOOD. Salt. Puberty. Weather [sudden changes; windy; cold; thunderstorms]. Morning and evening. Mental fatigue. Better: Eating. Sleep. Cold [food; water; water to face]. Rubbing [mesmerism]. Sitting up. Lying on the right side. In the dark. Phosphorus - 52 Main symptoms M Extroverted, expressive, AFFECTIONATE and SYMPATHETIC. M Too OPEN and easily IMPRESSIONABLE. Sensitive to ALL EXTERNAL IMPRESSIONS. Sensitive to surroundings/atmosphere. May be clairvoyant. • "The phosphorus type is also sensitive and delicate psychically; also supersensitive toward sensory impressions, against light, noise, music, odours, perfumes, and contact. Such people are also sensitive to personal influences. In general they are in need of support, they feel badly when they are alone and they welcome moving around and contact with healthy people. Dahlke's view that the desire for massage and the improvement from it may be explained from this psychic situation is quite enlightening. The great sensitivity for impressions permits such people to proceed in an animated manner; indeed, it approaches ecstasy and clear-sightedness which signifies the extremely fine sensitivity. To these corresponds the alert, animated facial expression; the psychic processes are found without difficulty in the gestures and mien. On the other side, from the intensity and the tempo of their experiences, these delicate people become easily fatigued, become tired and indifferent and ever demand rest. Memory fails; sleep improves. The conversion from the animated, indeed excited and at times vehement, state to fatigued, indifferent, and anxious picture is sudden." [Leeser] M Easily distracted. Suggestible. Quick perception. • "Greatly excited fantasy from reading a silly little story, so that he must take a great effort to go on with his work." [Hughes] • "The personality, devoid of mental firmness as well as of vital stamina, is bound to be a drifting straw, an almost helpless victim of outer influences and inner emotions. ... Finding no source of strength within himself, he must look for support and recharging of his energies from without, thus always depending and leaning upon others. ... All in all he is a truly flower- or butterfly-like being, thriving in the sunshine of favourable circumstances but wilting in the darkness and coldness of adversity." [Whitmont] M Full of FEARS and ANXIETIES: darkness, twilight, death, alone, ghosts, future, health, diseases, about others, thunderstorms. M Self-love; self-centred. • "The Phosphorus sparkle proceeds not only from eager responsiveness to others and love of life but also from self-love. He considers himself more sensitive and refined, more intuitive, more entertaining, more gifted, more spiritual than others. He can be quite fascinated with himself and view his person as the centre around which others revolve, or as a latter-day Prometheus whose talents enrich mankind like the fire stolen from heaven. ... Phosphorus does not dominate aggressively yet still manages to divert attention to himself. ... The Phosphorus narcissism may manifest itself in a liking for mirrors; these individuals, both male and female, will have a number of them distributed around the home. They explain them as enhancing the light or expanding the space, but the unconscious motivation is a desire to admire themselves in any room of the house. Likewise, Phosphorus may be suspected as a component of the constitution of any individual whose house is covered with photographs of himself in various activities, poses, or stages of life. ... The Phosphorus penchant for histrionics can degenerate into hysterics, exhibitionism, and the courting of difficulty and danger to exploit the attention and sympathy of others." [Coulter] • "Histrionic personality is characterized by immaturity, excitability, emotional instability, a craving for excitement, and self-dramatisation [an attention-seeking device that is often seductive in nature]. Sexual adjustment is usually poor and interpersonal relationships are stormy. These individuals often show dependence and helplessness and are quite gullible. Usually they are self- Phosphorus - 53 centred, vain, and overconcerned about approval from others, who see them as overly reactive, shallow, and insincere."1 M Scattered. • "Having just prepared some tincture of Phosphorus [strength not stated], I took 5 drops about 5 p.m. Thinking no more about it, I retired about 10, but was unable to sleep; desire for it was very great, but I could not find a comfortable position. My mind was greatly oppressed with melancholy; tears would start without cause; a feeling of dread, as if awaiting something terrible, while unable to resist or move, overcame me. Sometimes it seemed as if I was beginning to bloat, and then I could hear a multitude of voices saying, in high glee, 'Fill him up a little more and he will burst,' followed by demonical laughter, which made cold chills run over me. Darting, cutting pains gave me much distress, starting from separate points and flashing over whole abdomen; I imagined myself an aurora borealis, and seemed to hear distinctly voices shouting, 'Beautiful, oh! was not that splendid?' as the pains became more severe and lasting. Soon, however, the agony became so great that it threw off in a measure the stupor that clouded my senses. Springing from bed, I hastily dressed and sat down to collect my scattered thoughts. My fingers were all thumbs; I felt a numbness of the whole body accompanied by a sensation as if encompassed by innumerable needles that just touched, and on slightest motion entered, my body. Throat felt dry and parched; a flame seemed passing through me. When I attempted to walk my legs seemed glued to the floor; the slightest motion caused great pain. With great exertion I reached the vessel. The moment the bowels began to move the pain assumed the form of cramps. The passages were like the scrapings of intestines and were almost constant, attended with tenesmus for upwards of 2 hours, at end of which I lay down on bed weak, sore, and almost helpless." [Hughes] G Sudden weakness. • "Quickly prostrated by unpleasant impressions." [Boger] G Usually CHILLY, may be warm. < COLD in general, but craves fresh air. • "The avidity for oxygen gives elementary phosphorus the property of luminescence in air. Thereby it is remarkable that the luminescence of phosphorus requires slight amounts of O2 and on the contrary the self-luminescence ceases when phosphorus is brought into an atmosphere of pure oxygen. The light energy in luminescence of phosphorus arises from the chemical energy which becomes free in the oxidation. Above a certain oxygen pressure the speed of this oxidation does not progress with increasing O2 concentration, but in apparent contradiction to the law of mass action there is a decrease." [Leeser] Cold air > head and face symptoms, but < those of chest, throat and neck. G Sensation of HEAT when eating WARM food. G Ravenous hunger; nightly [waking from hunger]. Ravenous hunger preceding attacks [e.g. headache]. • "The marked hunger has a certain spasmodic nature. Soon after eating, the hunger returns. The patient must arise at night to eat. Before or during the headache ravenous hunger exists. Many complaints, esp. the nervous, are improved by eating but improvement does not last long. The patient can sleep better when he has eaten something. The hunger is spasmodic and at other times there is an aversion to food, or the patient desires food, but will not eat it when it is brought to him. The severe thirst for cold water is similar in nature. The quenching of the thirst relieves only momentarily; the thirst reappears when the water has become warm in the stomach and then vomiting often occurs. Correspondingly, there is a desire for cold, refreshing, moist food." [Leeser] G Tendency to HYPOGLYCEMIA. [skipping a meal = headache, weakness and trembling] G Strong craving for COLD drinks, ICE CREAM and SPICY food. G Great THIRST, esp. for cold water. COLD WATER [desire + >]. • "After coffee great thirst and frequent micturition." [Hughes] Phosphorus - 54 G > SLEEP, even SHORT sleep. G > Rubbing. > Magnetism. G < LYING on LEFT SIDE [esp. palpitation and cough]. < Lying on BACK. G Weak, empty, all gone sensation. [head, stomach, chest, ABDOMEN] G BURNING pains; local; in small spots. Burning heat up the back. G ACUTENESS of senses during headache [esp. of SMELL]. Can even think better during headache [due to rush of blood to head]. G HAEMORRHAGES. [ecchymosis, epistaxis, bleeding gums, apoplexy, prolonged bleeding of wounds] G Too RAPID GROWTH in children. Sudden growth spurts. P HEAT of HANDS. [seeks a cold place in bed for relief; puts them out of the covers] [1] Coleman, Butcher, and Carson, Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life. Symptoms from the proving of AMORPHOUS [RED] PHOSPHORUS [The following proving symptoms are in Martin's text printed in italics - "symptoms occurring more than once in the proving" - or in capitals - "symptoms of constant appearance with all provers".] Nervous feeling, as if he were going to die. - Gloomy about the future. - Sense of impending trouble. - Sensation of vertigo when pressing forehead and when lying down; > sitting up. Vertigo when looking up and turning around quickly. - Very heavy dull feeling in head after eating. - Numbness in upper half of head. - Sudden sharp cutting pain over left eye. - Frontal headache and fulness in ears. - Nose dry and stopped up. - Tongue very dry on awaking. - Mouth and nose very dry on awaking. - Much thirst. - Frequent desire for water, but a small quantity is sufficient to quench the thirst. - Stitching pain in right hypochondrium. - Urging to stool on rising. - Stool hard and difficult. - Cough without expectoration. - Dull, aching pain in lumbar region. - Troublesome itching of both legs. - Lower limbs tired. - Cold feet. - Easily fatigued by walking. - Sleepy and stupid; hard to keep awake. - Heavy, unrefreshing sleep. - During the night restless, nervous, giddy, nausea, erections, seminal emissions, and flatulence. - Excessive perspiration. - Severe coldness throughout the body. Rubrics Mind: Loves affection [2; Carc.]. Anxiety, evening in twilight [2], when alone [3], followed by indifference [1/1], > warmth [2; Graph.]. Sensation of brotherhood [1]. Confusion, > cold bath [2], > washing the face [2]. Delusions, being on a distant island [1*], being a distinguished lady [1*]. Dulness, unable to think long [3]. Discusses her symptoms with everyone [1; Arg-n.; Pop-c.]. Fear, of death when alone in evening in bed [2]. Indifference, to her children [3], to relations [3]. Prostration of mind from trifles [2; Am-c.]. Desire for sympathy from others [3; Androc.]. Unconsciousness from odours [2; Nux-v.]. Vertigo: Exercising > [1; Mill.]. Mental exertion > [1/1]. Head: Head sensitive to cold air at night [2/1]. Heat, when speaking [1; Ph-ac.], vertex, after grief [2]. Eye: Sensation as if closed lids are wide open [1; Sep.]. Vision: Colours before the eyes, black spots before headache [1]. Dim, > twilight [2]. A sea of fire on closing the eyes [3]. Flashes, in the dark [3], on going to sleep [2/1]. Lost, after lightning stroke [1/1]. Trembling of objects in morning on waking [1/1]. Phosphorus - 55 Ear: Noises, changing into beautiful tones [1*]; reverberating, every sound [1]. Hearing: Acute, noises are long retained [1; Lyc.]. Stomach: Nausea, > beer [1*]. Thirst after drinking coffee [1*]. Male: Sensation as if one testicle was drawn up [1*]. Chest: Sensation as if a fluid went from trunk into knees, elbows, and wrists [1*]. Heat, when speaking [1/1]. Back: Numbness lumbar region [1*]. Limbs: Sensation as if right arm were drawn downwards when it hangs down [1*]. Heat, hands, from excitement [1]; flushes of heat beginning in hands [2/1]. Washes dry hot hands frequently [2/1]. Dreams: Blood [2]. Doesn't succeed in business [2]. Perspiration: Luminous [1/1]. Odour, sulphur [1]. Generals: Flushes of heat as if warm water were poured over one, when idea occurs vividly [2/1]. Weakness, from hunger [2], > sleep [2]. *Repertory additions [Hughes]. Food: Aversion: [3]:Fruit; warm drinks; warm food. [2]: Beer; bread; butter; coffee; fish; flour; garlic; meat; milk; milk, boiled; onions; oysters; pastry; puddings; salty fish; sweets; tea; tobacco; tomatoes; vegetables. [1]: Cereals; cooked food; eggs; fat meat; fat; fruit; herring; potatoes; rich food; salt food; smoking. Desire: [3]: Cold drinks; cold food; spicy; ice cream; salty things; wine. [2]: Alcohol; brandy; carbonated; cheese; chicken; chocolate; cold milk; cucumbers; milk; raw meat; refreshing things; rice, dry; salt + sweets; sour; sugar; sweets; whisky. [1]: Beer; fat; fat + salt; fat + sweets; fish; fruit; juicy things; oysters; pungent. Worse: [3]: Garlic; garlic, smell of; hot food; salt; warm food. [2]: Buckwheat; butter; milk; pastry; sauerkraut; tobacco. [1]: Apples; black bread; bread; bread and butter; cheese; cheese, smell of; cider; coffee [= thirst]; fat; fruit; honey; onions; rich food; sour; spices; sweets; tomatoes; vinegar; wine. Better: [3]: Cold drinks; cold food. [1]: Beer [> nausea]; bread; coffee; frozen food; ice cream; wine.
CONCORDANT MATERIA MEDICA Phosphorus