PHOSPHORICUM ACIDUM

Every homeopathic remedy is explained in detail by William Boericke, M.D. in the Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory, a book which is highly respected by the homeopathy profession. The following text is excerpted from that book and explains the symptoms covered by this remedy:

PHOSPHORICUM ACIDUM
Common name: Phosphoric Acid

The common acid "debility" is very marked in this remedy, producing a nervous exhaustion. Mental debility first; later physical. A congenial soil for the action of Phos acid is found in young people who grow rapidly, and who are overtaxed, mentally or physically. Whenever the system has been exposed to the ravages of acute disease, excesses, grief, loss of vital fluids, we obtain conditions calling for it. Pyrosis, flatulence, diarrhœa, diabetes, rhachitis and periosteal inflammation. Neurosis in stump, after amputation. Hæmorrhages in typhoid. Useful in relieving pain of cancer.

Mind: Listless. Impaired memory (Anac). Apathetic, indifferent. Cannot collect his thoughts or find the right word. Difficult comprehension. Effects of grief and mental shock. Delirium, with great stupefaction. Settled despair.

Head: Heavy; confused. Pain as if temples were crushed together. Worse, shaking or noise. Crushing headache. Pressure on top. Hair gray early in life; falls out. Dull headache after coition; from eye-strain (Nat m). Vertigo toward evening, when standing or walking. Hair thins out, turns gray early.

Eyes: Blue rings around. Lids inflamed and cold. Pupils dilated. Glassy appearance. Averse to sunlight; sees colors as if a rainbow. Feel too large. Amblyopia in masturbators. Optic nerves seem torpid. Pain as if eyeballs were forcibly pressed together and into head.

Ears: Roaring, with difficult hearing. Intolerant of noise.

Nose: Bleeding. Bores fingers into nose. Itching.

Mouth: Lips dry, cracked. Bleeding gums; retract from teeth. Tongue swollen, dry, with viscid, frothy mucus. Teeth feel cold. At night, bites tongue in voluntarily.

Face: Pale, earthy; feeling of tension as from dried albumen. Sensation of coldness of one side of face.

Stomach: Craves juicy things. Sour risings. Nausea. Symptoms following sour food and drink. Pressure as from a weight, with sleepiness after eating (Fel tauri). Thirst for cold milk.

Abdomen: Distention and fermentation in bowels. Enlarged spleen (Ceanoth). Aching in umbilical region. Loud rumbling.

Stool: Diarrhœa, white, watery, involuntary, painless, with much flatus; not specially exhausting. Diarrhœa in weakly, delicate rachitic children.

Urine: Frequent, profuse, watery, milky. Diabetes. Micturition, preceded by anxiety and followed by burning. Frequent urination at night. Phosphaturia.

Male: Emissions at night and at stool. Seminal vesiculitis (Oxal acid). Sexual power deficient; testicles tender and swollen. Parts relax during embrace (Nux). Prostatorrhœa, even when passing a soft stool. Eczema of scrotum. Œdema of prepuce, and swollen glans-penis. Herpes preputialis. Sycotic excrescences (Thuja).

Female: Menses too early and profuse, with pain in liver. Itching; yellow leucorrhœa after menses. Milk scanty; health deteriorated from nursing.

Respiratory: Chest troubles develop after brain-fag. Hoarseness. Dry cough from tickling in chest. Salty expectoration. Difficult respiration. Weak feeling in chest from talking (Stann). Pressure behind the sternum, rendering breathing difficult.

Heart: Palpitation in children who grow too fast; after grief, self-abuse. Pulse irregular, intermittent.

Back: Boring pain between scapulæ. Pain in back and limbs, as if beaten.

Extremities: Weak. Tearing pains in joints, bones, and periosteum. Cramps in upper arms and wrists. Great debility. Pains at night, as if bones were scraped. Stumbles easily and makes missteps. Itching, between fingers or in folds of joints.

Skin: Pimples, acne, blood-boils. Ulcers, with very offensive pus. Burning red rash. Formication in various parts. Falling out of the hair (Nat mur; Selen). Tendency to abscess after fevers.

Sleep: Somnolency. Lascivious dreams with emissions.

Fever: Chilliness. Profuse sweat during night and morning. Low types of fever, with dull comprehension ans stupor.

Modalities: Better, from keeping warm. Worse, exertion, from being talked to; loss of vital fluids; sexual excesses. Everything impeding circulation causes aggravation of symptoms.

Relationship: Compare: Œnothera biennis-Evening primrose--(Effortless diarrhœa with nervous exhaustion. Incipient hydrocephaloid. Whooping-cough and spasmodic asthma). Nectranda amare (Watery diarrhœa, dry tongue, colic, bluish ring around sunken eyes, restless sleep). China; Nux. Pic ac; Lactic ac; Phos.

Antidotes: Coffea.