Phosphate of Potassium. K2HPO4. Trituration. Solution in distilled water.
Clinical
Alopecia areata. Amenorrhoea. Anaemia. Asthma. Atrophy. Brain, concussion of. Brain-fag. Brain-softening. Cancrum oris. Carbuncle. Chilblains. Cholerine. Diphtheria. Dysentery. Enuresis. Face, neuralgia of. Feet, fidgety. Gangrene. Hypochondriasis. Hysteria. Insomnia. Melancholia. Menstrual headaches. Nervous dyspepsia. Neurasthenia. Night-terrors. Noma. Nymphomania. Oedema pulmonum. Paralysis. Pneumonia. Ptosis. Puerperal fever. Puerperal mania. Sciatica. Scurvy. Stomach, ulcer of. Ulcers. Urticaria. Whitlow.
Characteristics
According to Schussler: *K-p. is contained in the cells of the brains, nerves, muscles, blood (corpuscles and plasma), and intercellular fluids, and a disturbance in the motions of its molecules produces: _ (I) In Thought cells: Despondency, anxiety, fearfulness, tearfulness, home-sickness, suspiciousness, agoraphobia, weak memory. (2) In Vasomotor Nerves: First small and frequent pulse, later, retarded. (3) In Sensory Nerves: Pain with sensation of paralysis. (4) In Motor nerves: Weakness of muscles and nerves even to paralysis. (5) In Trophic fibres of Sympathetic Nerve: Retarded nutrition, even total arrest in a limited area of cells and then a softening. Depression is the characteristic of its action, conversely it cures depressed states of mind and body, hypochondriasis, hysteria, neurasthenia, nervous insomnia, spasms of irritable weakness, paralysis, septic states and septic fevers and haemorrhages, noma, scurvy, phagedenic chancre, carbuncles, typhoid, typhus fever and adynamic states, progressive muscular atrophy, round ulcer of stomach (due to disturbed function of trophic fibres of the sympathetic), alopecia areata (due, according to Schussler, to the same very excellent ground-work of indications it provides. The action of the phosphoric element is very clearly visible but
for accurate prescribing something is needed beyond Schussler’s indications, excellent as they are, and this something has been provided by a proving published by ***H. C. Allen in *Medorrhinum Adv., xxxviii. 194. Schussler, as is usual with him, uses lower triturations, from 3x to 12X. No doubt that is wise when prescribing on the general indications he gives, but those who prescribe on the fine indications need not limit themselves to these. ***H. C. Allen’s symptoms will be found in the subjoined Schema. As Allen points out, a vein of *Kali symptoms runs through the proving, e.g., early morning waking, the peculiar mouth, and the severe action on the skin. (I may add to these ” worse after coitus,” and “sensitiveness to touch.:) In menstrual headaches it is indicated, and in neurasthenia, and Allen has developed clinically the characteristic colour of the excretions _ Golden or orange-yellow. The urine is very yellow. He cured with *K-ph. an old pelvic abscess, with orange-coloured discharge, having given the remedy for sleeplessness. The provers experienced great lassitude, they lost much flesh. Nervous, hot, restless, easily startled. Trembling of hands from nervousness. *Sensations: as if tongue would cleave to root of mouth, as if a ball were rising in throat, as if a rocket had passed through head. Stitching pains. Numb finger-tips. The least touch causes starting. There is a toothache alternating with headache. *K-p. corresponds to those numerous cases in which there is increased sensitiveness to all impressions, from a weakness of the vital organismic resistance or control. In weakened states from shock, mental or physical, from over-strain or over-drain of the system. Nervous, restless, fidgety feeling in feet, trembling sensation in muscles of legs, especially of gastrocnemii. Numb sensations. ***W. T. Laird (*H.R., xiv. 46I) points out that *K-p. cures a nervous dyspepsia almost identical with that of *Anacardium The *K-p. patient is more decidedly neurasthenic than the other, and the relapses, which are frequent in both, are mostly due to dietetic errors in Anacardium cases, and to excitement or worry in the *K-p. cases. ***H. M. Rean (*Hom. News, xxvii. 82) reports three cases of amenorrhea cured: Miss B., I9, very nervous, pale blonde, skin rather waxy, cross and snappish, cries easily, constant dull headache, yet very drowsy all day. At times so fidgety could not control herself, and called her mother to hold her hands. Menses did not appear till eighteen, and were scanty then and since. *K- p. 3x four times daily caused great improvement at next menstrual period. In three months menses were regular and norma, and in five months the patient was perfectly well. ***H. T. Doge gives these indications: Worn-out nursing mothers, tired to distraction by nervous babies. Worn-out business and professional men. Special indications being: Foul breath with low nervous condition, tongue with brownish mustard-like coat, dull heavy ache between shoulders, restlessness. He commends the higher attenuations where indications are close (*Hom. News, xxix. I0, quoting Critique). ***J. C. Nottingham (.*R., vii. 229) considers a leading indication of *K-p. “nervousness arising from excessive sexual excitement, whether *indulged or *suppressed. He has cured impotence and seminal losses on these indications. Accompanying symptoms are: Aching in sacrum, sleeplessness, *pain in back of neck and head, general irritability, *great despondency, frequent micturition, large quantities being passed night and day and containing phosphates. ***H.C. Allen reports a case of subacute laryngitis in a woman six lochia and piles and non-appearing leucorrhoea, to which she had been subject. She was almost *in articulo mortis when, on these indications. “In cases coming late under treatment, with great weakness, pale bluish face, etc.” (Raue), “Speech slow, becoming inarticulate, creeping paralysis” (Hering), and “The oxidation processes, the change of gases on respiration and other chemical transformations in the blood is brought about by the presence of *K-p. ” (Grauvogl) _ *K-p. 30 was given and rapidly rescued the patient from the dangerous *condition, though other remedies were required to complete the cure, in the course of which the piles and discharges came back. *Kali-p. craves ice-cold water, vinegar, and sweets. The conditions are: worse After eating (stomach and bowels and maxillae _ diarrhoeas *while eating), after rising in morning, on falling asleep, by lying on painful part, by sitting and walking, at 3 to 5 a.m., in early morning (diarrhoea), from exposure to cold (neuralgic pains), from coitus, from continued motion, from sneezing (side pains), from facing the sun (eye pain), after drinking water (bearing-down pains), by lying down (ears), by lying on back (lumbar pains). better When menses come on ( worse before), after lying down, leaning against something, sitting up, bending double (colic in hypogastrium), from belching gas, from warmth, from motion if slight and of short continuance, from eating (occipital headache), by daylight (nervousness), out of doors (dull headache). It is *suited to pale, sensitive irritable persons.
Relations
*Compatible: Cyclamen (disordered mental conditions), K-m. (puerperal fever), Mag-p. (bladder troubles), Zinc ph. (brain paralysis with nephritic irritation), Natrum mur. and nitricum acidum (Haemorrhages). *Compare: Phosphorus, Phos-ac., the Kalis, Rhus (typhoid states, better motion, worse by cold), Anacardium (nervous dyspepsia), Hyo. (mania), Ferrum (diarrhoea while eating), Ignatia (hysteria), Baptisia (typhoid low conditions), Kali-ca. ( Worse by coitus, stitching pains), Cyclamen (menstrual headache), Opium (drowsiness), Lachesis ( Worse from sleep, typhoid states, putrid discharges, post-diphtheritic paralysis, better menses coming on), Arnica and Conium (blows), Conium (suppressed sexual excitement), Arsenicum, Carb-v., Chi., Kreosotum, Phytolacca, Pulsatilla Compare also Agaricus. Hering says mushrooms contain *K-p., and hence are useful after weakening illness to restore muscle and nerve.
Causation
Mechanical injuries. Blows. Sexual excitement, indulged or suppressed.
SYMPTOMS.
Mind
Morose, irritable, tearful, averse to be talked to, everything is too much, depression. Lethargy. Cannot recall names or words, mind sluggish, but will act if aroused. Extreme lassitude and depression, apprehensive. Loss of memory. Exhaustion after moderate mental effort. Flies into a passion and can hardly articulate, tongue feels thick. Restless. Nervous, starting. Perverted affections, cruel to husband, to baby. Indifferent and captious.
Head
Giddy when out of doors, worse when facing sun. Seasick without nausea. Vertigo with pressure on brain. Occipital headache, lasting all night, frequent waking, with the pain better on rising. Woke with pains in occiput and loins, better lying on back, passed off after rising. Pains from left eye to head, making him wretchedly ill, no better after sleep. Dull headache across eyes, better outdoors, worse left side, left eyelid droops. Before menses violent tearing in forehead and sense of fatigue, better lying down and on menses appearing. Pain through base of brain from eyes to occiput, worse night, better eating and gentle pressure, lying down, eating, gentle motion, worse noise, always hungry, with pressure, lying down, eating, gentle motion, noise, always hungry, with pressure, lying down, eating, gentle motion, worse noise, always hungry, with headache.) _ Burning in forehead during stool. Intense headache from headache from emotions and physical effort. Headache: morning on awaking, with vomiting of sour phlegm, making eyes unable to bear light. Pain across forehead and into both temples. Neuralgic pain at base of brain and upper spine. Sensation of a band round forehead just above eyes. Heavy dull pain over eyes as if brain would expand but for cranial bones. Sharp darting pain over left orbit. Neuralgia in right parietal eminence. (An aching nervous sensation in cerebellum and upper cranial region, with tenderness, involving entire head when aggravated.) _ Intense itching on scalp, worse morning after working. Soreness back of head, worse pressure. Back of head sore, as if hair being pulled, then as if hairpins sticking in. Neuralgia in left mastoid process, worse motion and in open air. Itching of scalp, bald and dry.
