PHOSPHORUS


PHOSPHORUS homeopathic remedy signs and symptoms from the Key to the Homeopathic Materia Medica by Alfred Pulford. Find the common uses of PHOSPHORUS…


IDENTIFICATION

      Craving for cold food, and especially for ice cold drinks which are usually vomited as soon as they become warm on the stomach, the vomiting again being followed by violent thirst.

ESSENTIAL

      Anxiety at night, especially if one lies on the left side; always lies on the right side, the reverse of Mercurius Forgetful. Irritable. Sad. Very susceptible to external impressions, like Nux vomica, easily angered and suffers in consequence. Mental and bodily exhaustion. Vertigo. Face pale, ashy, anaemic. Hunger, even in bed, amelioration eating. Abdomen weak, gone sense, cold. Chest feels too tight, or as of a load on it. Palpitation. Limbs tremble, like Mercurius Membranes pale; muscles lax. Heaviness and weakness. Great weakness of chest. aggravation mental exertion; sweat; wetting feet and especially hands; cool damp or hot weather, and especially lying on left side and evening until midnight; also when alone and in the dark.

COMMENT.

Mind

      Delusion of something coming out of corner, or, of an obscene action of which one has not been guilty, accuses oneself; fear, when at the piano; prostration of Mind, from trifles. (L): Anxiety, while lying on left side, or during a thunderstorm; Mind dull, unable to think long; fear of thunderstorm; motions slow; sympathetic. Vehement. Irascible. Thinks much of the clothes, like Aconite and the reverse of Sulph. Fear seem to begin at pit of stomach; Kali-c., strikes at pit of stomach. Apathy, only aroused by loud calling in ear. Anxious and restless especially in the dark and twilight; cannot stand or sit still a moment. Eating amelioration all the nervous symptoms.

Vertigo

      Chronic; from loss of fluids. Is common with all complaints.

Head

      Sensitive to cold air at night; congestion to head, from back, while walking rapidly in open air; burrowing pain, to nose; bursting pain, amelioration rubbing; pressing pain, amelioration cold applications. (L): Empty, hollow sense; hair falls by the handful; itching of scalp, aggravation before a thunderstorm; burning pain, amelioration open air; pressing pain in forehead, downward, amelioration cold applications; softening of brain. Cadm-s. competes with Phosphorus where one arm an one leg remain weak, after apoplexy. Washerwoman’s Head ache, often appearing next day after washing, in the morning; pain from inhaling steam, as from the wash tub; Bryonia, from ironing. It is said that Phosphorus has cured more cases of headache coming on while the thunder- storms are about than any other drug. Pains always morning, after washing, violent shooting pain in left vertex, amelioration wrapping head in flannel. Head amelioration cold; teeth amelioration heat.

Eyes

      Psoriasis, on brows; burning pain in spots; stitching pain on going to sleep; vision dim at twilight, or flashes or illusions of vision on falling to sleep or of sparks. (L): Atrophy of optic nerve; pain aggravation before sleep, amelioration after sleep; vision blurred, after emission, or, of floating black colors, or, of green halo around candlelight, or, of a sea of fire on closing Eyes, or, of flashes in the dark, or, illusions of lightnings on falling to sleep. Blindness, after a lighting stroke, sees green halo around candlelight. Vision obscured, amelioration shading Eyes and twilight. Always sees green. Lids and external canthus of left eye quiver. Delicate lashes, soft hair.

Ears

      Pain, amelioration cold air; pressing pain in front of ears, in warm room; tearing pain below Ears, while sitting, amelioration rubbing; hearing impaired, amelioration pressing on Ears and rubbing. Own voice reechoes in Ears Deaf, especially to human voice, reverse: Ignatia

Nose

      Discharge greenish, blood streaked; epistaxis, during detachment of membrane in diphtheria, or, during scanty menses or, with sweat; necrosis; smell acute, during headache. (L): Dry stuffed coryza, on one side; persistent epistaxis; haemorrhagica purpura; inflamed inside; shining nose. Fanlike motion of alae. Polypi bleed much.

Face

      Bluish, during pregnancy; bloody, crusty, scabby eruption on margin of nostril; psoriasis of eyebrow. (L): Necrosis of lower jaw; pain amelioration rubbing and sleep. Lower lip cracked wide open. Skin of face as if too tight.

Mouth

      Tongue black, crusty; swollen in center. 1232 (croup) (L): Tongue black in center; dry. Taste bitter or sour, immediately after drinking milk; milk tastes as if burnt.

Teeth

      Washerwoman’s toothache. Bright haemorrhage, after extraction of Teeth. Ache from putting hands in water; pain amelioration heat.

Throat

      Swallowing impossible, from constriction of oesophagus at cardiac opening. (L): Pain in Throat, on sneezing. Scraping sense in Throat, like Nux.

Stomach

      Aversion to salt fish, boiled milk and oysters; nausea from putting hands in warm water; pain amelioration cold food and ice cream; vomiting after chloroform, or putting hands in warm water; or, from sight of water; bloody after exertion. (L): Appetite increased after fever; desire for ice cream; empty, weak, gone faint, hungry sense, during nausea; eructates food in mouthfuls; pain amelioration cold drinks, vomiting as soon as water becomes warm in stomach Haemorrhage amelioration drinking cold water. Burning heat, to back. Fear seems to begin in stomach; Kali-c. strikes to stomach. Desires cold food, especially meat. Pain always during a meal and lasts as long as one eats. Loathes fresh meat. Must eat often, like Iodium, or one faints; also at night. Vomiting caused by sight of water, during pregnancy. Stomach as if freezing. Amelioration cold things; aggravation warm things. Sometimes an awful sense of sinking, around 11 a.m., like Sulph. Peculiar gurgling passing along through intestines, Arsenicum through or along oesophagus, with involuntary stool.

Abdomen

      Emptiness in Abdomen, with burning between shoulders; gurgling, after drinking; pressing pain in hypogastrium, forenoon; sense of weakness, after walking. (L): Inflamed spots. Sinking, faint feeling, felt in whole A. cavity.

Rectum

      Diarrhoea, amelioration cold drinks and ice cream, aggravates warm food; haemorrhage, during emission of flatus. (L): Diarrhoea, during pregnancy. Desire for stool, and aggravation lying on left side. Anus constantly open, with constant oozing from it. Ineffectual straining at stool, like Nux., with burning like fire in intestines. Stitches shoot up Rectum, like Ignatia

Stool

      Long, narrow, like a dog’s’ frothy, whitish in part. Like little grains of tallow, sago or frog spawn and opaque. Greasy; oily.

Urinary

      Discharge of mucus, with relaxed genitals; urethra glued up, morning, with a watery drop; bloody urine, after sexual excesses. (L): Casts, with fat drops in urine. Urine milky white. Copious watery colorless urine, like Ignatia Sediment white like curds.

Genitalia

      Hydrocele, after gonorrhoeal orchitis; condylomata in vagina, bleeds easily; copious menses and metrorrhagia, in tall women. (L): Male sexual passion violent, mania; metrorrhagia, from fibroids, flow intermits. For young men who are trying to restrain their passions, yet this local erethism remains. Haemorrhage after confinement, head hot, uncontrollable desire for ice water or ice cold water, and after confinement everything has gone on in an orderly way and the placenta delivered and no reason to expect haemorrhage, a single dose, if not too low, nearly always checks it. Weeps and sad, during menses, blood pale. Leucorrhoea, causing blisters.

Larynx

      Constriction of Larynx, at night; as of flesh hanging in Larynx, laryngismus stridulus on falling asleep; incessant scraping and clearing of Larynx, after ice cream; tickling in air passages while lying on left side; voice lost, painless, from prolonged talking. (L): Pain in Larynx, from pressure or speaking; rawness in Larynx, evening, and in trachea with cough; tickling in open air; velvety, dry sense; voice hoarse, prevents speech. Act more prominently on Larynx than any other remedy. Extreme sensitiveness and soreness of Larynx, dreads to either cough or talk on account of it. The hoarseness of Phosphorus is painful, of Belladonna very painful, of Calcarea painless. Croup, as a prophylactic against its return. Hoarse, after diphtheria.

Respiratory

      Superficial breathing, morning; stridulus breathing, evening on falling asleep. (L): Superficial breathing. Fits of asthma at night as if one would suffocate.

Cough

      Hollow cough, morning, in bed; Cough at beginning of menses; rattling Cough, while eating; Cough aggravation lying on left side; Cough aggravation reading aloud; tickling Cough, in open air; tight Cough on going from warm room to open air and vice versa, dry, tickles. Cough aggravation the presence of strangers, Ambra the stool, Natr-m. the urine. Strong odors aggravation the cough.

Expectoration

      On sitting up in bed; salty Expectoration, morning Yellowish mucus, streaked with blood, either rust color or sweetish or salty. Expectoration frothy in low types of pneumonia.

Chest

      Anxiety, amelioration excitement; congestion, from excitement; constriction of sternum, on coughing, and of heart amelioration drinking water; hepatization of lung, amelioration lying on right side, aggravation lying on left side. and back; immovable; pain in side, amelioration lying on back, or, in lower Chest, on lying on left side; cutting sharp pain aggravation lying on left side, Kali-c. reverse; stitching pain in left side, amelioration lying on right side, and, in sides amelioration heat, also suppurating pain deep in chest; palpitation while sitting, after eating. (L): Constriction during cough; oppression, after waling; pain amelioration heat, or, in sides, on lying on left side, or, in lower part of left lung; rawness in Chest in cold air; palpitation evening, after coition, or, on rising from a seat. Use Phosphorus and Sulph. cautiously where tubercles have deposited in lungs; they are dangerous if given too high in last stages of phthisis. In cardiac troubles, with great thirst for cold water. Indicated in pneumonia after the febrile symptoms have mostly passed. Cases of pneumonia characterized by great oppression of Chest, heaviness as from a load, head and chest burn, cheeks hot, gesticulations, delirium, violent thirst for cold drinks, fanlike motion of alae nasi, dyspnoea, catchy breathing, lies with head thrown far back, short dry cough. Bronchial catarrh after pneumonia. Hepatization, with dry cough. Threatened paralysis of lungs in pneumonia. As if heart had grown too fast. All colds settle in Chest. Violent itching in right axilla. Anxiety and pain in heart from lying on left side, with palpitation.

Back

      Formication, to limbs; heat, in spine, in spots; burning pain between scapulae, reverse of Am-m., pulsating; gnawing pain in lumbar region, amelioration rubbing; sore, bruised, beaten pain between left scapula and spine, amelioration rest and heat, aggravation lifting and working during menses, and vexation; stitching pain, to head, or, in coccyx, during stool; paralyzed sense in sacrum. (L): Heat, up Back, or, in cervical region; pain in lumbar region, amelioration rubbing; burning pain in spots; cramplike pain between scapulae. Feeling of intense heat running up Back. As if quicksilver moved up and down spine.

Limbs

      Fingers awkward, as if all thumbs; cold feet, while walking rapidly in open air; contraction and stiffness, during exacerbation of pain; corn on heel; red spots on elbow; psoriasis on soles; formication, in hand while yawning in open air; fungus haematodes on finger and thigh; flushes of heat beginning in hand; heaviness of Limbs, during a storm, or, of upper Limbs on washing; inflamed callosities of hand; arms and legs numb alternately; sciatic pain, amelioration lying on back or right side; drawing pain in legs, on crossing legs in bed; fetid sweat on lower Limbs and legs; washes dry hands often. (L): Cold hands, during diarrhoea, or, knees at night in bed; purpura on legs; drags legs; psoriasis on backs of hands and legs; numb finger tips; paralysis of upper Limbs in apoplexy; clammy sweat on hands; twitching of lower Limbs. Joint diseases, where Silicea has failed. Palms burn, cannot have hands uncovered. Flashes of heat, from hands to face. Tearing in top of left shoulder especially night in bed. Fingers occasionally draw together. Pain in nates as if festering. Walks less strong, often stumbles on a smooth road. Sciatica, burning pain along back of left thigh and leg, Limbs weak, walking difficult, aggravation lying on left side, amelioration lying on right side of back, aggravation motion, cold air and evening, amelioration warm covering. Limbs icy cold evening in bed. Joints most affected by Phosphorus are hip and knee, Kali-c. knee. Joints are more stiff than painful. Paralytic rheumatism from exposure to rain. Feels stiff like foundered horse, especially morning, on beginning to move, like Rhus. Generally better heat; head and stomach amelioration cold.

Sleep

      Sleep on right side, impossible on left Vivid dreams, full of restless activity and business, like Bryonia, which one could not finish. Anxious dreams about animals that bite. Dreams of fire. As if one had not slept enough, morning and after rising, as if paralyzed and bruised. Aroused only by loud calling in ear, apathy.

Chill

      Amelioration after sleep. Chilliness every evening, shivers. Knees cold at nigh in bed, hands and feet ice cold.

Heat

      Burning Heat, thirst for cold drinks; Heat, after eating. Low fever, desire to be mesmerized, like Calcarea phos. has little fever. Heat and sweat at night, ravenous hunger; hunger during chill, Heat and sweat; Cina; hunger after the stages: Eup.; hunger before chill: China.

Sweat

      Amelioration eating. Morning, in bed, exhausting, anxious. copious, and on least exertion.

Skin

      Ulcers, during menses. (L): Bluish red spots; blood boils; scaly ichthyosis; as if hanging loose. Abscess, red streaks, start from opening. Ulcers, fistulous, erysipelatous blush radiating, burn, hectic fever, night sweat, diarrhoea, and anxiety toward evening. Small wounds bleed much, like Lachesis, the blood is dark with the latter. The characteristic skin of Phosphorus is waxy, clear, pale or yellow. Gangrenous and receding types of scarlet fever, the latter suddenly repelled, with chest affections and tendency to typhoid states with apathy, yet restless. Vesicles in groups, turning rapidly into scabs. Large ulcers surrounded by little ones; bleed on least touch.

General

      Chorea, during thunderstorm; heat, after anger, as of hot water dashed over one when an idea occurs vividly; lassitude, on motion; orgasms of blood, sensual impressions. (L): Encephaloma; salt aggravation; tension in glands, Belladonna, in bones. Chorea of children who grow too fast. Inclines to stoop, like Sulph., hollow chested. Stiffness as marked as Ph-ac. and Rhus. Tired all the time and desires to be rubbed and rest. All the complaints are aggravation cold and cold applications, and amelioration heat and warm applications except head and stomach which are amelioration cold. Blood-streaked discharges from all orifices. Feels paralyzed and ill. Aggravation in the dark, and when alone, like Arsenicum, and from playing the piano. If given before an operation, said to prevent shock and nausea. Consumptives, with delicate refined skin, sharp and rather handsome features, long silky eyelashes, dark glossy hair and inclined to stoop and become hollow chested. Removes the effects of Camph., Iodium and the excessive use of salt. Antidotes the nausea and vomiting of chloroform. Is rarely indicated in the beginning of acute disease, as Phosphorus has little fever. Has produced rickets in young animals. Causes irritation, erethism and exaltation of all senses, later typhoid states and fatty degeneration, the latter is a marked feature of Phosphorus

Alfred Pulford
Alfred Pulford, M.D., M.H.S., F.A.C.T.S. 1863-1948 – American Homeopath and author who carried out provings of new remedies. Author of Key to the Homeopathic Materia Medica, Repertoroy of the Symptoms of Rheumatism, Sciatica etc., Homeopathic Materia Medica of Graphic Drug Pictures.