Calcarea hypophosphorosa

Volume I — Special Symptomatology

(Calcis Hypophosphis.)

Hypophosphite of Lime is a white salt, with a pearly, margarin-like lustre, and crystalizes in flattened prisms. Its composition, according to Wurtz, is CaO + 2HO PO, the water being essential to the salt. It is soluble in six parts of cold water, and in not much less of boiling water; soluble, slightly, in dilute alcohol ; insoluble in strong alcohol. — Sp.gr. 835.

Officinal Preparations. — Triturations.

Analogues. — Calcarea carbonica, Calcarea phosphorica, Kali carbonicvm, Lycopodium, Phosphorus, Phosphoric acid, Rumex, Sanguinaria, Sulphur.

Generalities.

A well marked increase of nervous force. Remarkable sensation of health and strength.

• Nervous prostration, with depression of spirits.

• Cerebral congestion — tendency to (in scrofulous children). c Phthisis pulmonalis, in the first and second stages.

° Palliates phthisis, even in last stage. ° Night sweats from any debilitating disease. Calm and profound sleep (in consumption). The quality and color of the urine improves.

• In large doses tend to cause the development of the pulmonary inflammation unhappily so frequent and fatal among

consumptives. (Dr. Churchill?) Plethora, with tendency to hemorrhages. {Ib.) Haemorrhoids bleed for the first time, or recommence under

its excessive use. (Ib.) Profuse epistaxis. (primary.) Pulmonary hemorrhage, (do.) Profuse and too frequent menses, (do.) 0 Scanty and delaying menses, (secondary.) 5 The thoracic pains of consumptives, (do.)

Head.

0 Incipient tubercular meningitis in children, with the following symptoms: Cough for several months; cough dry and recurring in paroxysms; loss of appetite and flesh, and depression of spirits; can scarcely walk, required to be held constantly; complains much of the head, says that it pains her in front; disposition capricious and variable, changes suddenly from sadness to laughter, often bursts into fits of violent weeping; perspires very freely, especially about the head and neck; she sleeps badly at night, wakes with a start, suddenly, uttering piercing cries, after which she relapses into a species of syncope, becomes quite pale and cold, face pale and sad; eyes preternaturally large and deep set, with a haggard wild stare, pupils much dilated ; skin alternately burning and hot then cold. (Several cases cured in from ten to twenty days with one-half grain four times a day.) (Churchill. Hale.)

° Hydrocephaloid diseases in children, when the symptoms call for Cal. c. and Phos. ac.

° flydrocephaloid disease in a child after pneumonia, with great prostration, pulse feeble and too frequent to be counted; unconscious of all surrounding objects; constant moaning; arms constantly sawing the air; occasional muscular spasms; eyes either strongly drawn to one side, or strabismus; eyes open, but no evidence of seeing; pupils alternately contracted and dilated. (Cured by 1-20 gr. every two hours; recovery was slow.) (Dr. Gibbs.) Face.

• Face pale, wan and emaciated.

Eyes.

• Eyes dull and lustreless.

(See, also, cases under " Head.")

Nose.

Abundant epistaxis in healthy persons.

Nose thin and pinched.

0 Unhealthy discharges from the nose.

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° Ulceration of the nasal cavities in tuberculous children, or from catarrh.

Appetite.

• Appetite and digestion greatly increased.

Abdomen, etc. Pains in the abdomen from weakness. ° Swelling of the abdomen in strumous children. ° Mesenteric tuberculosis. ° Chronic diarrhoea, undigested. ° Diarrhoea in phthisis pulmonalis.

• Haemorrhoids, bleeding profusely.

Sexual Organs.

Increases the reproductive power.

• Menses too profuse, high colored and frequent. ° Scanty and delaying menses.

° Chronic, irritating leucorrhoea. 0 Leucorrhoea in young children.

Respiratory Organs. ° Cough of a child, several months, dry and recurring in paroxysms; loss of appetite, flesh, and depression of spirits.

Cough associated with tubercular meningitis. ° Cough in phthisis pulmonalis.

• Haemoptysis of one day's duration.

"Pulmonary consumption; the strength increases, cough, sweat, and hectic diminish, the tubercles are absorbed and disappear, leaving no trace, (in some cases. Hale.)

°The pains in the chest which many consumptive patients feel so acutely, cease or very considerably diminish in a few days.

• A state simulating the development of that pulmonary

inflammation unhappily so frequent and fatal among consumptives. 0 Acute ulceration of the lungs after pneumonia.

Back.

Pains down the back in the muscles and ligaments. ° Spinal curvature in its incipient stage, from anaemia, in strumous children. 0 Ulceration of the vertebrae.

Extremities.

Increased circulation of blood in the limbs.

Fullness of the blood-vessels of the hands and feet.

• Habitual coldness of the extremities; (a characteristic indication for this remedy in all conditions of debility from exhausting discharges and in tuberculosis.) {Hale.)

0 Torpid and extensive abscesses on the lower limbs, with pro« fuse suppuration.

Volume II — Special Therapeutics

That its pathogenetic (primary) action is to cause “a well-marked increase of nervous force; a remarkable increase of health and strength ; calm and profound sleep; plethora, with a tendency to haemorrhages; haemorrhoids bleed for the first time, or commence under its use; profuse epistax is ; pulmonary haemorrhages; profuse and frequent menses; great increase of appetite; fulness of the bloodvessels of the hands and feet ;” and he warns against the excessive use of it, for “large doses tend to cause the development of the pulmonary inflammation unhappily so frequent and fatal among consumptives.”

We have seen pictured very vividly the chief pathological effects of the primary overstimulation of Calcarea and Phosphorus. If given to prevent the development of phthisis, it may cause the very conditions you wish to avoid, if you use too large doses. For symptoms leading to plethora, haemorrhage, or pulmonary inflammation, you should not use lower than the sixth trituration. I prefer this medicine in many of that class of cases where I used to give Calcarea and Phosphoric acid.

My experience with Calcis hypo, enables me to speak with considerable certainty, for I have found it useful in incipient phthisis, with hacking cough, hectic fever, nightsweats, scanty and delaying menses, great nervous prostration, great tenderness of the outer thorax and rawness in the chest, haemorrhage from the lungs at the time the menses should occur, tendency to cold hands and feet, quick pulse, etc.

Given in grain doses of the 1st, 2d, or 3d triturations, it often acts beautifully in restoring the patient in a short time.

Not only is it useful in pulmonary complaints, but it is one of the best remedies we have for so-called scrofulous manifestations.

It answers fully Hahnemann’s indications for the use of Calc, carb. in scrofulous affections, especially when occurring in children, namely, the overgrowth, the large head and open fontanels, the distended abdomen, the tendency to swelling of lymphatic glands, the tendency to brain affections, to catarrhal discharges, abscesses, etc.

It is excellent in the morbid physical development and mental

precocity of young persons about the age of puberty, but in such cases it should be used in the high attenuations (30th trit.).

For too late appearance of puberty, with lax fibre, and in fat, lymphatic persons, with languid circulation, torpid intellect and stupid mental condition, this medicine in grain doses of the T'0th, or even the crude, given with the meals, often acts very favorably.

I have succeeded in curing several cases of incipient tubercular meningitis in children with this salt, in about the same doses. The symptoms and conditions will be found in Vol. I, “Special Sy m ptomatology.”

There is a condition into which children often lapse after attacks of exhausting diseases. It is called the hydrocephaloid disease, and is often mistaken for true hydrocephalus. Adults, after severe fever and prostrating maladies, often get into the same state.

In this condition the Calc, hypo., aided by a liberal diet and the careful use of stimulants, will quickly cause the patient to rally from the apparently dangerous state.

After exhausting diseases of any kind, patients are often annoyed by a hacking cough, with soreness and tenderness of the chest. Calc. hypo, cures this cough.

In marasmus, from mesenteric disease, I know of no better remedy, especially if the child has previously been too fat, of flabby flesh, etc.

In common with many others of our school, I find it, alone, or in connection with China, the most useful remedy we possess against the effects of exhausting discharges of blood, semen, mucus, pus, or any abnormal secretion.

In suspicious chronic diarrhoea, when phthisis abdominalis is feared ; in wasting leucorrlicea, from the uterus and vagina ; in diseases of the bones, with caries and purulent discharges, and spinal curvature in strumous children, and even in rachitis, you will find it a remedy not to be dispensed with.

The Calc. carb. has been used since the time of Hahnemann, to facilitate the process of teething in children, and for deficient growth of osseous structures. Where the trouble depends on the scrofulous diathesis alone, that preparation will suffice; but in cases where the nervous energy of the child’s system is deficient, the Calc, hypophos. is greatly superior. On the contrary, if the