Phosphoricum Acidum

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 .

Dose

First potency.