Phosphoricum Acidum – Phosphoric Acid

The attenuations are prepared from diluted Phosphoric acid, H₃ PO₄ , MW: 98.0.

The main characteristics of Phosphoric Acid are weakness, apathy, indifference and sluggishness of mind and body. Complaints are aggravated by cold and amelio- rated by warmth. The patient may lie there in a state of unconsciousness or as if drugged, without being aware of what is going on around him. However, on waking he is fully conscious (Nash).

However, Phosphoric Acid is not only indicated in typhoid conditions, but the de- pression of the senses may also be due to personal problems and emotional burdens of external origin, rather similar to Ignatia, but substantially deeper-rooted, the pa- tient appearing to be paralysed by grief or other problems. A crushing pressure is often present in the vertex, with pains in the occiput or neck.

In contrast to Calcium Carbonicum patients, who are mostly pyknic, Phosphoric Acid patients grow too quickly. We then find headaches, especially in school pupils when they have grown too fast.

The abdominal symptoms include flatulent distension, rumbling and gurgling and noises as of water, and a colourless painless diarrhoea without any noteworthy weakness or exhaustion. This is in strong contrast to China. Both this remedy and Phosphoric Acid are good remedies for the consequences of masturbation.

There is a characteristic sleeplessness at night, with debilitating sweats and wak- ing with ravenous hunger and a craving for cold milk or beer. After meals the patient complains of great exhaustion and possibly sour eructations or a taste as of rotten eggs. After drinking water there is heartburn, or vomiting of sour mucus, which makes the teeth feel blunt.

The weakness which runs through the whole remedy also finds expression in the respiratory organs. Here the patient is so short of breath that he cannot talk for long on account of weakness in the chest. Spasmodic painful constriction of the chest may also occur, and coughing with tickling in the larynx. There is chronic laryngeal and bronchial catarrh, with a tendency to bleeding, dryness and roughness in the throat. A nasal voice is also typical.

A typical genito-urinary symptom is an escape of prostatic fluid (prostatorrhoea) before urination, and frequent urination at night. The urine may have a red sediment and a greasy layer on the surface. The urine is generally very copious and light- coloured, watery or milky. Headache is ameliorated by copious urination (cf. Gelsemium.)

There is impotence in males, with failure to maintain the erection during coitus, and without seminal discharge. This can frequently be a consequence of coitus in- terruptus or masturbation. There is an itching of the scrotum, anus or vagina.

The menses arrive late and are scanty. There is leucorrhoea with large lumps and an unbearable odour.

Summing up the main symptoms of Phosphoric Acid, we have the following typi- cal remedy-picture:

1. Mental exhaustion. Weakness of memory. Consequences of personal problems, over-work and sexual excesses. Reluctance to talk. Sleepiness.
2. Aggravation from cold, amelioration from keeping warm.
3. Sleepiness during the day and sleeplessness at night, with exhausting sweats. Twitching and movement of limbs during sleep. Worrying or lascivious dreams with seminal emissions. Refreshed by a short sleep. Waking with ravenous hunger.
4. Gums bleed easily. Scurvy. Dryness of the oral mucosa. Tongue coated white or yellow. Aversion to rye-bread, craving for milk or beer. Taste as of rotten eggs.

Vomiting of sweet or sour mucus. Chronic painless diarrhoea which does not ex- haust the patient.

• Irritable conditions of the bladder. Prostatorrhoea before urination. Frequent uri- nation at night. Burning or cutting pains during urination. Retention of urine. Urine has red sediment and greasy layer on the surface.
• Impotence. Seminal emissions. Failure to maintain erection during coitus, with seminal discharge lacking. Menses late and scanty. Leucorrhoea with large lumps, offensive.
• 7.   Itching of the anus vagina and scrotum.
• Chronic catarrh of the larynx and air passages.

The German Monograph-Preparation Commission for the Homoeopathic Field of Therapy has, under the Preparation Monograph for Acidum phosphoricum, pub- lished the following indication(s) in the German Bundesanzeiger (German Federal Gazette) for phosphoricum acidum: exhaustion of the mental and physical activity, disturbances of the calcium metabolism, diarrhoea.