# Phosphorus (HMT)

## Remedy Classification
- **Type:** Remedy
- **Miasm:** Tubercular Miasm
- **Temperament:** Neutral
- **Aggravation Time:** Neutral/Anytime

## Keynote Indications
Phosphorus is found in many differen t forms in nature.  The most
abundant form of Phosphorus is white Phosphorus, which is a highly
inflammable and a fluorescent solid substance.  On heating, white
Phosphorus changes into a red col oured powder, which is used to
make matchsticks.

Phosphorus is an important component  of animal and plant life also
used in traditional remedies to tr eat various diseases.  The powder
form is used to prepare the homoeopathic remedy.

Phosphorus is a profoundly active and powerful remedy.  It is deeply
related to the functioning  of inner linings i.e. the mucous membranes,
nerve fibres, glands and the brain.   It also affects bones and bone
marrow.  It is one of the best  remedies for the control of red bleed
(arterial).  It has no effect on dark  coloured bleeding (venous
bleeding). Therefore, it should be cons idered as a treatment of arterial
bleed only.

Phosphorus is used for the treatment of tuberculosis and brain
tumours.  However, one has to be very careful in choosing its
potency.  One should always start the treatment with Phosphorus 30
and then if necessary, the potency ma y be gradually increased.  It is a
top class remedy for treating bone cancer.  It is also very useful in the
treatment of asthma.  If asthma  does not respond to the commonly
used remedies and the symptoms of  Phosphorus are present, then by
the grace of God, the patient will respond well to Phosphorus.

Generally, the external symptoms of Phosphorus patients have been
stressed so much in homoeopath ic literatures that homoeopathic
doctors have started to pay ex traordinary importance to these
symptoms.  Yet, if the internal symptoms are present, then, whether
the external symptoms are present or not, the remedy works very well.
It is said that a Phosphorus patient is skinny and tall.  He has conical
fingers and possesses an artistic mind.  The patient is of extremely fair
complexion, has blond hair and light coloured eyes.  He happens to be
tender and sensitive.  Obviously, it  is very difficult to find a person
with all these features and charact eristics.  Furthermore, in some
countries, one will rarely encounte r such a person.  Even if such a
person is found, he may not nece ssarily be of the Phosphorus
constitution.  A Phosphorus patien t should not be identified based on
his physical appearance rather; the identification should be based on
the constitution of the patient.  One must definitely keep in mind the
sensitive nature of the patient.  Phosphorus can be recognised on the
basis of the behaviour of certain di seases.  For example, in certain
diseases of women, the hands and feet become cold.  The patient loses
the courage to fight the disease and the body temperature falls sub-
normal.  All these are the symptoms of Phosphorus.  It does not matter
if the patient is black or white.  Sometimes, the patient’s hands and
feet become cold  in the diseases of the bones, chest and kidneys.
Since these are the symptoms of Silicea also, therefore treatment by
alternating Phosphorus with Silicea benefits the patient more.

One of the symptoms of Phosphor us is the red bleed whereas in
Sulphur, the bleeding is dark. In women, during their period, bleeding
of a bright red colour before the actual period is due is a specific
symptom of Phosphorus.  The discharge of Phosphorus is usually
acidic.  The leucorrhoeal discharge is also excoriating .  The
diarrhoeal stools are acidic  to the extent that they cause blisters on
the skin.

Phosphorus also resembles Natrum Mur and Bryonia.  In Bryonia,
crusts form on the lips , which fissure at their edges due to severe
dryness.  Phosphorus also exhibits these symptoms.  Some symptoms
of Platinum may also be present i.e. the patient becomes aloof and
thinks himself superior to others . The Phosphorus patient may remain
aloof simply being honest and straightforward. However, the patient is
not arrogant, like Platinum.  The Pla tinum patient thinks of himself as
special and despises others.  The Phosphorus patient is very kind and
polite to others.  His gentle nature makes him extraordinarily
sensitive, which may sometimes cause certain diseases.  Sometimes,
when alone fear of death overcomes  him or he may become mentally
agitated.  He feels as if something is creeping inside his body.

Many of the Phosphorus ailments am eliorate with heat, while the
stomach and the head feel better in  the cold.  Because the pressure
inside the head is al ready high, application of  heat will make the
headache worse.  The main difference in the headache of Phosphorus
and that of Belladonna is that the Belladonna patient feels comfort on
lying down, whereas the headache of Phosphorus aggravates by lying
down.  Therefore, the Phosphorus pa tient keeps his head elevated
while lying down.  In Belladonna, the headache is associated with
cramps, whereas in Phosphorus the headache is without cramps.  Cold
things improve the stomach complaints, while hot things cause
vomiting.  In a child the ingested milk, warms up in the stomach after
a little while and causes vomiting. This symptom is similar to
Aethusa.

Phosphorus is closely related to the nerve fibres.  It also affects the
visual mechanism of the eye.  The patient sees many colours.  The
patient sees a green halo around the light and also notices red and
black spots.  When someone becomes suddenly blinded due to
unexpected shocking news, he should be treated with Phosphorus.

Phosphorus is also an effective treatment for baldness and dandruff.
These conditions are usually treated w ith Acid Phos.  However, if the
nerves become highly sensitive then Phosphorus is better.  Phosphorus
strengthens the hair and prevents hair loss.  Thin blond hair considered
to be the symptom of Phosphorus, ar e in fact due to  the weak hair
roots.  It is the weakness of the hair follicles that make the hair soft
and silky.  Such kind of hair is a symptom related to Phosphorus.
Skin problems arise due to lack of pigmentation.  Albino children, i.e.,
the children with clear wh ite skin as found in some forms of leprosy,
are an example of Phosphorus.  Thus , Phosphorus can be used in the
treatment of albino children.  P hosphorus is connected with the
diseases in which the skin looks raw and the hair is unhealthy,
regardless of the skin colour of the patient.  Some of the symptoms are
also found in Natrum Mur.  For ex ample in Natrum Mur, the hair
becomes lifeless and split at the end.  However, the skin neither
becomes raw nor loses its normal lustre.

In Phosphorus, the vision becomes foggy .  Besides Phosphorus, a
green halo around the candlelight is  found in Opium also.  Opium can
also afflict and paralyse the optic ne rve.  Phosphorus is useful in the
treatment of many eye diseases. The Retina of the eye contains cones
and rods.  The cones are triangular in shape and are responsible for
colour vision.  They split the light in to various colours.  The rods help
differentiate between white and black colours.  If the retina becomes
damaged or the optic nerve transmitting the message becomes weak,
then the eyes cannot register vari ous colours i.e. the person becomes
colour-blind.

Gradually progressive blindness  leading ultimately to complete
blindness is a symptom of Phosphorus.  This symptom is also found in
Causticum.  Many other symptoms of Causticum and Phosphorus also
resemble each other.

The Phosphorus patient feels very thirsty. He feels comforted by
drinking cold water.  However, when the water becomes warm in the
stomach, it induces vomiting.  Severe uncontrollable nausea
developing after surgery can be effectively treated with Phosphorus.
Yellow spots develop on the abdomen, chest and parts of the neck,
apparently due to a pigmentation disorder.  This is in fact due to the
weakness of the suprarenal glands .  Phosphorus is extraordinarily
effective against the kidney diseases.

Phosphorus is widely effective against the diseases of the mouth .
When the gums become diseased and there is light red offensive
bleeding from them, then Phosphorus is the most effective remedy in
this condition.  Phosphorus is the foremost remedy to stop bleeding.
If, after childbirth, bleeding cont inues for a long time and smells
putrid, Phosphorus often works.  Infections and tumours of the
uterus can also cause bleeding.  Sometimes, the bleeding is without
any bad odour, at least in the beginning of the bleed. Phosphorus is
useful for this condition aswell. The Hoarseness of the voice is also a
symptom of Phosphorus.  Be sides Phosphorus, Carbo Veg,
Causticum, Borax and Coca are also well-known remedies for a
hoarse voice.  In Carbo Veg, like  Phosphorus, the patient loses his
voice in the evening, bu t the condition improves in the morning.  In
Causticum however the throat is ho arse in the morning and becomes
better in the evening.  In Phosphorus , irritation of the throat causes
coughing. The cough starts either on la ughing or on talking loudly,
causing inflammation of the throat.  Sometimes the cough starts due to
itching of the throat.  The phlegm dr ies up and sticks in the throat
causing discomfort and more itching.  For this problem, Rhus Tox and
Hepar Sulph, depending upon the symp toms of the disease, can be
useful remedies.  The uneasiness and restlessness of Phosphorus is
due to the increased nerve sensit ivity.  This symptom is found in
almost all the diseases of Phosphorus.  The symptoms become worse
in the presence of strangers.  The mind needs rest and cannot handle
extra burden.  Thus, the nerves b ecome extraordinarily sensitive.
Weakness is a common symptom of  Phosphorus.  Phosphorus acts
slowly against the chronic diseases, while in acute diseases it acts fast.
For the joints of the hands, arms, elbows and the feet, becoming
suddenly infirm, Phosphorus can be useful.

Sometimes, the patient may be restless during sleep .  The sleep is
shallow.  He frequently wakes up w ithout any particular reason.  This
is due to mental anguish.  Here, Ph osphorus happens to act very fast.
Thunderous clouds  make the symptoms of Phosphorus worse .
Sometimes, the symptoms of the disease begin to appear before the
weather changes. Phosphorus patients  can perceive such changes in
weather, which cannot be detected w ith the most sens itive scientific
instruments. Their suffering begins before the actual change in the
weather takes place.

One symptom of Phosphorus is that  climbing up the stairs makes the
patient feel worse.  However, this symptom per se is not related to any
particular remedy.

Besides Natrum Mur and Nux Vomica, Potassium Permanganate is
also an antidote of Phosphorus.  Potassium Permanganate is very good
in the treatment of extraordinary hypersensitivity .  It is often used
to prevent the numbness of extremities.

Severe nasal catarrh, which can only be treated with Phosphorus, but
if not treated on time will become chronic.  The mucous membranes
of the nose become weak.  Still, th e treatment would be Phosphorus.
The ill effects of Potassium Pe rmanganate and Phosphorus on the
throat and mucous membrane, i.e. the inner linings, are the same,
however, the two are not identical with respect to their symptoms
related to nervous system.  Therefore, Potassium Permanganate cannot
be used as an antidote of Phosphorus in all situations.

Phosphorus is an excellent treatment of fatty degeneration of the liver
and other parts of the body.  Failures  of the liver and kidney, as well
as fatty degeneration of  the heart muscles, are the characteristic
symptoms of Phosphorus.  Phosphorus also protects from the ill
effects of drinking.  Phosphorus is very sensitive with respect to its
action on the nerves.  The liver is the smallest but most active yet
silent chemical-manufacturing fact ory in the world. Almost five
thousand chemicals are directly ma nufactured by the liver, while the
rest are synthesised by various organs through the mediation of
chemicals released by the liver.  Cholesterol is also produced by the
liver.  The liver converts the normal fat into cholesterol.  In some
people, there is a familial tendency  of overproduction of low-density
of lipo-proteins LDL by their liver.  Cutting down the fat in their diet
will not help in lowering their blood cholesterol level.  It is this type
of cholesterol i.e. LDL which causes occlusion of the coronary arteries
and predisposes to heart attack.  Phosphorus normalises the function
of the liver concerning the produc tion of LDL and thus lowers the
level of cholesterol in the blood.

Phosphorus is very effective in resolving nasal polyps, relieving
blockage of the nose.  The polyps and adenoid glands block the nose,
forcing the child to breath thr ough the mouth. The sense of smell
becomes affected.  The nose may bleed  also. In the presence of such
tendencies, Phosphorus c ould be useful in the treatment of swollen
uterine glands in women.

In Phosphorus, the stomach problems a nd headache get better in cold
weather.  If the bleeding starts due to high blood pressure ,
Phosphorus helps to stop the bleeding.  Once, a friend of mine
developed a severe nosebleed in the middle of the night.  I went to see
him and found a pool of blood on th e floor, as if a goat had been
slaughtered.  He was also bleeding into the mouth.  I administered
Phosphorus and Millefolium together , into his mouth, which was full
of blood.  Within fifteen minutes, th e bleeding stopped and he went to
sleep comfortably.  Phosphorus is very effective in controlling unusual
wound bleeds.  The patient finds re lief with cold and the bleeding
stops by application of cold water.  During a headache due to severe
hypertension, there is a serious danger of cerebral haemorrhage .
In this condition, cooling the head helps.  Ho wever, it is absolutely
essential to continue the treatme nt with Phosphorus in order to
completely prevent this tendency forever.

Phosphorus is exceptionally effective in the treatment of bladder
and prostate cancers .  Against bone cancer  also, Phosphorus has
proven to be very effective.  On ce I treated a patient who had been
given all types of radiation with P hosphorus 30.  I told the patient to
let me know of his condition after one month.  After this time he told
me that he was not losing weight  any more and his appetite had
significantly improved. Previously the patient’s bones had become
very weak.  He could not walk or ev en stand on his legs and he had to
use crutches.  Within three months, his health improved so much that
he walked without any support.  The patient remained healthy for
about eight years therafter, late r developing brain cancer.  By the
grace of God, he was cured of the brain cancer also and lived for
another fifteen years.  Cancers ha ve a tendency to recur therefore a
cancer patient should be treated co ntinuously.  One must be very
cautious in using Phosp horus because it is a very potent remedy. It
should be avoided in high potency.  Phosphorus is effective against
cancer of the liver, bone, bone ma rrow as well as the lymphatic
glands.  One should always keep Phosphorus in mind while treating
the cancers of the throat, bones and bladder.

One characteristic symptom of Phosphorus is that the patient loses his
voice due to ulceration in the throat .  In fact, the loss of voice is
also a symptom of throat  cancer.  Thus if someone has an ulcer in the
throat and loses his voice, treatment should be started immediately.  If
the treatment is delayed, the prognosis becomes gloomy and the
cancer will become untreatable.

Sometimes, the muscles become flabby and the supporting tissues and
membranes become weak.  As afte r delivery, the muscles of the
uterus become flabby  and the uterus tends to prolapse .
Furthermore, hernia and other similar cond itions can develop.
Phosphorus plays an important role  in restoring organs to their
original position by strengthening the musculature.

One symptom of Phosphorus (similar to that of Rhus Tox and
Bryonia) is that initial movement causes discomfort. Later, the patient
feels better. In Rhus Tox, the sy mptoms aggravate on lying down, and
also at the beginning of the move ment. Every time he changes his
side, he feels uncomfortable.  The Rhus Tox patient feels relief for a
short while and then becomes rather more uncomfortable.  The patient
is restless.  In Bryonia, the increas e in the discomfort on movement is
very prominent.  This is the reason why in homoeopathy, Bryonia
Alba 200 given in combination with Arnica 200, proves to be the best
treatment for  fatigue following strong physical exercise .  In
Phosphorus, particularly the patient’s legs feel very heavy as he tries
to stand up and walk, first thing in the morning.

Phosphorus is also a very effective treatment for the generalised
stiffness of the joints .  I have prepared two prescriptions for this
condition.  If the stiffness is on the left side of the body, then Arnica,
Lachesis and Ledum combined in 200, are very effective.  This can be
given to the patient repeatedly suffering from chronic arthritis .
Despite the potency 200, they can be  used three times during a day in
the first week, twice a day in th e second week and once a day during
the third week.  By the fourth week, when the full effect of the
treatment becomes apparent, the patient will be found feeling
surprisingly relieved and then fully cured of the disease.  The second
prescription is useful when the pains are on the right side of the
body and the patient feels severe discomfort on movement and
massage.  In such a situation, Arnica, Bryonia and Causticum 200 are
very effective.  This tria d is very effective for the treatment of knee
pain and the aches due to the sports injuries of the past.
Phosphorus is an excellent remedy for facial neuralgia .  Also, the
following remedies are very effective when used in different
combinations: Spigelia, Silicea, Phosphorus and Mag Phos.
Phosphorus given in combination with Spigelia is a very good
treatment in the neuralgia of the left side of the face.  If the neuralgia
happens to be on the right side, then Silicea along with Mag Phos
proves very effective.  Phosphorus also can be included in this
prescription.

If the men or women have been unabl e to have children due to
heightened anxiety , then Kali Phos and Phosphorus prove useful.
Increased sensitivity of the nerves (premature ejaculation), in itself
does not make a person sterile.  Ho wever, the reproducing cells (the
sperm cells and the egg) do not mature or become viable.

In Phosphorus, problems become worse on empty stomach.  The
warts (papillomata) tend to bleed.  Sometimes, the warts fungate and
look horrible, as in Nitric Acid.  Bright red bleed is often a symptom
of Phosphorus.  The wounds bleed heavily.  The wounds can
apparently heal up only to reappear.  Bluish black spots appear on the
skin.  The patient develops jaundice and feels cold in the evening.
The patient feels rapid heartbeat wh ile lying down on the left side.
The pulse is fast but weak.  The patient feels warm over the heart area.

The patient feels hungry immediatel y after eating food.  The taste
becomes sour.  There is a tendency to vomit.  The patient develops
stomachache, which subsides on taki ng cold things.  The stomach
becomes inflamed and painful , more so on walking and putting
pressure over it with the hands.  The patient feels relieved by lying on
the right side.  There is pain and a burning sensation over the back, a
feeling of heat in the area between the s houlders, numbness of the
hands and fingers with a feeling of ants crawling, and a pain and
burning sensation of the joints of the elbows and the shoulders.

In Phosphorus the hearing also becomes affected.  The patient hears
sounds echoing.  The face becomes pale and bluish rings develop
around the eyes.  The jawbone becomes swollen and painful.  Sores
develop inside the mouth , which tend to bleed.  Women develop
muscular pains after washing clothe s on cessation of their periods.
The teeth also hurt.

The Phosphorus patient is very restless and anxious.

Adjuvants: Arsenic, Allium Cepa, Lycopodium, Silicea, Spigelia,
Mag Phos
Antidotes: Coffea, Nux Vomica
Potency: 30 to 1000 and occasionally CM

## Symptoms by System