Phosphorus

Phosphorus.

The Element. P. (A. W. 30.96). Saturated solution in absolute alcohol. Trituration of Red amorphous Phosphorus.

Alopecia areata. Amaurosis. Amblyopia. Anaemia, acute pernicious.

Anus, fissure of. Antrum, disease of. Arteries, disease of. Asthma.

Bone, diseases of. Brain, affections of; softening of. Brain-fag. Breast, abscess of; fistulae of.

Bronchitis; membranous. Cancer; of bone. Cataract. Catarrh; intestinal; nasal.

Chilblains. Chlorosis. Chorea. Ciliary neuralgia.

Coccygodynia. Cold. Constipation. Consumption.

Corpulency. Cough. Croup. Dandruff.

Diarrhoea. Dropsy. Ecchymosis. Enteric fever.

Ephelis. Epilepsy. Erotomania. Exophthalmos.

Exostosis. Eyes, affections of. Fainting. Fatty degeneration.

Fistula. Flatulence. Fungus haematoides. Gastritis.

Glaucoma. Gleet. Gums, ulceration of. Haemoglobinuria.

Haemorrhagic diathesis. Headache. Heart, degeneration of; murmurs of. Hydrocele.

Hydrocephalus. Hysteria. Impotence. Intussusception.

Jaundice; malignant; of pregnancy; of anaemia. Jaw, disease of. Joints, affections of. Keratitis.

Lactation, disorders of. Laryngitis. Levitation. Lightning, effects of.

Lienteria. Liver, diseases of; acute yellow atrophy of. Locomotor ataxy. Lumps, haemorrhage from; oedema of; paralysis of.

Marasmus. Menorrhagia. Menstruation, symptoms before. Mollities ossium.

Morphoea. Muscae volitantes. Naevus. Nails, ulcers round.

Neuralgia. Nightmare. Nipples, sore. Nose, bleeding from.

Numbness. Nymphomania. Odour of body, changed. Oesophagus, pain in.

Ozaena. Pancreas, disorders of. Paralysis; pseudo-hypertrophic; general of insane. Periostitis.

Perspiration, abnormal. Petit mal. Plague. Pneumonia.

Polypus. Pregnancy, vomiting of. Proctalgia. Proctitis.

Progressive muscular atrophy. Pruritus ani. Psoriasis. Puerperal convulsions.

Purpura. Pylorus, thickening of. Retinitis. Rheumatism; paralytic.

Rickets. Screaming. Scurvy. Shiverings.

Sleep, disordered. Somnambulism. Spine, curvature of. Spleen, enlargement of.

Sprains. Stammering. Sterility. Syphilis.

Syringo-myclia. Throat, mucus in. Tobacco habit. Trachea, tickling in.

Tuberculosis. Tumours; erectile; polypoid; cancerous. Typhus fever. Ulcers.

Urethra, stricture of. Vaccinia. Variola. Voice, loss of.

Whitlow. Wounds. Yellow fever.

Phosphorus (Light-bearer, Morning Star) "was discovered in 1673 by Brandt, an alchymist of Hamburgh, and shortly afterwards by Kunkel, in Saxony." Teste, from whom I quote, says that attempts were made to use Phos. in medicine immediately after discovery. Kunkel made it into his "luminous pills," and Kramer claimed to have cured with it diarrhoea, epilepsy, and malignant fevers. Teste gives a list of old-school cures, which include: Continuous, bilious, and intermittent fevers; general oedema; measles; two cases of pneumonia of left lung, with ataxic symptoms; chronic rheumatism of the legs; apoplexy; hydrocephalus; periodic headaches (in one case with menstrual irregularity); catalepsy; epilepsy; gutta serena; asthenia facilis; chronic lead poisoning,—a list which shows a very good idea of the range of action of Phos.

Hahnemann's proving brought out the fine indications, without which the generals are of little service, and to Hahnemann's symptoms have been added those of later provings and of numerous cases of poisoning, and the effects on workers in match factories, especially necrosis of the lower jaw. The vapour given off by unignited Phos. is Phosphorus oxide. The jaw affection, called "Phossy-jaw" by the workpeople themselves, is accompanied by profound adynamia, and not unfrequently ends in death.

The form of the disease differs according to whether the upper or lower jaw is attacked. In the, former case it pursues generally a chronic and mild course, ending in exfoliation, cicatrisation, and cure. In the latter the necrosis may be either acute or chronic., but is always severe, and the patients usually die of "consumptive fever" (C. D.

P.). Here is a typical case quoted in C. D. P. from B.

J. H., iv. 287: J. D., 21, had been four years in a match factory. For two and a half years he had only laryngeal irritation from the local action of the fumes.

He then began to cough very much and expectorate thick white mucus. Then most violent toothache set in, with swelling on right side of face. A molar was extracted but without relief, and one tooth after another dropped out. He became too weak to walk.

A swelling as big as an egg formed below right orbit, burst in a fortnight, and discharged a large quantity of white pus. He grew worse all the teeth fell out; gums of lower jaw were retracted. Examination found right cheek swollen. At right angle of lower jaw an opening discharging laudable pus, through which a probe can be passed two inches along bare bone, and two inches anterior to this another aperture leads to the same.

On opening mouth the whole lower jaw as far as ascending rami and down to reflection of mucous membrane is denuded and of leaden greyish colour. On right upper jaw probe can be passed over bare bone. Pareira (C. D.

P.) has observed in phosphorus workers "a peculiar sallow, bloated complexion, with dull expression of eye and gastric derangement," when there was no affection of the jaws. [Wagner found Phos. symptoms long before local disease appeared, e.g., cardialgia, anorexia, eructation of gas smelling of Phos.; also dizziness, faintness, and cachectic appearance. The first symptoms in the jaws are tearing pains, the teeth being sound, swelling and suppuration of the gums, and loosening of the teeth follow, and the bone becomes denuded.

Langenbeck objects to the term "necrosis," stating that it is a periostitis in which bony deposit occurs, enclosing the jaws more or less as in a sheath. There is no exfoliation. This osteo-periostitis may arise from rheumatism.—-Klin. Woch, Jan. 2, 1872.] In cases of acute poisoning the most remarkable effect noted is acute fatty degeneration of the liver and engorgement of the lungs.

At first there is tenderness of the liver, but as it shrinks this passes away. The right lung is more affected than the left. The symptoms of acute Phos. poisoning are exceedingly painful if consciousness is retained; violent tearing pains in oesophagus, chest, stomach; vomiting and diarrhoea; rectal, vesical, uterine tenesmus; bloating of abdomen; sensitiveness to touch; haemorrhages from all orifices. Death may take place in a few hours, or it may be delayed for months.

In the case of a child of 2 1/2 who had sucked the heads of matches, two days afterwards there was some feverish excitement, later violent convulsions, lasting three hours, and ending in death. There were found after death no fewer than ten invaginations of the small intestines, which, however, were empty, and there was no sign of strangulation (C. D. P.).

In a woman, 45, who swallowed the Phos. from 120 matches, Ozanam found a typhoid febrile state, profound prostration; inability to raise herself; dry tongue; much thirst; stomach sensitive; vomiting of black, sooty matter. Death took place on the second day (C. D. P).

A man, 48, inhaled vapour of burning Phos. Among his symptoms were: A sensation as if something twitched under skin or was creeping between skin and flesh. Twitching of single bundles of fibres at different times like playing on a piano. Tongue when speaking often refuses to move, so that he stammers (C.

D. P.). A case reported by J. O.

Müller and translated in C. D. P. brings out some very characteristic symptoms of Phos. A strong woman, 30, took about three grains of Phos. from matches.

Among her symptoms were: After eight hours violent and noisy, vomitings. Prostrated, cold, pallid, as if moribund and unconscious. Cold, clammy sweat, general; skin here and there waxy yellow; complexion leaden grey; dark blue rings round eyes; pulse small, hard, slow, unrhythmic, intermitting. Abdomen distended, very sensitive all over, the slightest touch causing violent pains; could not bear weight of nightdress.

Senses and mind in unconscious apathy; could only be roused by loud calling into her ear. Aco. 1 every ten minutes revived her. She complained of very violent burning pain in lower chest (oesophagus?), stomach, and whole abdomen < by every touch or change of posture. Vomiting and diarrhoea had ceased, but she still had retching and ineffectual straining at stool with burning like fire in large intestine and anus.

She passed with difficulty small quantities of dark yellow urine, smelling strongly of garlic, after micturition very severe burning. Boring, burning pains in bones, especially of skull, palate, nose, jaws, and teeth, < taking cold or warm things into mouth or chewing, only tepid liquid nutriment could be borne. At times numb pain in teeth; they felt loose as if they would fall out. Apathy alternating with angry words and actions.

After menses, burning leucorrhoea that made the parts sore. Soft parts of joints swollen. Considerable rigidity of joints. The skin, which had been pale, put on a yellow tint, bloated swellings appeared in places on eyelids and face, pitting on pressure.

On nape, back, and other parts the skin could be raised by the fingers in large folds, which slowly smoothed down again. Finally a peculiar exanthema appeared on the skin about the joints like eczema; vesicles in groups turned rapidly into scabs and frequently recurred. Sulph. was given and gradual recovery occurred. In a youth poisoned by Phos. there was nausea and sour taste; milk tasted burnt; every smell (tobacco, wine, beer) < the nausea.

One of the provers had: Loathing of butcher's meat and bad appetite. Phosphorus burns are among the most painful of all burns, and the burning sensations of the poisonings are prominent also in the provings: "Glowing sensation throughout epigastrium and chest." "A flame seemed passing through me." "Warming sensation right side of heart and below left clavicle. This heat spread to apex of left scapula and to acromion, when it left the heart." "From 11 a.m. till 4 p.m. remarkable numb feeling in left leg from knee to toes, sometimes sensation as if hot blood flowed into it." Other symptoms from the provings are: "Drawing forcing towards pelvis and rectum as if menses coming on." Intense sexual excitement in men with erections, emissions; later impotence.

Dr. Sorge, 34, had this symptom: "Weight in occiput and nape, down whole spine a dull feeling as if over-filled with blood, and in sacrum a peculiar paralytic feeling like what one feels in the limbs when exposed to unavoidable danger; heaviness of feet, which were not placed on ground with usual energy. Walk less strong, often stumbled on a smooth road. Diminished sexual appetite, and feeling as if the penis would not become erect when excitement was present.

Mental indifference (quite unusual)." E. R. Heath had some decidedly "phosphorescent" symptoms: Darting, cutting pains, causing much distress, starting from different points and flashing over whole abdomen; imagined an aurora borealis and seemed to hear distinctly voices shouting "Beautiful, oh! was not that splendid?" as the pains became more severe and lasting. He sprang from bed and tried to collect his thoughts; had numbness all over with sensation of myriads of needles slightly pricking him.

Throat dry and parched; a flame seemed to pass through him. Feet seemed glued to the floor. With great difficulty he reached the vessel, and as soon as the bowels began to act the pains changed to cramps. Stools were like scrapings of intestines, almost constant, with tenesmus, for over two hours, after which he lay down in bed, weak, sore, almost helpless.

The same prover had: Intolerable thirst; drink did not quench it, but caused cold, clammy sweat to exude the moment the water entered the stomach. Later: Involuntary passages, periodic; rectum insensible; sphincter paralysed; slight prolapse after each stool. Stools inodorous save for a slight mouldy smell. H.

Noah Martin proved Red amorphous Phosphorus. The symptoms do not differ from those of transparent Phos., and are included in the Schema Such are the materials out of which the picture of the great remedy known in homoeopathy by the name Phosphorus has been drawn, the characteristic features being pointed up with the added light and shade of clinical experience. The types of constitution in which Phos. has been found particularly suitable are strongly marked: (1) Tall, slender persons, of sanguine temperament, fair skin, blonde or red hair, quick, lively perceptions and sensitive nature.

(2) Young people who grow too rapidly and are inclined to stoop; chlorotic; anaemic. [In experiments on young animals Phos. has produced rickets. Kessel (H. W., xxxi. 394) gave Phos. to young dogs, in whom it caused fatal disturbance of digestion and fatty liver, and "marked atrophic process where bone was being deposited."] (3) Persons of waxy, translucent skin; half anaemic, half jaundiced. (4) Tall, slender, narrow-chested, phthisical patients; delicate eyelashes, soft hair.

(5) Tall, slim, dark-haired persons, especially women, disposed to stoop. (6) Nervous, weak persons who like to be magnetised. (7) Haemorrhagic patients; slight wounds bleed profusely. Phos. profoundly affects the nutrition and function of every tissue, notably the hardest (bone) and the softest (nerve and blood).

It causes irritation, erethism, exaltation of all the senses, and later a typhoid state and fatty degeneration. In fevers of typhoid type and in pneumonia Phos. has an important place. It is indicated especially when the morbid action becomes localised in the right lung, particularly the lower lobe. In the year 1876, in the course of a severe attack of typhus fever during my residence in Liverpool, my state, as I am told (for I was in delirium), suddenly became very critical through pneumonic consolidation of the right lung.

Phos. was the remedy selected by Drs. Drysdale, Hayward, and Hawkes, who attended me, and under its action I made a rapid recovery Hard, dry cough, rusty sputa; < at twilight and till midnight;

< lying on left side; > lying on right side; abdomen distended, sore, very sensitive to touch; stools offensive, bloody, involuntary; the anus appearing to remain open. Each one of the symptoms I have italicised is a keynote of Phos. When any of them are present (with or without the pneumonia) Phos. is likely to be the remedy.

The delirium is low, muttering, stupid; or violent; or there may be a state of ecstasy; or odd ideas, that his bones are in fragments and he cannot fit the pieces together. As a leading constituent of nervous matter Phos. has a deep action on the organ of mind and sensation. It produces an excitable condition, exaltation of mental faculties, and the condition which follows over-exertion. The mind, like the special senses, is too excitable and impressionable.

Easily angered and becomes vehement; actually gets beside himself with anger and suffers physically in consequence. At other times anxious and restless, especially in the dark and at twilight (the restlessness of Phos. is universal; patient cannot sit or stand still a moment; it belongs to the stage of irritation, and is succeeded by apathy if the condition is not arrested). Imagines he sees faces grinning at him from the corners of the room. Such conditions are found in cases resulting from losses of fluids; over-work of brain; sexual excesses and abuse, and take shape in general paralysis of the insane with mania of grandeur; and in apoplexy and its sequelae; in Duchenne's pseudo-hypertrophic paralysis, in locomotor ataxy and other paralyses.

A very characteristic condition of Phos. in nervous cases is fibrillary twitching of individual bundles of fibres in muscles. Numbness and formication in paralysed limbs indicate it in hemiplegia and paraplegia. Spasms on paralysed side. In other cases the burning pains of Phos. are prominent: burning between the scapulae; burning in spots along the spine; feeling of intense heat running up the back (no other remedy has exactly this symptom).

The uncertain gait, neuralgic pain, and fuzzy feeling of the feet, give the correspondence with locomotor ataxy, when the conditions correspond. Epilepsy from masturbation. Petit mal: epilepsy with consciousness. Man of Itzehoe (H.

R., xv. 268) cured this case of sciatica: An elderly lady had for eight weeks a continual burning pain running along back of left thigh and leg, compelling her to spend most of the day in bed. Entire limb so weak that she could hardly walk. < Lying on left side. > Lying on right side or on back.

< By movement. < By cold air. > Being warmly-covered. < In evening.

Phos. 6x, every two hours, caused aggravation for the first three days, and after that gave relief, but did not cure. Phos. 30, one powder every evening, completed the cure in a week. But the action of Phos. is not confined to the brain and spinal cord, it also affects the cranial bones and spinal column. I cured mainly with Phos. 1m a case of spinal caries with paralytic symptoms in a lady aged 67.

That is, I cured the caries and removed the paralysis, though the curvature remained. There was a history of a strained back thirty-five years before, and of lumbago and sciatica five years before I saw her. She had many pains in the scapula and chest, and could not walk unless supported about the waist. Incidentally Phos. set up a symptom of its own: Dryness of mouth, lips, and throat.

Phos. has burning thirst for cold water; cold water relieves, but as soon as it becomes warm in the stomach it is vomited. This is one of the keynotes of Phos., and distinguishes it from all other remedies in cases of vomiting. Desire for cold foods and preference for cold meat is very characteristic of Phos., and the cold food, like the cold drink, may be vomited as soon as it becomes warm inside. Ice cream > the gastric pains.

There is nausea on putting hands into warm water; sneezing and coryza from putting hands in water. Regurgitation of ingesta in mouthfuls. During pregnancy the sight of water = vomiting. The appetite of Phos. is remarkable: Must eat often or he faints.

Hungry soon after a meal; hungry in the night, must eat. Craving for salt (Phos. remedies the effects of excessive salt-eating). The sinking, faint feeling of Phos. is felt in the whole abdominal cavity; also in head, chest, and stomach. The stools of Phos. are peculiar, whether constipated or diarrhoeic: Long, tough, hard faeces (like a dog's); voided with great difficulty and straining.

Diarrhoea as soon as anything enters the rectum; profuse pouring away as from a hydrant; watery with sago-like particles; with sensation as if the anus stood open involuntary; during cholera-time painless; morning of old people bloody stool; blood-streaked stool; stool like shreddy membranes. With the stool there is burning in the anus and tenesmus. There are also pains of all descriptions in the anus, notably stitches shooting up rectum. A man suffering from pneumonia, to whom I gave Phos. 3, after a few days developed attacks of violent pain in rectum and anus, with distension of abdomen and desire for stool; stool light, lumpy, constipated, only passed by aid of glycerine enema; after stool, complete relief of pain; sometimes the attack waked him from sleep.

With Phos. 200 I cured a very severe proctalgia coming on at every menstrual period. During urination, and also when not urinating, there is burning in the urethra. Another very characteristic burning of Phos. is burning palms, cannot bear to have the hands covered. Flashes of heat beginning in hands and spreading to face.

The fever is more of the yellow fever, typhus, or typhoid, nervous or hectic, type. In intermittents when there is heat at night beginning in stomach; faint and hungry in night; heat of hands. There is also chilliness towards evening; icy coldness of hands, knees, and feet, even in bed. Sweat is anxious, profuse, exhausting on slightest exertion; profuse at night; cold and clammy, smelling of sulphur or of garlic.

Phos. corresponds to yellow fever in many particulars; disorganisation of the liver and blood with jaundice; haemorrhages. It has caused acute fatty degeneration of the liver; and corresponds also to fatty degeneration of pancreas with gastric symptoms and oily stools, and fatty and amyloid degeneration of the kidneys. Phos. stands at the head of haemorrhagics, and corresponds to the haemorrhagic diathesis. The blood loses its coagulability.

Very small wounds bleed profusely. Blood-streaked discharges are very characteristic when from lungs, nose, bowels, or other orifices. Haemorrhoids. Menses are more profuse and longer-lasting than usual.

There may be vicarious menstruation in the form of haemoptysis, epistaxis, or haematuria. Left ovarian pain. Leucorrhoea which causes blisters. Sexual excitement is great in both sexes, going to the extent of satyriasis and nymphomania.

Frequent erections in men, and sexual thoughts entirely beyond the patient's control. Erections in spite of efforts to control passion in young men. Impotence from over-indulgence or from celibacy. The female breasts are the seat of many burning, shooting, cramping pains, and Phos. has proved a leading remedy in mammary abscess and fistulae.

The characteristics are: Erysipelatous appearance; red streaks starting from opening; thin, ichorous discharge. The haemorrhagic action of Phos. is seen in many forms of pulmonary haemorrhage and congestion: blood-streaked or rusty sputa; tasting salty; when patients with delicate chests bring up phlegm tinged with blood whenever they take cold Phos. will generally clear up the case. Phthisis florida may also need Phos. It has also a "stomach-" or "liver-" cough; cough comes on after eating, and starts from a tickling in pit of stomach.

Cough < when strangers enter the room. Cough < from strong odours (part of the general sensitiveness of the drug). Bronchial catarrh > in all grades may require it. Cough = tearing pain under sternum as if something was being torn loose.

Suffocative pains in upper part of chest with constriction of larynx and engorgement of lungs; mucous râles; panting and laboured breathing, even emphysema. After the cough an asthmatic attack. The Conditions of Phos. will generally decide when it should be given. T.

D. Stow (J. of Homoeopathics, August, 1890) reports the case of H. B., 52, farmer, who had for six months a sharp pain with soreness in third intercostal space, three inches to left of sternum, limiting inspirations. Dyspnoea on exercise; dry cough during the day till 10 p.m.

Thick, yellow, sweetish sputa from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cough < lying on left side; when talking; when eating and just after eating; on going into cold air; by change of weather. > In fairly warm room; lying on right side. Prefers cold food.

Has become alarmed by the persistence of the attack and loss of flesh. Three doses of Phos. 500 (Dunham), taken on three successive days, cured. This case was translated in Hahn. Month, September, 1890, from Alg.

H. Zeit.: Whilst walking rapidly against the west wind three months before, X. felt a pain under middle of sternum with sensitiveness of the part to pressure. Pulse rapid. Phos. 6 removed the symptoms for two weeks, when pain and sensitiveness returned, and with the pain a sensation as though gas would rise from epigastrium.

Phos. 3 cured. W. A. Nicholas (H.

W., xxv., 495) reports the case of T. B., 51, whom he saw after a four months illness, which began with congestion of the brain on the sudden death of his wife, and was followed by bronchitis. During all this time he was heavily drugged. A rather long walk brought on a severe attack of angina pectoris.

Bell. 1x gave much relief. Nicholas noticed the patient at times put his hand to the back of his neck. Phos. 1 relieved entirely. Phos. corresponds to headache and other sufferings from grief.

Hot vertex after grief. It has shocks in occiput; coldness in cerebellum; congestion of brain seeming to rise from spine into head. Phos. has "splitting headache caused by cough." Neuralgic pains of many kinds, and impending paralysis. The attacks are induced by mental exertion; worry; washing clothes; and are < by music; noises; strong odours.

Gale, of Quebec, discovered in Phos. a remedy for "washerwoman's headache" (Organon, iii. 30). His patient had these symptoms: Whenever she washes clothes or walks fast she has—rush of blood to head, red face and eyes, heat on head, scalp sensitive to touch, sudden shooting pains, especially in vertex. Phos. cm cured. I cured a somewhat similar case (H.

W., xxiv. 455) with Phos. 30 every four hours; only in my case the headaches always appeared the morning after washing: violent shooting pains left side of vertex, > wrapping head in flannel. I had given several medicines previously which had improved the general health, but had done very little for the headaches. Phos. affects all parts of the eye—retina, choroid, vitreous and crystalline lenses, cornea, and conjunctivae. It has arrested cataract and glaucoma, and cured retinitis albuminuria from suppressed menses.

The leading symptoms are: Colours appear black before the eyes. Always sees green. Halo round candle. Letters appear red whilst reading.

As if a grey veil over everything. Blindness after typhoid; sexual excess; loss of fluids; lightning. Twitching of lids. Pustule on cornea.

Burning pains. The characteristic skin of Phos. is waxy, and either clear and pale or yellow. Under a "Phosphorus treatment" which was in vogue a generation ago, patients had a peculiarly waxy, fine, clear complexion; and in one case which came under my observation there was also very marked enlargement of the liver. In a case of rheumatism in an old lady who had waxy pallor, Cooper gave Phos. and set free all the joints.

All kinds of eruptions May be set up. Exanthema with pustules (like small-pox), ulcers, psoriasis, lichen, eczema, blood boils, purpura. Hansen cured a case of purpura in a girl of ten (H. W., xxxv. 105).

The disease began with loss of appetite and pains in the stomach, but as soon as the purpura spots appeared the pains ceased and the appetite returned. The inner aspects of the thighs were affected. Phos. 2 cured. The ulcers of Phos. bleed easily at the slightest touch, and open cancers or fungus haematodes with this characteristic have been cured with Phos.

"Large ulcers surrounded by smaller ones." Ulcers affecting the nails. Inflammation and eruptions about joints. Fistulae with callous edges from glands. The joints most affected by Phos. are the hip and knee.

The left side of the lower jaw is more affected than the right. Caries and exostoses of spine and other parts have been cured with Phos. De Noë Walker cured with Phos. 6 a large exostosis of the femur which had been pronounced osteo-sarcoma by old-school authorities. There are some forms of rheumatism which only Phos. can cure.

These are characterised by great stiffness of the joints, more stiffness than pain. A drawing, tearing, tight feeling in parts. Stiffness of old people. Paralytic rheumatism from exposure to rain.

The tight sensation appears in the girdle pain of spinal affections; tightness of skin of face and forehead. (Also stiffness in brain; in eyes.) Allied to the rheumatic symptoms of Phos. is its sensitiveness to effects of storms, especially thunderstorms. Phos. has cured more cases of headache always coming on when thunderstorms are about than any other remedy in my experience. It has also cured blindness from lightning stroke.

The headaches from inhaling the steam of a washtub perhaps come in the same category as effects of vapour-laden air when storms are about. Mills (quoted H. W., xxxi. 33) relates a typical case of thunderstorm effect: Mrs. R, tall, thin, dark, of mild and gentle disposition, was seen by the doctor during a thunderstorm.

He found her sitting on the stairs, trembling and cold and bathed in cold, clammy sweat, full of nervous dread, and almost beside herself. One dose of Phos. cm cured. Some weeks later she witnessed a worse storm with complete unconcern. The power of Phos. over septic conditions is illustrated in a case of Howard Crutcher's (quoted H.

W., xxxiii. 405). A girl, 16, had perforating appendicitis, operation having been delayed too long in consequence of opposition of friends. Although he deemed it useless he was persuaded to operate, and found a large abscess behind the colon, freely communicating with the peritoneal cavity. Up to the fourth day the patient progressed favourably.

Then there was a collapse: pulse 130, mind wandering, urine and faeces passed without restraint. The patient was rapidly sinking; Arsen. gave no help. The doctor sent word to the students who were nursing the patient that they might try a hot saline enema.

On attempting to give it the rectum was found to be open, no resistance being offered by the sphincter. Greyish-while faecal discharges, watery and offensive, passed constantly. "The students, recognising the indication for Phos., gave a dose of that remedy, and instead of dying the girl got well." Peculiar sensations are: As if about to die. As if immersed in hot water.

Anxiety as if below left breast. As if he had been lying at night with head too low. As if everything had stopped in head. As if chair were rising.

As if eyes would be pressed out; or pressed down by weight about them. As if painful nodes under scalp. As if pulled by hair. As if head would burst.

As if something exploded in head. As if skin of face too tight. As if something were pulled tight over ears. As if dust in right eye; sand in left eye; eyeballs large.

As if something lay before ears; foreign body in ears. As if nose stuck together. As if nails driven into jaws. As if food did not digest properly.

As if heavy Weight in stomach. Stomach as if freezing. As if something cooking in stomach. Anus as if open.

Larynx as if lined with fur. As if skin on larynx. As if a piece of skin hanging loose in larynx. As if something in middle of sternum torn loose.

As if heart had grown fast. As if chest eviscerated. As if a narrow band encircled body and lay upon heart. As if great weight lying on middle of sternum.

Back as if broken. As if quicksilver moved up and down spinal cord. Coccyx as if ulcerated. Soles as if he had walked too much.

Feet as if asleep. Ankles as if sprained. Suddenness is a feature of Phos.: Sudden prostration such as may occur in diphtheria, measles, scarlatina, or any disease in which the system has sustained a profound shock. The left side is somewhat more affected than the right, the venous more than the arterial system.

The symptoms of Phos. are < from touch (cannot bear touch of nightdress); from pressure (but pressure > feeling as if something before ears and pains in chest). Rubbing >. Mesmerism >. Rest < pain in arms and shoulders.

Lying down = intense pains in eyes; < colic and tearing in jaws; > heat of scalp and incarcerated flatus. Weakness after stool and after urinating, compelling lying down.

Lying on back < diarrhoea; asthma; > pneumonia; pain in arm. Lying on left side <; on right side >. Sitting <.

Motion; exertion; walking, especially fast walking, <. Exertion physical or mental <. Laughing < (cough). Coughing = headache.

Talking < pain in larynx. < From spraining parts. < Lifting arms. < Before sleep, > after.

(Some symptoms are < on waking, but this is less characteristic.) < Morning; evening (especially twilight); before midnight. Heat < boring in teeth; back pains; itching spots of skin. Warm food and drink < (but hot drinks > flatulent colic). Warm water, putting hands in = toothache.

Warm wraps > neuralgia of head and heat of scalp. Weather changes (either way) <. Open air > pain in forehead; hemicrania; stuffed feeling in nose; < vertigo; toothache cough tearing in labia taking cold easily.

Wind <. Thunderstorm <. Washing with cold water >. Washing clothes; wet weather <.

< Light noise music; piano playing. > In the dark.

Antidoted by: Nux, Coff., Tereb.; Kali permang. well diluted and given freely (Dr. Antal). It antidotes: Tereb., Rhus ven., Camph., Iod., Nat. m.

(excessive use of salt), Petrol. Complementary: Ars., Cepa (all three have alliaceous odours), Carb. v., Ipec. Incompatible: Caust. Compatible: Ars., Bapt., Bell., Bry., Calc., Cart). v., Chi., K. ca., Lyc., Nux, Pul., Rhus, Sep., Sil., Sul.

Compare: Ars., Merc., Petr., Sul. Asthma after cough, Ars. (Ars. before and after). Fancies himself in pieces, Bapt.

Stitches up vagina, Sul., Sep., Pul., Nit. ac., Alum., Berb., Am. c. Weakening night-sweats, Chi., Calc., Lyc. Sweats towards morning, Calc., Lyc. (Phos. on awaking).

Tongue glazed, Lach. (Lach. red; Phos. dry, cracked, black). Lienteria, Chi.

Cough < entering cold air from warm room (Bry. opposite). Fear of darkness, Am. m., Calc., Stro., Val., Stram. Fear of ghosts, Pul. Sense of insecurity in bowels, Alo.

Piles during menses, Collins., Ign., Lach., Pul. Effect of raising arms high to lift things, Rhus. Chilblains; general paralysis, Agar. Headache with increased intellectual powers (Phyt. with increased hearing).

Hunger at night, Chi. s., Pso., Pul., Ign., Lyc. (Pho. unappeasable hunger with febrile heat). Left ovarian pain, Coloc., Thuj., Lach., Bry. Somnambulism, Can. i., Sul., Luna.

Sensation of anus open, Phos. ac., Apis (Lach. as if vagina Open). < Walking fast, Pul. Regurgitation of food, Sul. Nocturnal salivation, Cham., Nux, Rhus.

Difficult swallowing of liquids, Bell., Caust., Can., Hyo., Ign., Lach., Lyc. Blood from bowel, Merc., Nit. ac., Sul., Caps., Merc. c. Menorrhagia, Calc. Laughs at serious things, Anac., Lyc., Nux m., Plat.

Haemorrhage, blood does not coagulate, Sanguisuga. Fatty changes in blood, kidneys, spinal cord; brain-fag; crawling and tingling sensations; sexual excitement with erethism; backache as if it would break Pic. ac. (Phos. has more irritability and over-sensitiveness to external impressions with the weakness; the senses are too acute, or if failing, accompanied by photopsies; Pic. ac. has more intense erections and less lasciviousness than Phos.).

In general features; taciturn and distrustful; inclined to be angry and scold; sensation of tension; nervous weakness and restlessness, Caust. (Phos. has great soreness of larynx, fears to cough or talk; Caust, has cough > by cold drink, Hoarseness of Phos. is < evening, of Caust. < morning).

Scrofula, tuberculosis, swelling of glands, indolent ulceration, difficult learning to talk and walk (Phos. has delicate, refined skin, features sharp and rather handsome; Calc. large, swollen lips). Small ulcers surrounding large ones (Hep. pimples round sore eyes). Phthisis florida, Fer.

(Fer. has apparent plethora with great oppression of chest from least exertion). Weakness and goneness in stomach at 11 a.m.; softening of brain; enervation accompanied by trembling; restlessness, Zn. (Zn. has ptosis; < from wine; restlessness of feet, Phos. of entire body).

Functional paralysis from fatigue or emotion, Stan., Coccul., Ign., Nat. mur., Collins. Hoarseness, < evening, weak chest, cough, copious expectoration, hectic, Stan. (Phos. has more blood-streaked sputa; tightness across chest). Bone disease, abscess, especially of breast, with fistulous openings; over-excitability of nervous system; cough excited by speaking, Sil.

Phthisis; rapidly growing young people, Iod. (Phos. is nearest Iod. in phthisis). Aphonia with rawness of larynx, Carb. v. Heat at vertex; imperfect growth of tissue; morning diarrhoea, Sul.

(Sul. has hunger at 11 a.m. with the heat at vertex, Phos. has not; Phos. has green painless stools, Sul. stools changing colour, and raw sore anus). Irritation of respiratory tract, sore larynx (Phos. has irritation lower down; sore larynx, < from talking or pressure, Bell. only from pressure). Capillary bronchitis, Ipec.

(Phos. more inflammatory). Prostration, Chi. (Phos. sudden, Chi. not). Vicarious menstruation, Bry., Puls., Senec.

Typhoid, Rhus; and erotic mania, Hyo. Cold; cerebral softening, Nux (Phos. follows Nux in both; if cold goes to chest in spite of Nux). Cough from reflex nervous influence, Ambra (Amb. < when strangers in room).

Irritability; intolerance of mental strain, Nux. Vomiting: after drinking cold water, Ars. (Ars. immediately; Pho. as soon as warm in stomach), Bism.

(immediately after eating, with burning cardalgia), Kre. (of undigested food hours after eating). Diarrhoea as soon as he eats, Ars. Weakness after stool, Con., Nux.

Sensitive to storms and electricity, Rhod., Merc., Morph. Polypi. Teuc., Calc., Sang., Pso., Lemn. > From cold drinks and food (Lyc. opposite).

Hysteria, Ign. Deafness, especially to human voice (Ign. opposite). Small wounds bleed much, Lach. < Putting hands in water, Lac. d.

Apathy; weakness and prostration from loss of fluids, Pho. ac. (Phos. has more dryness of tongue and sensorial excitement). Diarrhoea blood-streaked and looking like flesh water, Canth., Rhus. Shreddy, membranous diarrhoea, Ars., Caust.

< Twilight, Puls. Hepatisation of lungs, Ant. t., Sul., Lyc. (these correspond to the later breaking-up stage). Can only lie right side (Merc. can only lie left).

Levitation, Phos. ac., Stict. pul. Desire for acids, Phell. Affections of skin about joints, Sep. Tongue as if burnt, Sang.

Deafness after typhoid, Ars., Petrol. Nymphomania, Calc. ph., Orig. Tuberculosis, Bacil., Tuberc. Explosion in head, Alo.

Jerks in head during stool, Indm. Numb, stiff feeling in brain, Graph. Duchenne's paralysis, Curar. Growing ends of bones, Conch.

Effects of hair-cutting, Bell. Teste puts Phos. in three of his groups, of which Puls., Ipec., and Fer. are the types.

Anger. Fear. Grief. Worry. Mental exertion. Strong emotions. Music. Strong odours. Gas. Flowers (fainting). Thunderstorms. Lightning (blindness). Sexual excesses. Loss of fluids. Sprains. Lifting. Wounds. Exposure to drenching rains. Tobacco (amblyopia). Washing clothes. Having hair cut.

Affections of inner chest; shinbones; bones of legs; of r. upper or r. lower extremity; r. upper or r. lower side Profuse secretion of mucus Affections of axillary glands; inflammation of glands in general; glands painful, particularly stitching pains; hot swelling of glands Glandular diseases, esp. after contusion

Bleeding from inner parts; threatened phthisis pulmonalis The pains of Phos. are continuous, or, at least, irregular as to time Arthritic and rheumatic tearings and stitching pains, principally in limbs, sometimes after a slight chill, esp. in bed at night Burning pain in limbs

Tension, cramp, jerking, and distortion of some of the limbs Sprains, easy dislocations Ataxia and adynamia Convulsions

Rigidity of some parts Fits of paleness and numbness in some of the limbs, which then appear dead Mucous membrane pale Trembling of limbs from least exertion, but chiefly during labour

Tendency to strain the back Ebullition and congestion of blood, sometimes with pulsation throughout body Sensations: of fulness; of itching or tickling; of knocking, beating, or throbbing; of darting; darting pain; of roughness-all occurring in inner parts Sensation of dryness or of festering in internal parts

Bleeding from various (internal) organs Inflammation and stinging pain of inner parts Itching of inner parts Small wounds bleed much

Blood fluid non-coagulable Bleeding from all cavities; also from soft cancer Weakness and soreness in joints, esp. knees Great weakness and paralytic lassitude, which sometimes come on suddenly, esp. in bed in morning, or after a very short walk

Can only lie on the r. side Lying on the l. side at night causes anxiety Spasms of the paralysed side Paralysis, formication, and tearing in limbs; anaesthesia; increased heat

Exostosis, esp. of skull Hip-joint disease, oozing a watery pus Epilepsy with consciousness Fainting fits; from strong odours

Excessive sensibility of all the organs Hysterical lassitude General dejection and nervous debility Heaviness of limbs and sluggishness

Paralysis with tingling in the parts affected Emaciation and consumption Inability to remain in open air, esp. when cold Strong tendency to take cold, which is often followed by headache and toothache, coryza, with fever, shivering, &c

Effects of hair-cutting and chill to head Pains in limbs on change of weather The majority of symptoms manifest themselves morning and evening, in bed, as well as after dinner, while several others appear at the beginning of a meal and disappear after it.—<: In morning; evening; before falling asleep; on waking; before breakfast; after taking cold; while coughing; before or after eating; from violent bleeding; from spraining parts; while lying on back; lying on l. side; from laughing (often producing cough); from light in general; light of the lamp; warm food ("very thirsty, takes water, likes it, feels better, gets warm in stomach and is vomited"); reading aloud; from strong smells; after stool (exhausted, &c.); while Swallowing drink; in the wind; when singing; when the weather changes either way.—>: In the dark; lying on r. side; from being mesmerised; from rubbing; from scratching; after sleep; from cold things; cold food; cold water (till it gets warm).