Phosphorus Mineral Kingdom

Introduction:

Phosphorus is a nonmetallic chemical element. It plays an essential part in multiple

biochemical reactions for both plants and animals, and is essential to all life. Phosphorus is
found in living things, in soil and rock, mostly as chemical compounds known as
phosphates.

Source & occurrence:

Because of its chemical activity, phosphorus never found free in nature, but is widely
distributed in many minerals. A major source is apatite, an impure calcium phosphate
mineral found in phosphate rocks.

About 50 percent of the global phosphorus reserves are in the Arab nations. Large
deposits of apatite are located in China, Russia, Morocco, Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Utah
and elsewhere.

Description:

Colorless or pale yellow semi-translucent, transparent powder with waxy, luster

consistency at ordinary temperature.

It has disagreeable odour and no taste.

Brittle and crystalline at LOW temperatures, but soft and pliable at ordinary
temperatures.

Insoluble in water and soluble in 400 parts of absolute alcohol.

When exposed to air, it emits WHITE fumes which are luminous in dark and have
GARLICKY odour.

Obtained in crude state from calcined bones.

 Facts about Phosphorus:

The white phosphorus allotrope should be kept under water at all times, as it presents a
significant fire hazard due to its extreme reactivity with atmospheric oxygen.

White phosphorus should only be manipulated with forceps since contact with skin can cause
severe burns.

PHOSPHORESCENCE / CHEMILUMINESCENCE:
Although the term phosphorescence is derived from phosphorus, the reaction which gives
phosphorus its glow is properly called chemiluminescence (glowing due to a cold chemical
reaction), not phosphorescence (re-emitting light that previously fell onto a substance and
excited it).

Discovery:

Discovered by Henning Brand, a German merchant and alchemist from Hamburg,

in the year 1669.

Proving & Authority:

Proved & introduced by Dr.Hahnemann; Brandt, an alchemist and a little by Kunkel.

Synonyms:

English: Phosphorus French: Phosphore German: Phosphor

BASIC INFORMATION ALLOTROPHIC FORMS

Classification: Non-metal
Symbol: P
Atomic Number: 15
Atomic Mass: 30.97376 amu
Melting Point: 44.1
Boiling Point: 280.0 C
 Method of Preparation:

Old Method: Class VII.

New Method: Percolation.

Drug strength:

1/667 (one of the mother tinctures with non-standard drug strength).

Method Of Preparation:
a) Mother Tincture

Introduce 2gm of PHOSPHORUS into a flask containing 100ml of strong alcohol. Heat over
a waterbath till it melts and then shake vigorously till the excess solidifies. This saturated drug
solution will equal in drug strerngth to about 1/667. To compensate for the loss of Oxidation and
to retain the full strength each bottle containing the Tincture be coated with Amorphous variety.

b) Potencies

3x contain one part of Mother Tincture and one part Strong Alcohol. 4x and higher
potencies prepared with Dispensing Alcohol.

Toxicology:
Chronic white phosphorus poisoning leads to necrosis of the jaw called "phossy jaw".

Ingestion of white phosphorus may cause a medical condition known as "Smoking Stool
Syndrome".

Sphere of action: Therapeutics:

Blood . Anaemia . Flatulence

Circulatory system . Asthma . Haemorrhages
Bones . Bone diseases . Heart affections
Nerves . Constipation . Diarrhoea
Skin
. Dropsy . Menstr. Disorders
Central Nervous System
GIT
. Epilepsy . Paralysis
. Fatty degeneration . Rheumatism
Constitution:
Adapted to tall slender persons of sanguine temperament, fair skin, delicate eyelashes,
find blond or red hair, quick perceptions, and very sensitive nature.
Young people, who grow too rapidly, are inclined to stoop. Who are chlorotic or
anaemic; old people, with morning diarrhoea.
Nervous, weak; desires to be magnetized.

TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine, Lymphatic, Bilious and Nervous.

DIATHESIS: Tubercular and Haemorrhagic.

MIASM: Psora.

THERMAL RELATION: Chilly patient (Though chilly he craves cold, cold

drinks, cold food and cold applications).

Ailments From:
Anger. Fear. Grief. Worry. Flowers (fainting). Lightning

Mental exertion. Sexual excesses. Loss of fluids.

Music. Washing clothes Sprains, Lifting.

Indications:
Oversensitiveness of all the senses to external impressions: light, noise, odors, touch.
Restless, fidgety; moves continually, cannot sit or stand still a moment.
Haemorrhagic diathesis; small wounds bleed profusely; from every mucous outlet.
 A weak, empty, all-gone sensation in head, chest, stomach and entire abdomen.
Apathetic; unwilling to talk; answers slowly; moves sluggishly.

Dandruff, falls out in clouds; hair falls out in bunches, baldness of single spots.
Nausea from placing hands in warm water; sneezing and coryza from putting hands in water.
As soon as water becomes warm in stomach it is thrown up.

During pregnancy; unable to drink water; sight of it causes vomiting; must close her eyes
while bathing.
Regurgitation of ingesta in mouthfuls.

Perspiration has the odor of sulphur.

Necrosis of the (left) lower jaw.

Longs for: cold food and drink; juicy, refreshing things; ice cream > gastric pains.

Eyes: hollow, surrounded by blue rings; both lids: puffy, swollen, oedematous (upper lids:
Kali c. ; lower lids: Apis )

Burning: in spots along the spine; between the scapulae; or intense heat running up the back;
of palms of hands; in chest and lungs; of every organ or tissue of the body; generally in
diseases of nervous system.

Great weakness and prostration; with nervous debility and trembling; of whole body;
weakness and weariness from loss of vital fluids.

Pain: acute, especially in the chest, < from pressure, even slight, in intercostal spaces, and
lying on left side; excited by slightest chill; open air intolerable.

Diarrhoea: as soon as anything enters the rectum; profuse, pouring away as from a hydrant;
watery, with sago-like particles; sensation, as if the anus remained open, involuntary; during
cholera time; morning, of old people.
Heaviness of chest, as if weight were lying on it.

Cough: going from warm to cold air; < from laughing, talking, reading, drinking, eating,
lying on the left side.
Haemorrhage: frequent and profuse, pouring out freely and then ceasing for a time;
metrorrhagia, in cancer; haemoptysis, vicarious, from nose, stomach, anus.

Constipation: faeces slender, long, dry, tough, and hard ( Stap. ); voided with great straining
and difficulty ( Caust. ).

Nausea from placing hands in warm water; sneezing and coryza from putting hands in water.
General Modalities:

Aggravation. - Evening, before midnight ( Puls. , Rhus ); lying on left or painful side; during a
thunderstorm; weather changes, either hot or cold. touch; physical or mental exertion; twilight;
warm food or drink; change of weather, from getting wet in hot weather; evening; lying on left
or painful side; during a thunder-storm; ascending stairs.

Cold air relieves the head and face symptoms but aggravates those of chest, throat and neck.
Amelioration. - In the dark; lying on right side; from being rubbed or mesmerized; from cold
food, cold water, until it gets warm. in dark, lying on right side, cold food; cold; open air;
washing with cold water; sleep.

Remedy Relationship:
Complementary: Arsenic , with which it is isomorphic; Cepa , its vegetable analogue.
Lyc.; Silica.
Phosph. Pentachloride (great soreness of mucous membrane of EYES and nose).

Antidote: Antidote to Phosphorus Poisoning: Turpentine, with which it forms an insoluble

mass. Also Potassium permanganate and Nux vomica.

Antidotes the nausea and vomiting of Chloroform and Ether.

Incompatible: with Causticum; must not be used before or after.

Phosphorus removes the bad effects of Iodine and excessive use of table salt.

Follows well: after Calc. or Cinch.

Hahnemann says: "Acts most beneficial when patient suffers from chronic loose stool or
diarrhoea."

Prescribed Dose:

3rd and other higher potencies.

Should not be given too LOW potency or in too continuous doses, especially in TUBERCULAR
cases. It may act as Euthanasia here.
Other Uses:

Biological Uses:

Plays a major role in biological molecules such as DNA and RNA where it forms part of
the structural framework of these molecules.

Living cells use phosphate to transport cellular energy in the form of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP)

Calcium phosphate salts assist in stiffening bones.

In ecological terms, phosphorus is often a limiting factor in many environments; i.e. the
availability of phosphorus governs the rate of growth of many organisms.

Industrial/Other Uses:

Phosphorus, being an essential plant nutrient, finds its major use as a constituent of
fertilizers for agriculture and farm production

An important component in steel production, in the making of phosphor bronze, and in

many other related products.

Phosphates are utilized in the making of special glasses that are used for sodium lamps.

Bone-ash (calcium phosphate) is used in the production of fine china.

Phosphoric acid made from elemental phosphorus is used in food applications such as
some soda beverages.

White phosphorus is used in military applications as incendiary bombs, for smoke-

screening as smoke pots and smoke bombs, and in tracer ammunition.

In trace amounts, phosphorus is used as a dopant for n-type semiconductors.

Dept. of Homoeopathic Pharmacy

Fr.Muller Homoeopathic Medical College

Derelakatte, Mangalore