Pregnancy And Labor

First stage of mastitis. Morning sickness of pregnancy, with vomiting of food as taken, with or without acid taste. After pains and as a preventive of the fever of lactation.

Respiratory Symptoms

Acute, febrile or initiatory stage of all inflammatory affections of the respiratory tract. Rhinitis, laryngitis, trachitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy and pleuro-pneumonia. Bronchitis of young children. Phthisis florida. Expectoration scanty, blood-streaked, chest sore, bruised. It is the chief and first remedy for the stitches in the side, catch in the breath, dyspnoea and cough, and should be continued until free perspiration is established. Congestion of the lungs with debility and oppression. Haemoptysis after a concussion or fall, with short, oppressed breathing and high fever. In bronchial affections with heat and burning soreness, no expectoration. In chronic bronchitis when a fresh aggravation sets in. Short, painful, tickling cough from an irritation or tickling in the windpipe. Spasmodic cough with involuntary emission of urine. Hard, dry cough with soreness of the lungs. Cough with rattling of mucus in chest, worse at night. Croup, for the febrile symptoms. Whooping cough with vomiting of food; loss of voice, hoarseness, huskiness after singing or exertion of speaking, soreness, irritation and pain in the larynx.

Circulatory Organs

First or congestive stage of carditis, pericarditis, endocarditis and arteritis. In aneurism, to establish normal circulation and remove complications arising from excessive action of the heart Dilatation of the heart or of the blood vessels, telangiectasi and naevi. Palpitation of the heart, pulse rapid and quick. Varicose veins. Phlebitis and lymphangitis, first stage. Pulse full, round, not rope-like.

Back And Extremities

Stiff neck from cold. Pains in the back, loins and over kidneys. Also in knees and ankles, shooting pains. Rheumatic pains worse on motion; movement sets up and increases the pain. Rheumatism felt only during motion and better from warmth. Articular rheumatism, especially of the shoulder; pains extend to the upper part of the chest, attack one joint after another; muscular or subacute rheumatism. Lameness, stiffness from cold. Rheumatic pain in right wrist and in shoulder. Inflamed fingers, first stage of whitlow. Hip-joint disease for pain, throbbing, inflammation and heat of the soft parts. Strains of ligaments and tendons, tenalgia crepitans, creaking in the sinews at the back of the hand. Crick in the back (Calc. sulph.). Hands swollen and painful. Palms of hands are hot.

Nervous Symptoms

Malaise, weariness, great prostration, debility of children, with no organic lesion. Feeling of indolence. Feels the need of a stimulant. Rheumatic paralysis. Nervousness at night. Convulsions with fever in teething children. Epilepsy, with blood rushing to the head. Congestive and inflammatory neuralgias from cold.

Sleep

Sleeplessness from a hypersonic condition of the brain. Restless at night. Anxious dreams; drowsiness in the afternoon.

Febrile Symptoms

All catarrhal and inflammatory fevers during the chilly or initiatory stage, rigors, heat, quickened pulse and pain. Rheumatic, gastric, euteric and typhoid fevers during the chilly stage, heat and feverishness at the beginning of any disease or ailment. Intermittent fever with vomiting of food. Simple cases of scarlet fever. First stage of typhus. Chill every day at 1 p. m. High fever, quick pulse and increased temperature; copious night-sweats; dry heat of palms, face, throat and chest.

Skin

Hyperemia: from mechanical injuries, fresh wounds, not yet suppurating. Capillary congestion, with burning of the skin, more exercise and warmth. Abscesses, boils, carbuncles and felons; at the commencement of these affections this remedy reduces heat, blood-accumulation, pain and throbbing. Chicken pox, erysipelas and erysipelatous inflammations of the skin, for the fever and pain. Suppurative processes on the skin with febrile symptoms. Measles, scarlet fever and small-pox. Pimples, acne, for the pain and heat and congestion. Ulcers with febrile accompaniments. Nasvus.

Tissues

Antenna, blood-poverty, want of red blood. Leucaemia. Hyperemia, from relaxation of muscular fibres of blood vessels. Pre-exudative stage of inflammation. Hemorrhages from any part of the body; blood bright red, with a tendency to coagulate rapidly. Epistaxis, especially in children. Mechanical injuries, results of kicks, blows, falls and cuts, for the inflammatory symptoms. Bone diseases when the soft parts are red, inflamed and painful. Dropsy from loss of blood and draining of the system. Varicose veins in young persons. Fractures, especially if soft parts are wounded. First stage of ostitis. Sprains externally as well as internally. Glandular ulceration. Wounds of the soft parts, with inflammatory symptoms. To be given in true chlorosis after Calc. phos.

Modalities

All the pains of this remedy are aggravated by motion and are relieved by cold. Acts brilliantly in old people.

Homoeopathic Data

Ferr. phos. was proved by J. C. Morgan, M. D., in 1876. The symptomatology is to be found in Allen's Encyclopaedia, vol. x, and in the Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesis, vol. ii. The wide and extensive usefulness of this drug is entirely owing to its introduction by Schussler. The provings up to the present time do not give a sufficient basis for the broad clinical applications that have been made of it according to the indications of Schussler, although the provings, so far as they have gone, support these.

Administration

Triturations and dilutions from the 6x to the 12x are recommended by Schussler, although for anaemia much lower preparations have been used, as the 1x or 2x. Competent and trustworthy observers have found it advisable not to use this remedy below the I2x at night, as it is exceedingly liable to cause sleeplessness. Its external application is also recommended by Schussler in such diseases as sprains, wounds, hemorrhages, hemorrhoids, etc. Cures with the 200th potency are reported in catarrh, summer complaint, gonorrhoea, etc. Dr. Morgan (the prover) uses the 30th potency in water in scarlatina.

Relationship

Corresponding as it does to the first stage of inflammation without, exudation, its nearest analogue is Acon. It stands midway between Acon, and Gels. Schussler expresses himself as follows in regard to the use of Acon, for similar indications: "In the cases in which the vegetable remedy Acon, is used for irritation - hyperemia - the basis of the first stage of all inflammations - the practice is indirect 5 biochemistry. Regarding the way and the mode in which Acon, can bring about a cure, there are two possibilities to be thought of. Either the Acon, molecules, which have reached the seat of the disease, serve as a temporary substitute for iron molecules, which have ceased to perform their function, but only until the functional disturbance has been repaired by means of the vital circulation, or the Acon, molecules cause at once the introduction of new iron molecules into the diseased tissue, and are themselves ejected as foreign bodies as soon as the integrity of the latter has been restored - a fate which naturally also would be shared by those Acon, molecules which might have served as substitutes. Each of these possibilities would rest on indirect biochemistry.

The healing of the irritation - hyperemia - however, by means of Ferr.phos. is a direct biochemic procedure." (Walker's Ed. of Schussler's Diphth).

Aconite has a more bounding pulse and the characteristic restlessness and anxiety; Gelsem. a more soft, flowing pulse and more drowsiness and dulness.

In aniemic conditions compare also China, with which it has many symptoms in common. It is interesting to note that the tree from which China is obtained is always found in a ferruginous locality.

In its action upon the respiratory organs it clearly stands between iron and phosphorus. Like Ferr., it is indicated in congestion of the respiratory organs, even when there is considerable fever. Especially notice that the oppression and dyspnoea, both of which are extremely marked in Ferr. and Phosphor., are duplicated in this compound and afford good indications for its use; so, in a general way, symptoms of oppression like Phosphor, should be treated by this drug. (Allen, Handbook).

Ferr. phos. corresponds in many points also to Bryan., Bellad. and Arnica, and to Hepar and Mercur., especially in acute inflammation of middle ear. In the debility, loss of strength and vitality of children, it is the remedy if the flesh be firm, complexion delicate, hair light and curly; but Sulphur takes its place in dark-complexioned children, with flabby muscles, long and lank hair and moist skin. In the rheumatic affections of the aged, when the muscles are stiff and weakened, with a disposition to painful cramps, compare Slrych. phos. California Zinfandel wine, a pure claret, the product of the vine growing in a volcanic, virgin soil, strongly impregnated with iron, possesses virtues in cases of anaemic tendency, probably due to the iron soil on which it grows. After Ferr. phos. is frequently indicated Kali mur. (See therapeutical part.) Especially in diphtheria, pneumonia, croup, etc., etc.

In chlorosis, follow or precede Calc. phos.

In hemorrhoids, Calc. fluor.

In diabetes, Natr. sulph.

In broncho-pneumonia. Tart. cmet.

In ear affections, catarrhal deafness, Calendula and Hydrastis.