Emotionally Neutral Phosphoric Acid – A Psychodynamic Study

Dr Krishnendu maity

Constitution:
Most of the Phosphoric Acid belongs to the ‘Phosphoric Constitution’ of Léon Vannier. The person is a thin & ‘frail’ individual; tall & slim; with an easy & graceful gait and pleasant manner. They originally have a strong built, but debilitated by loss of vital fluids or long succession of moral emotions (grief, care, disappointed affections); sunken, deep-seated eyes, surrounded by blue rings. Limbs are long & thin; trunk elongated; narrow thorax; elongated face; large, attractive, healthy-looking eyes; skinny, angular, open facial features.

The outstretched forearm, arm & hand form a perfectly straight line – i.e. 180⁰ [whereas, Carbonic constitution form acute angle – i.e. less than 90⁰ and Fluoric constitution form obtuse angle – i.e. more than 180⁰]. The longitudinal axis of the arm is exactly in the same plane as that of the forearm and the rectilinear disposition is perform.

Grief & disappontment: –
Phosphoric Acid is an acute / sub-acute medicine for the effects of grief, exhaustion & disappointed love. The most characteristic features of mental of the Phosphoric Acid is ‘emotional neutrality’. This emotional numbness is more profound than apathy of Sepia and unemotional rationality of Kalium Group. The sense of neutrality is so complete & continuous that they usually say ‘It is as if I were not alive’. Phosphoric Acid has no emotion and feels like a ghost or drifting through an unreal life in which he performs almost automatically [KR: MIND – DREAM, as if in a:   Ph-ac ® 2^nd grade]; without any motivation and no sense of satisfaction. There are no love, no happiness, no sadness – just emptiness.

These pathological states were preceded by profound grief [KR: MIND – GRIEF, ailments from: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade]. The grief may be in the form of homesickness [KR: MIND – HOME-SICKNESS: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade]. That grief can result in this lasting state of emotional numbness.

Mental confusion: –
Dr. William Bœricke noted, in Phosphoric Acid ‘debility’ first mentally, then physically. Dr. Kent also noted in his Materia Medica that the mental pathology of Phosphoric Acid usually precedes the physical. According to Dr. Philip bailey, ‘The emotional pathology of Phosphoric Acid is first appear, followed later by intellectual impairment, and lastly, by physical problems’.

After a period of emotional numbness she may start to forget things [KR: MIND – FORGETFUL: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade]. She states that her mind becomes blank in the middle of the train of thoughts. She may stop at the midst of the conversation – as the mind gets filled up with more & more blank space. When asked, Phosphoric Acid takes longer time to answer [KR: MIND – ANSWERS, slowly: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade; KR: MIND – ANSWERS, reflects long:   Ph-ac ® 2^nd grade]. Phosphoric Acid takes longer time first to comprehend the question, and then to respond to it accordingly. This is not due to lack of intelligence, but due to random freezing of thought process.

This kind of mental pathology has profound consequences for the patient. At first he withdraws himself socially, declining invitations and sitting passively in company [KR: MIND – SIT, inclination to: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade]. Eventually, the practical performance deteriorates – as mind becomes muddled [KR: MIND – CONCENTRATION difficult: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade; KR: MIND – DULLNESS, think long, unable to: Ph-ac ® 2^nd grade; KR: MIND – MEMORY, weakness of: Ph-ac ® 1^st grade; BBCR: MIND – MEMORY; poor, weak, forgetful, etc.: PHO-AC ® 1^st grade]. Probably they develop Pre-senile Dementia or Passive Schizophrenia                                         [Synthesis (7.0): MIND – DEMENTIA (CR) MIND – SCHIZOPHRENIA: Ph-ac ® 3^rd grade].

The intellectual deterioration of Phosphoric Acid resembles with that of Alumina and Argentum Metallicum – with finer differentiation as

However, Phosphoric Acid is also anxious like Alumina & Argentum Metallicum for his intellectual deterioration. This is usually a realistic anxiety about coping and about how far their mental deterioration will progress   [KR: MIND – ANXIETY, future, about: Ph-ac ® 2^nd grade]. In most of the Phosphoric Acids panic sets in as a result of inability to think coherently; and this panic drives them into rushing, in an attempt to compensate.

Emotional emptiness: –
Phosphoric Acid is a Syphilitic medicine; with a relatively severe picture of mental pathology. One result of the emotional impoverishment of Phosphoric Acid is ‘they may rely on others to feel for them’. The mental picture appears to include Obsessive – Compulsive Disorders – which the individual resorts to automatically in an attempt to preserve some mental stability. Compulsive behaviour may leads to Bulimia Nervosa – as if Phosphoric Acid, with emotional emptiness, is trying to fill the void inside with food [KR: STOMACH – APPETITE, increased: Ph-ac ®  2^nd grade; KR: STOMACH – APPETITE, ravenous, canine, excessive: Ph-ac ® 2^nd grade].

Abbreviation:

• BBCR – Boger-Bœnninghausen’s Characteristic & Repertory.
• KR – Kent’s Repertory.
• Ph-ac – Phosphoric Acid.  

Sources: –

1. Allen, Henry C. – Allen’s Key Notes.
2. Bailey, Philip M. – Homœopathic Psychology.
3. Bœricke, William & Oscar E. – Pocket Manual of Homœopathic Materia Medica and Repertory.
4. Boger, Cyrus M. – Bœnninghausen’s Characteristic & Repertory.
5. Kent, James T. – Repertory to Homœopathic Materia Medica.
6. Schröyens, Frederik – Synthesis (7.0).
7. Vannier, Léon – Homœopathy Human Medicine. 

Dr Krishnendu maity
BHMS [Calcutta University] MD (Hom. Repertory) [Pune University]
Associate Professor & I/c Dept. of Practice of Medicine
Teaching Practice of Medicine, Materia Medica & Repertory
Lal Bahadur Shastri Homœopathic Medical College & Hospital, Bhopal.
Email: post.krishnendu2010@ymail.com