Repertory › Remedies in the repertory

Kalium phosphoricum (Kali‑p.)

Kalium phosphoricum (Kali‑p.) appears in 752 rubrics in the Repertory. Of these, 10 are single-remedy rubrics in which only this remedy is listed, and 32 are small rubrics with at most two other remedies. The emphasis of the specific rubrics lies on Children, Fear, mental exertion and exhaustion, as well as Anxiety, Speech and Irritability. From these emerges the picture of a person whose mental strength has been used up and for whom action itself has become a threat.

Exhaustion from mental work

The starting point is overexertion. The rubrics list exhaustion from night watching or excessive study, a dull feeling in the head after mental exertion, weakness of will, lack of ideas and wearisome writing. The work itself becomes torment: his own incapacity seems to drive the patient to madness, thoughts wander during work, and sluggishness shows in the conduct of business. Two single-remedy rubrics sum up the consequence: helplessness from overwork and taciturnity from overwork.

Anxiety about attempting

The anxiety is not directed at an event but at acting. Single-remedy rubrics are "Anxiety – attempting to do something, on" and anxiety after mental overexertion. To this belong fear of being alone during convulsions and nervous fear. Memory swings in both directions: past events pursue the person although he wants to remember them, and speech fails, so that he cannot articulate or speaks with difficulty in anger. One can see in this a strength that gives out where it would be needed.

Religious melancholy and aversion to medicine

A separate group links the mental state with religion and medicine. Listed are refusal to take medicine and evasion of all strategies to administer it in religious melancholy, as well as a rejecting mood toward medicine in religious delusion. With religious sadness goes tearing of clothes, of pajamas and of bed linen.

Feeling and family

The feelings are dull and irritable at the same time. The rubrics list indifference to everyday matters, irritability alternating with discouragement, and sadness from delayed menses. Among the rubrics for Children (62), resentment and hatred toward family members stand out, while the child is otherwise rather peaceable; in adults this corresponds to cruelty toward the family. Screaming at night in panic fear is listed.

Summary

In the Repertory, Kalium phosphoricum stands for an exhaustion of the mind that makes action fearful and dulls feeling. Through work and study the person reaches the limit of his strength; memory, speech and will fail where they would be needed, and irritability discharges most readily in the closest circle.

A reference work for professionals; it does not replace diagnosis or treatment.