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Calcareaphosphorica

Calcarea phosphorica (Calc phos) isa wonderful remedy. It is remark-able that a remedy prepared from

a major constituent of the body (calciumphosphate) should have such an inter-esting physical and psychological pro-file homeopathically. The main themesin this remedy have to do with nutrition,deprivation, grief and intellectual study.

A clue about Calc phos is found fromour everyday use of calcium phosphate:its main use is in fertilisers and animalfeeds (promotion of growth) and in en-amelling, glass manufacture and dentalproducts (reinforcing hard structures).In the human body calcium phosphateis found in bones. The mineralisation ofthe matrix of the dense outer shell ofbones with minute crystals of calciumphosphate makes the bone hard. Calci-um phosphate is the chief constituent ofenamel, the extremely hard materialcovering the crown of teeth.

Nutrition and developmentCalc phos comes into usefulness at anytime in life when nutrition and growthare especially important. It is thereforea major remedy for infants, children attimes like dentition and at puberty whenthere is accelerated growth.

Infants and children needing thisremedy tend to have a dark complexionwith dark hair and eyes. They are deli-cate, lanky and scrawny. They have asunken, flabby abdomen. They can betall and thin, and have been describedas looking “like a Chinese noodle”. Calcphos children can be very insecure. Theymay bite their nails or often put theirfingers into the mouth. They want to becarried all the time.

In developing countries this remedycan be applicable for deprivation syn-dromes like marasmus (wasting of thebody) and protein-calorie malnutrition.Calc phos infants can also be emaciateddue to any physical illness like diarrhoea,amoebiasis, malabsorption or worms.They can suffer with malabsorptionstates like Coeliac disease. There is a ten-

A combination

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elements produces

an important

remedy, writes

Jonathan Hardy

dency to develop brittle, soft, thin andweak bones and children can have grow-ing pains or rickets. There can be lateclosure of sutures and non-union of frac-tures, imperfect ossification, kyphosis(curvature of the spine), scoliosis (bend-ing of the spine), and late closure of thefontanelles (the sutures between thebones forming the scalp).

Dentition is a time of stress for Calcphos children and can be slow, delayedor simply debilitate the child. Thesechildren are unable to assimilate theirnutrition properly and may have thepeculiar symptom of an aversion to theirmother’s milk. They suffer with severecolic with belching. They can have aravenous appetite but weak digestionwith every bite of food hurting thestomach. They are extremely chilly andCalc phos individuals of all ages aresensitive to the cold, draughts, easterlywinds and, most characteristically, theair when snow is melting.

There often appears to be a strongemotional causation in the developmentof the Calc phos state. One authoritysays these children often have parentswho are generally immature and irre-sponsible or who have suffered fromsevere economic stress or marital dishar-mony. As a result, the child has sufferedfrom emotional deprivation or, in devel-oping countries, also from nutritionaldeprivation. These children are often,as a result, anxious and nervous witha desire to be carried all the time. Theycan be hyper-alert, conscious of everymove made by the doctor when exam-ined. One characteristic symptom is involuntary sighing, which appears to be as a result of internalised grief.They often can feel guilty, especiallywhen another child is shouted at or re-proached. They can even become violentwhen this happens. They are sensitive tocriticism, timid and lack self-confidence,but can be snappy and abusive.

TeenagersCalc phos is a very important medicine

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for teenagers. They are stressed nutri-tionally as it is a time of rapid growth.They are also under immense pressureto learn and study which is a majoraggravating factor for these individuals.It is a major remedy for headache inschoolchildren and students. It is also amajor remedy for loss of motivationcaused by diminished energy followingtoo rapid growth or disappointments inlove – another sadly common occurrencein teenagers! This can lead to the not-uncommon teenage state of apathy,aggravation from mental and physicalexertion, peevishness, obstinacy and insome cases the characteristic sighing.

Another major theme in these indi-viduals is a sense of dissatisfaction, bore-dom and a desire for change and travel.Calc phos is a central remedy of thetubercular miasm which has a core sen-sation of feeling restricted with a strongdesire to move and break free. A uniquesymptom of the remedy is: “Home,desires to go and when there, desiresto go out”. In other words, restlessnessand cannot find a place where they areat peace.

It is fascinating to analyse why thisstate should be in the remedy. You cangain an understanding by looking at theconstituent parts of the remedy: Calciumand Phosphorus. Calcarea people needto have others around them, they wantto be protected because they feel insecureand they find their security within theirhouse and home. On the other hand,Phosphorus people have the feeling ofbeing unloved and uncared for and theycompensate for this feeling by beingaffectionate, friendly and sympathetic.We can therefore see that the Calc phosindividual wants to go out and relate toothers, meet people, communicate andbe affectionate and make friends butat the same time feels insecure and there-fore wants to go home again where theycan once again feel safe.

It is also interesting to consider thatbone (of which Calc phos is a chief com-ponent) not only provides security andstability, but also facilitates mobility. Wemove around through muscular actionon our skeletal system. Calc phos indi-viduals tend to be very active physicallyas well as mentally. They are often found

to be good sportspeople and love phys-ical exercise. It is interesting that sportoften involves the themes of activity,mobility and friendliness – the themesof Calc phos. These people are often ofan athletic build – tall and muscular.They tend to be lean.

ConditionsAs well as the conditions of infants andchildren I have mentioned, these indi-viduals can suffer with rheumatism,arthritis, hip joint disease, exostoses(growths on bones and joints), traumaticarthritis, tubercular arthritis, osteo-porosis, easy fractures and slow healingof fractures.

A condition I have found this rem-edy very helpful for is Osgood-SchlatterDisease. This causes inflammation andpain in the shinbone at the insertion ofthe patella tendon of the knee. It is foundin teenagers and can often cause themto have to give up sport for several years.I have found Calc phos invariablyquickly curative in this condition.

I have also found this remedy veryeffective in joint diseases and especially

Children needing Calc phos tend to have a dark complexion with dark hair and eyes

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26 H&H Spring 2006

in osteo-arthritis of the knees. The indi-cations for its use are the general con-stitutional state of Calc phos and alsothe modalities of worsening of the jointpain in cold, windy weather. If the leftknee is first affected, followed by theright, that is also an indication for thisremedy. One of my patients with osteo-arthritis of the knees also had the help-ful symptom of a very strong craving forpork. These individuals tend to like hamfat, pork, bacon, smoked food and saltyfood. On the other hand they can haveweak digestion and they are especiallyaggravated by ice cream and other coldfoods like ice, cold drinks and fruit.

Another strong theme from Calcphos “Aggravation from mental exer-tion and study” can also be understoodby looking at its constituent elements.One well-known authority, Jan Scholten,has drawn attention to the Calciumthemes of sensitivity to criticism and afeeling of shyness and insecurity whilethe Phosphorus element has themes ofcommunication, curiosity, travel andlearning and study. Putting these twotogether produces a number of themes,including the idea of being very sensitiveto what others feel about their ability tolearn and study. He quotes a very inter-esting case of a woman who had neverbeen well since a trauma at the age oftwelve. This trauma was that the headof her school told her parents in front ofa number of other people that she was notvery good at studying and should go toan easy secondary school. From this pointshe became anxious, lost her playfulnessand started developing physical symp-toms, including severe rheumatic painsin her back. Calc phos produced amarked improvement – she felt better and

calmer, her backache disappeared andshe recovered her previous cheerfulness.

Because of the sensitivity about whatothers think of their learning capacities,the Calc phos youngster may start tostudy extremely hard, a subconsciouscompensation to try and make sure oth-ers do not think they cannot learn orcommunicate well. They are always busydeveloping their knowledge and con-tinuously want to see and experiencenew things. All this work can then leadto headaches and burn-out – with lassi-tude and apathy. Calc phos is one of themain remedies for difficulty waking andI am sure we all know teenagers whocannot get out of bed in the morning! Ifthe child feels that they cannot live upto the expectations they can sometimesgive up and withdraw, developing anaversion to school with headaches orstomach aches and then we have anotherwell-known Calc phos rubric: “Desireto go home”.

Personality typeCalc phos people are friendly and makefriends easily. They love to travel. Thecharacteristic thing is that they tend tomake a new home wherever they go –home-making comes from the Calcareaelement. Any remedy with Phosphorusas an element will show a strong themeof sympathy and communication and

will be found in people for whomfriends, family and acquaintances arevery important in their lives. Calc phospeople can suffer with home-sickness,missing their loved ones when they goaway from the home. They can sufferfrom grief and disappointment in loveand their reaction can be one of jealousyand irritability. This is one of the rem-edy types which is very sensitive to injus-tice: children are likely to be heardsaying “It’s not fair!” – especially whenthey feel others have been given morelove and attention than they have. Theycan become intuitive. Perhaps as a meansto bypass their limitations – knowingthey want to learn and acquire knowl-edge but feeling they lack the energy andstrength to acquire it in the usual way.This sensitivity may explain anotherkeynote symptom of Calc phos which isfear of receiving bad news. In one of theoriginal provings by T. F. Allen (a great19th-century homeopath), one of theprovers was described as: “Unpleasantnews makes him beside himself. Verymuch out of humour, disinclined to speak,after disagreeable news.”

One of the most fascinating aspectsof homeopathy is that of strange, rareand peculiar symptoms. These are symp-toms that are unique to one specific rem-edy and are completely unpredictable.In other words, by looking at the con-stituent elements of Calcium andPhosphorus we cannot predict thestrange, rare or peculiar symptom. Thesame applies to any remedy and showshow important it is to have provings andclinical observations which are the onlymeans by which we come to peculiarsymptoms. Calc phos has some won-derful strange, rare and peculiar symp-toms. One is a strong liking for thecolour pink and it is interesting that Calcphos girls often have a strong desire forpink clothing. On the other hand, whenthey are older they can become tomboys,preferring to climb trees and other out-door pursuits.

Calc phos is one of our most impor-tant remedies. It has provided relief forpatients of all ages, physically, emo-tionally and mentally and will, of course,continue to do so.

Jonathan Hardy MA BM MFHom has been practising homeo-pathy full-time in Hampshire since 1985. He obtained a degreein zoology before studying medicine and has a special interestin animal remedies.

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