Agaricus Muscarius

As Agaricus is used in many parts for making an intoxicating drink, we find in

alcoholism a sphere for its action, and also in all states of delirtum, mania, and even idiocy. A

peculiarity of the delirium is to make verses and prophesy; also silly merriness, and incoherent

talk, with mania; kisses companions. Talcott considers Agaric. gives the nearest approach to

general paralysis of all remedies; exalted notions of grandeur and power, hilarity, and excitement

followed by depression, confusion, imbecility. Accompanying bodily symptoms are vertigo

(marked and persistent), with constant impulse to fall backward; twitching about eyes and face,

redness without heat, puffy and distorted. Ravenous appetite, with bolting of food. Sexual

appetite enormous and enthusiastic, with relaxed penis and impotence. Throughout the body

there are spasmodic twitchings, followed by waning tremulousness; finally relaxation and

exhaustion. In all these respects the drug accurately corresponds with the disease. Typhoid states

often call for it, and also epilepsy. Rolling of the head is a leading indication for it in brain

affections and fever. Peculiar headaches are: "Throbbing headache, with sensation of stiffness of

muscles of face." "Dull, drawing headache in the morning, extending into root of nose, with

nose-bleed or thick mucous discharge." "Pain as from a nail in right side of head." One of the

most characteristic of the Agaricus effects is the muscular jerking and twitching it sets up. This

renders it appropriate in large numbers of cases of chorea. Twitchings are especially marked in

the eyes, eyelids, and facial muscles; and Agaricus has cured many cases of blepharospasm and

tic convulsif. Pain as if touched or pierced by needles of ice is very characteristic. Belonging to a

low order of vegetation Agar. produces fetidity of breath, eructations, and stools. Sweat may be

oily but is not offensive. Agar. is a spleen medicine, causing stitch in the side, and it has cured

stitch in runners, enabling them to run further. The symptoms of Agaricus are apt to appear at the

same time on opposite sides of the body but diagonally (right upper and left lower, or vice

• ▸versa).
• ▸The nervous patients requiring Agar.
• ▸pass little urine (opp.
• ▸/gn.
• ▸), though the bladder may

be irritable.

Mushrooms are among the articles of diet forbidden by Grauvogl to persons having the

"hydrogenoid constitution," as described by him, in which the patients are exceedingly sensitive

to cold and damp. Agreebly with this we find in the provings of Agaricus great sensitiveness to

cold air. All symptoms are < in cold weather, especially headache. Looking out of an open

window causes toothache and pains in the limbs. Drinking cold water < Symptoms are < before a

thunderstorm. At the same time many symptoms of intense coldness are produced: cold and blue;

sensations as if touched with ice, or ice-cold needles. All the symptoms of frostbite and

chilblains (itching, redness, and burning). Somewhat allied to chilblains is bunion, for which

Agar. has been found specific by many practitioners. Many symptoms appear when walking in

the open air; this is a very general and characteristic aggravation. On the other hand, all

symptoms are < indoors and at rest, except vertigo, which may be either < or > in a room.

Conversely to sensitiveness to cold there is sensitiveness to the rays of the sun, and sunstroke is

within the curative range of Agaric. < After moving, and by pressure from without.

• ▸Coitus, subjective symptoms arising after.
• ▸Frost.
• ▸Sun.
• ▸Fright.
• ▸Mental application or

• ▸excitement.
• ▸Over-exertion.
• ▸Sexual excess.
• ▸Alcoholism.
• ▸Blood poisoning.

• ▸Sings, talks, but does not answer.
• ▸Loquacity.
• ▸Aversion to work.
• ▸Indifference.
• ▸Fearlessness. Delirium characterized by singing, shouting, and muttering; rhymes and prophesies.
• ▸Begins with paroxysm of yawning.

The provings bring out four phases of cerebral excitement.

1. Slight stimulation-shown by increased cheerfulness, courage, loquacity, exalted fancy.

• ▸2.
• ▸More decided intoxication-great mental excitement and incoherent talking, immoderate gaity alternates with melancholy.
• ▸Perception of relative size of objects is lost, takes long steps and jumps over small objects as if they were trunks of trees-a small hole appears as a frightful chasm, a spoonful of water an immense lake.
• ▸Physical strength is increased, can lift heavy loads.
• ▸With it much twitching.

3. Third stage produces a condition of furious or raging delirium, screaming, raving, wants to injure himself, etc.

4. Fourth stage-mental depression, languor, indifference, confusion, disinclination to work, etc. We do not get the active cerebral congestion of Belladonna, but a general nervous excitement such as is found in delirium tremens, delirium of fevers, etc.

Aversion to conversation.—Indisposed to perform any kind of labour, esp.

• ▸mental.
• ▸—Exuberant fancy.
• ▸—Ecstasy.
• ▸—Inclination to make verses and to prophesy.
• ▸—Mania, timid,

or furious, with great display of strength.—Embraces companions and kisses their hands;

alternately with vexation.—Silly merriness.—Great loquacity; sings, talks, but does not answer

questions.—Delirium, tries to get out of bed.—Delirium constant, knows no one, throws things at

the nurse.—Delirium tremens.—Morose, self-willed, stubborn, slow in learning to walk and talk.

Painful cramps in the muscles when seated —Sensation of tearing in the limbs,

principally during repose, whether seated or standing, and which disappears on

movement.—Twitchings in the eyeballs, eyelids, cheeks, posteriorly in the chest, in the

abdomen.—Symptoms which exhibit themselves transversely (for instance, in the r. arm and in

the |. leg), > by walking slowly.—Great sensibility in the whole body; the softest pressure

produces continued pains.—Pains, as from a bruise in the limbs and in all the joints, after even

moderate exercise.—Soreness and sensation of rawness (nose and mouth).—Piercing pains in

different parts of the body, chiefly in the head, with desire for sleep, and faintness when

seated.—Tearing pains (face, legs) continuous while at rest, disappearing While moving

• ▸about.
• ▸—Great weakness and heaviness in all the limbs.
• ▸—Trembling.
• ▸—Convulsions.
• ▸—Epileptic

• ▸fits.
• ▸—Epilepsy (with great exertions of strength).
• ▸—Great sensibility to cool air.
• ▸—Great

sensitiveness of the body to pressure and cold air.

• ▸Vertigo from sunlight, and on walking.
• ▸Head in constant motion.
• ▸Falling backward, as if a weight in occiput.
• ▸Lateral headache, as if from a nail (Coff; Ignat).
• ▸Dull headache from prolonged desk-work.
• ▸Icy coldness, like icy needles, or splinters.
• ▸Neuralgia with icy cold head.
• ▸Desire to cover head warmly (Silica).
• ▸Headache with nose-bleed or thick mucous discharge.

Dizziness, as from intoxication, principally in the open air, in the morning, and on

reflecting.—Vertigo, with impulse to fall backward.—The bright light of the sun instantly

produces a dizziness, so as to occasion falling. —Piercing pains in the head when seated.—Dull

pain, chiefly in the forehead, with drawing of the eyelids.—Drawing pains in the head, extending

to the eyes and root of nose, principally on waking in the morning.—Pain, as if a nail were driven

into the head; < when sitting quietly; > by slowly moving about.—Digging pain and sensation as

from a bruise in the brain —Semilateral cephalalgia; pulling and pressing with confusion in the

head.—Beating in the vertex, with almost furious despair.—Pressure in the head to the bottom of

the brain, increased by pressure or contact of the hair, and accompanied by a complete loss of

• ▸energy.
• ▸—Sensation of icy coldness in the head; on the scalp, r.
• ▸side of frontal bone.
• ▸—A jerking

sensation in the forehead and in the temple.—Great sensitiveness of the scalp, as from

subcutaneous ulceration.—Itching of the hairy scalp, esp. early in the morning.

• ▸Reading difficult, as type seems to move, to swim.
• ▸Vibrating specters.
• ▸Double vision (Gels), dim and flickering.
• ▸Asthenopia from prolonged strain, spasm of accommodation.
• ▸Twitching of lids and eyeballs (Codein).
• ▸Margins of lids red; itch and burn and agglutinate.
• ▸Inner angles very red.

Itching in the eyes.—Burning sensation in the internal corners of the eyelids, which are

painful on being touched.—Pressure in the eyes—Humour in the corners of the eyes, and

agglutination of the lids.—T witching of the eyelids and eyeballs —The cleft of the eyelids

growing narrower.—Canthi itch, burn, are red; < from touch; stick together (lachrymal

fistula).—A viscid yellow humour glues the eyelids together——Weakness and confusion of vision,

as from a mist before the eyes——Brownish spots (like flies) before the eyes.—Black motes before

• ▸the eyes ——Myopia.
• ▸—Diplopia.
• ▸Muscular asthenopia; nystagmus; squint.
• ▸—Clonic spasms.

Burn and itch, as if frozen. Twitching of muscles about the ear and noises.

Otalgia excited and aggravated on the admission of free air.—Itching in the ears, with

redness and burning pain, as from chilblains.—Buzzing in the ears.

• ▸Nervous nasal disturbances.
• ▸Itching internally and externally.
• ▸Spasmodic sneezing after coughing; sensitiveness; watery non-inflammatory discharge.
• ▸Inner angles very red.
• ▸Fetid, dark, bloody discharge.
• ▸Nosebleed in old people.
• ▸Sensation of soreness in nose and mouth.

Excoriation and inflammation of the nostrils, with painful sensibility.—Itching in the

interior and on the exterior of the nose.—Blood on blowing the nose, and bleeding at the

• ▸nose.
• ▸—Increased acuteness of smell.
• ▸—Frequent sneezing without coryza.
• ▸Dryness of the

nose.—Flow of clear water from the nose, without coryza.

Facial muscles feel stiff; twitch; face itches and burns. Lancinating, tearing pain in cheeks, as of splinters. Neuralgia, as if cold needles ran through nerves or sharp ice touched them.

• ▸Tearing in the face and jaw bones.
• ▸—Twitching in the (r.
• ▸) cheek.
• ▸—On waking, pain in 1.

jaw-joint, so violent, he can scarcely open his mouth.—Itching, redness, and burning in the

cheeks, as if from chilblains —Palpitations and pulsations in the cheeks.—Bluish lips.—Burning

fissures in the upper lip.—Herpetic eruption, principally on upper lip—Spasmodic drawing in the

chin and in the lower jaw.—Needle-like prickings in chin; chin covered with minute blisters.

• ▸Burning and smarting on lips.
• ▸Herpes on lips.
• ▸Twitching.
• ▸Taste sweet.
• ▸Aphthae on roof of mouth.
• ▸Splinter like pains in tongue.
• ▸Thirsty all the time.
• ▸Tremulous tongue (Lach).
• ▸Tongue white.

Pain, as from excoriation in the mouth and in the palate—Excoriation of the

tongue —Tongue, after a meal, covered with aphthz of a dirty yellow, with a sensation as if the

skin were being taken off—Tongue coated white.—Neuralgic splinter-like pains in tongue with

salivation.—Ulcer on the freenum of the tongue.—Offensive smell of the mouth, as after eating

horse-radish.—Foam about the mouth.—Flow of bitter saliva —Speech inarticulate.

Tearing pains in the teeth, aggravated by cold.—Tearing in the lower molar teeth, <

• ▸from cold air.
• ▸—Shooting from r.
• ▸lower teeth up to r.
• ▸side of head.
• ▸—Gums swollen, painful, and

readily bleeding.

Dry fauces and pharynx, causing contraction and difficulty of swallowing; with

ravenous appetite.—Pressure in fauces as though a foreign body stuck there which could not be

removed by swallowing.—Induration of tonsils.—Tension in thyroid gland; < towards evening;

feels cravat too tight.—Throws up small floculi or solid lumps of phlegm almost without any

cough.

• ▸Stitches along eustachian tube to ear.
• ▸Feels contracted.
• ▸Small solid balls of phlegm thrown up.
• ▸Dryness of pharynx, swallowing difficult.
• ▸Scratching in throat; cannot sing a note.

• ▸Empty eructations, tasting of apples.
• ▸Nervous disturbances, with spasmodic contractions, hiccough.
• ▸Unnatural hunger.
• ▸Flatulent distention of stomach and abdomen.
• ▸Profuse inodorous flatus.
• ▸Burning in stomach about three hours after a meal, changing into a dull pressure.
• ▸Gastric disturbance with sharp pains in liver region.

Insipid and fetid taste in the mouth—Want of appetite for bread.—Hunger, with

want of appetite —Attacks of bulimy, chiefly in the evening.—After a meal, pressure in the

stomach and the abdomen, with fulness.—Very drowsy after dinner.

Eructations alternately with hiccough.—Eructations, with the taste of the food that

has been taken.—Frequent empty eructations; or with the taste of apples; or with the taste of

rotten eggs.—Nausea, with cutting pains.—Inclination to vomit immediately after a

meal.—Pressure on the stomach, and in the precordial region, after a meal —Pain resembling

cramp and oppressive heaviness in the stomach.

• ▸Stitching pains in liver, spleen (Ceanothus) and abdomen.
• ▸Stitches under short ribs, left side.
• ▸Diarrhoea with much fetid flatus.
• ▸Fetid stools.

Shootings (sharp needle-like pains) in the hepatic region.—Prickings in the

region of the spleen during and after inspiration.—Stitch in side from running.—Cutting and

pinching pains in the abdomen as from diarrhoea.—Moving about and rumbling noise in the

abdomen.—Abundant expulsion of flatulency of a fetid odour, like that of garlic.

Hard stools of a dark colour after a period of constipation.—Loose stools in

the form of pap, with flatulency and severe colic.—Loose stools, a painful drawing in the

stomach and in the abdomen.—Tingling in the anus.—Itching in the anus, as from

• ▸worms.
• ▸—Dysenteric flux.
• ▸—Diarrhcea of children, with grass-green, bilious stools.
• ▸—Fetid stools.

Urine scanty and infrequent.—Urine clear, and of a yellow (lemon)

colour.—Flow of viscous mucus from the urethra.

Stitches in urethra. Sudden and violent urging to urinate. Frequent urination.

• ▸Menses, increased, earlier.
• ▸Itching and tearing, pressive pains of genitals and back.
• ▸Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea.
• ▸Severe bearing-down pains, especially after menopause.
• ▸Sexual excitement.
• ▸Nipples itch, burn.
• ▸Complaints following parturition and coitus.
• ▸Leucorrhoea, with much itching.

Awfully bearing-down pains almost intolerable-—Menses too

profuse and early, with tearing, pressive pains in back and abdomen.—Itching and irritation of the

parts with strong desire for an embrace.—During menses: headache, toothache, pain and itching

in |. ear, > by boring; labour-like pains; pains in 1. arm; itching; palpitation;

salivation.—Leucorrheea, with much itching internally and externally.

Increase of sexual desire, with flaccidity of the penis.—Scanty

emission in coition.—A fter coition great weakness and nocturnal sweat.—Itching in the

genitals—A sensation of drawing in the testes.

• ▸Violent attacks of coughing that can be suppressed by effort of will, worse eating, pain in head while cough lasts.
• ▸Spasmodic cough at night after falling asleep, with expectoration of little balls of mucus.
• ▸Labored, oppressed breathing.
• ▸Cough ends in a sneeze.

Expectoration of small globules of mucus, almost without

cough.—Spasmodic, convulsive, nervous cough, which may provoke secondary hemorrhage.

• ▸Irregular, tumultuous palpitation, after tobacco.
• ▸Pulse intermittent and irregular.
• ▸Cardiac region oppressed, as if thorax were narrowed.
• ▸Palpitation with redness of face.

Respiration short and laboured, with difficulty of walking, even slowly.—Respiration

difficult, as if the chest were full of blood—Oppressive constriction of the chest, with a necessity

for frequent and deep inspirations. Pain principally in the lower part of the chest, as if its

contents were compressed.—Prickings in the chest.—Copious nocturnal sweat upon the

chest.—Itching of the nipples.

Stitches; burning, shooting pains in region of heart, extending to |. shoulder-blade; <

by coughing, sneezing, or deep inspiration.—Oppression in cardiac region as if thorax

narrowed.—Painful palpitations of the heart—With heart symptoms, paralysed feeling in |. arm

and hand.—Pulse weak, dicrotic, intermittent.

• ▸Pain, with sensitiveness of spine to touch; worse in dorsal region.
• ▸Lumbago; worse in open air.
• ▸Crick in back.
• ▸Twitching of cervical muscles.

Pain as from fatigue and dislocation in the back, at the nape of the neck

and in the loins, esp. when sitting or lying down.—Painful weakness in the muscles of the

back.—Sensation of soreness and great weakness in the back.—Paralytic pain in the loins,

increased by walking or by standing.

Arms weak and without vigour.—Burning pain in the arms, followed by an

eruption of small pimples with scaling of the epidermis.—Irregular and hurried movements of

arm.—Upper arms shaken as from an electric shock.—Prostration, weariness, and paralytic feeling

• ▸in |.
• ▸arm.
• ▸—Tearing in both hands; on 1.
• ▸wrist.
• ▸—Trembling of hands; and coldness.
• ▸—Tearing in the

fingers.—Cramp-like pain in the thumb.—Paleness and numbness of the fingers, which are, at the

same time, very sensitive to cold.—Itching, burning pain, and redness in the fingers, as if from

chilblains.

Legs heavy and fatigued, esp. in the thighs.—Twitching, quicksilver

sensation, in gluteal muscles.—Pains in legs like electric shocks —On crossing thighs feels a

violent pain in them.—Drawing in the legs, as if in the interior of the bone, esp. when sitting or

standing, > by motion.—Painful sensation in the hip on walking —Drawing in the legs —Darting

pain in the feet and in the toes ——Drawing pressure in the malleola.—Burning itching and redness

in the toes, as 1f from chilblains.—Bunion.

• ▸Stiff all over.
• ▸Pain over hips.
• ▸Rheumatism better motion.
• ▸Weakness in loins.
• ▸Uncertain gait.
• ▸Trembling.
• ▸Itching of toes and feet as if frozen.
• ▸Cramp in soles of feet.
• ▸Pain in shin-bone.
• ▸Neuralgia in locomotor ataxia.
• ▸Paralysis of lower limbs, with spasmodic condition of arms.
• ▸Numbness of legs on crossing them.
• ▸Paralytic pain in left arm followed by palpitation.
• ▸Tearing painful contractions in the calves.

• ▸Burning, itching, redness, and swelling, as from frostbites.
• ▸Pimples, hard, like flea-bites.
• ▸Miliary eruption, with intolerable itching and burning.
• ▸Chilblains.
• ▸Angioneurotic oedema; rosacea.
• ▸Swollen veins with cold skin.
• ▸Circumscribed erythematous, papular and pustular and oedematous lesions.

Itching and titillation, which force the sufferer to scratch himself.—Itching, burning

pain, and redness as from chilblains in different parts of the body.—Miliary eruption, whitish and

close-grained, with excessive itching.

• ▸Paroxysms of yawning.
• ▸Restless from violent itching and burning.
• ▸On falling asleep, starts, twitches, and awakes often.
• ▸Vivid dreams.
• ▸Drowsy in daytime.
• ▸Yawning, followed by involuntary laughter.

Desire to sleep in the day, particularly after a meal.—Violent yawning, followed by

dizziness.—In the morning, a sense of dizziness, and great difficulty in rising.—As a rule sleeps

badly and unrefreshingly.

• ▸Very sensitive to cool air.
• ▸Violent attacks of heat in evening.
• ▸Copious sweat.
• ▸Burning spots.

Disposition exceedingly chilly, and shiverings in the open air, or on raising the bed-

clothes, although the limbs may be warm.—Shivering through the body from above

downwards.—Easy chilliness on slight movement.—Violent shivering and trembling over the

whole body, with heat in the face and cold in the hands.—Sweat from even a moderate walk and

slight exertion.

• ▸Acne rosacea.
• ▸Blepharospasm.
• ▸Brain, softening of.
• ▸Bunion.
• ▸Chilblains.
• ▸Chorea.

• ▸Coldness.
• ▸Cough.
• ▸Cramp.
• ▸Delirium tremens.
• ▸Dysmenorrheea.
• ▸Enteric fever.
• ▸Epilepsy (with great

• ▸exertion of strength).
• ▸Gangrene.
• ▸General paralysis.
• ▸Hyperpyrexia.
• ▸Itching.
• ▸Jaundice.
• ▸Lachrymal

• ▸fistula.
• ▸Lichen.
• ▸Lumbago.
• ▸Meningitis.
• ▸Myopia.
• ▸Neuralgia.
• ▸Numbness.
• ▸Nystagmus.
• ▸Phthisis.

• ▸Rheumatism.
• ▸Sacrum, pains in.
• ▸Sebaceous tumours.
• ▸Sexual excess, effects of.
• ▸Spinal Irritation.

• ▸Spleen, affections of.
• ▸Starting.
• ▸Stitch in side.
• ▸Tic Convulsif.
• ▸Toothache.
• ▸Tremors.
• ▸Typhoid fever.

Typhus.

• ▸Compare: Bovista; Sticta pulmon.
• ▸; Act.
• ▸r.
• ▸; Can.
• ▸ind.
• ▸; Op.
• ▸; Stram.
• ▸(alcoholism,

• ▸chorea); Coff.
• ▸(ecstasy); Cicut.
• ▸(spasm of eyes); Codein (spasm of eyelids); Mygale; Tarent.
• ▸;

• ▸Verat.
• ▸alb.
• ▸(icy-cold feeling in head); Ars.
• ▸(hot needles; Agar.
• ▸ice-cold needles) Agar.
• ▸stands

between Stram. and Lach. /t is antidoted by: Charcoal; coffee; wine; brandy; camphor; fat or oil

• ▸(relieves stomach); Calc.
• ▸c.
• ▸(relieves icy coldness); Puls.
• ▸; Rhus (nightly backache).
• ▸/t follows

• ▸well: Bell.
• ▸, Calc.
• ▸c.
• ▸, Merc.
• ▸, Op.
• ▸, Puls.
• ▸, Rhus, Sil.
• ▸/s followed by: Tarent.
• ▸(typhoid with "rolling of

the head"). Teste includes Agar. in his Belladonna group.

Compare: Muscarine, the alkaloid of Agaricus (has much power over secretions, increasing lachrymal, salivary, hepatic, etc, but diminishing renal; probably neurotic in origin, stimulating the terminal fibers of the secretory nerves of all these structures, hence salivation, lachrymation and excessive perspiration. Atropin exactly opposes Muscarine. Resembles Pilocarpin in action). Amanita vernus-spring mushroom-a variety of Agar Phalloides-Death cup-active principle is Phallin, active like Muscarine. Amanita phalloides (Death Cup-Deadly Agaric). The poison is a toxalbumin, resembling the poison in the rattle snake and the poison excreted by the cholera and diphtheria germs. It acts on the red blood corpuscles, dissolving them so that blood escapes into the alimentary canal and the whole system is drained. The amount of this toxic principle is small, even handling of specimens and breathing of spores affects some people unpleasantly. The poison is slow in development. Even 12 to 20 hours after taking it the patient feels all right, but vertigo violent choleraic symptoms with rapid loss of strength with death the second or third day, preceded by stupor and spasms. Fatty degeneration of liver, heart and kidneys, haemorrhages in lungs, pleura and skin (Dr. J. Schier). Vomiting and purging. Continuous urging to stool, but no gastric, abdominal or rectal pain. Intense thirst for cold water, dry skin. Lethargic but mentally clear. Sharp changes from rapid to slow and from slow to rapid breathing, extreme collapse, suppressed urine, but no cold extremities or cramps. Agaric emet (severe vertigo; all symptoms better, cold water; longing for ice-water; gastritis cold sweat, vomiting sensation as if stomach was suspended on a string). Tamus (chilblains and freckles). Cimicif; Cann ind; Hyos; Tarantula.

Antidote: Absinth; Coffea; Camphor.

Third to thirtieth and two hundredth potency. In skin affections and brain exhaustions give the lower attenuations.

The most striking things running, through this medicine are twitchings and tremblings. Jerkings of the muscles and trembling of the

limbs ; quivering and tremors, everywhere these two features are present in all parts of the body and limbs. The twitching of the muscles

becomes so extensive that it is a well-developed case of chorea. It has

in its nature all that is found in chorea and has cured many cases.

This is a general belonging to all parts, to all muscles. Throughout

the body there is a sensation of creeping and crawling. It is hardly

confined to the skin, it is felt as if in the flesh, a sensation as if of

• ▸ants.
• ▸Itching of the skin all over which changes place from scratching.
• ▸No place is exempt from this.
• ▸There are strange sensations

here and there upon the skin or in parts, cold sensations, sensations of

cold needles and of hot needles ; stinging and burning where the circulation is feeble, about the cars, nose, back of hands and fingers and

toes, red spots with itching and burning as if frostbitten. It is a great

remedy for chilblains. The patient is extremely nervous and sensitive

• ▸to cold.
• ▸Itching, pricking, tingling, etc.
• ▸, come on from mental exertion and are relieved from physical exertion.
• ▸All the symptoms of

Agaricus arc also aggravated after sexual intercourse, especially in the

symptoms of the spinal cord. It is useful for the symptoms which

come on after coition in young, nervous married women, hysterical

fainting after coition.

The mental symptoms are such as you would expect. Great changeability, irritability, mental depression and complaints which come on

from overexertion of the mind and prolonged study. The brain seems

to be developed tardily. Children are late in learning to talk and walk,

thus combining the features of two remedies, Natrum muriaticum,

which has the symptom “late learning to talk,” and Calcarea carb.,

which has the symtom “late learning to walk.” It will be noticed in

Calcarea that this is due to a defect in bone weakness. In Agaricus

it is a mental defect, a slowly developing mind. Children with twitching and early fainting, nervous girls prior to puberty who have convuisions from being scolded, from excitement and shock ; late in mental development. Children who cannot remember, make mistakes and

are slow in learning. Nervous patients who on going over their

manuscripts find out their mistakes in writing and spelling. The condition of the mind is one in which they arc slow to grasp ideas ; wrong

words float in kaleidoscopically. When we read in the book ‘‘the

whole psychological sphere as if paralyzed,’’ wc must read between the

lines. The whole mind and sensorium seem paralyzed ; the patient is

sluggish, stupid, at times seems to be delirious ; there is confusion of

the mind so nearly like delirium that it is not unlike intoxication. A

delirium such as is produced by alcohol. He also becomes silly, says

foolish and silly things, sings and whistles at an inopportune time,

makes verses and prophesies ; or he lapses into an opposite state, becomes indifferent to his surroundings. One who is mild and placid

becomes self-willed, obstinate and conceited.

Difficulty in co-ordinating the movements of the muscles of the body.

Inco-ordination of brain and spinal cord. Clumsy motion of the

fingers and hands. In handling things she drops them. Fingers fly

open spasmodically while holding things. You will sometimes cure

Bridget in the kitchen with Agaricus or Apis, when the trouble is that

she is continually breaking the dishes by letting them fall. These two

remedies are opposites, Agaricus must stay near the fire, while Apis

she wants to get out of the kitchen. The awkwardness, clumsiness,

etc., are both mental and bodily. Every sort of change is rung on the

patient and the doctor. At times the patient is stupid, awkward and

clumsy, at other times quick and poetical, can run off poetry without

effort, especially at night. In the morning he is tired and sluggish and

this may last till noon. The mental symptoms are worse in the morning and are relieved towards evening. All jerkings and twitchings

subside during sleep. There is vertigo when walking in the open air.

He is always chilly. On undertaking to do something he does the

opposite. Vertigo and confusion of mind are mixed up.

It is a common feature for the headaches of this remedy to be associated with the spinal symptoms, the quivering and jerking. Headaches in spinal patients. Pain as though sharp ice touched the head,

or as if from cold needles. That is general ; we find it in other parts.

Pam m the head as if from a nail. There is some bleeding in the

morning, and the blood is thick, black and will hardly drop. Coldness

in the head. In the scalp there arc all sorts of queer sensations; icy

^dness after itching or scratching. That runs all through the body,

Thtre is itching, although no eruption is visible ; can’t let it alone, and

^ter scratching there is a sensation of icy coldness in the part or as

if the wind was blowing on it. The head is in constant motion as in

chorea. Itching of the scalp, especially in the morning on rising,

There again we have the general aggravation in the morning. There

are marked eruptions on the scalp. Eczema with crusts.

Twitching and jerking of the eyes. You will observe this about

the Agaricus eyes ; as the patient looks at you there is a pendulumlike action of the eyes, they go back and forth all the time ; they oscillate, though he tries his best to fix his look on you. This stops only

• ▸during sleep ; all the motions subside during sleep.
• ▸A few other medicines have cured this eye symptom, Cictita, Arsenicum, Sulphur, Pulsatilla, but Agaricus also produces and cures it.
• ▸There is every conceivable kind of deception in colors and in vision.
• ▸Flickering before

the eyes ; he reads with difficulty. Objects seem to be where they are

not. Black flies before the eyes ; black motes ; secs double ; floating

flies before the eyes. Muscular weakness of the eyes. Irregularity

of the motions of the eyes ; pupils dilated ; pupils contracted. Sensation as of a mist or cobweb before the eyes. Spasmodic twitching and

jerking. The jerkings and twitchings arc the most marked symptoms,

as also the choreic movements about the eyes, and the deceptions in

colors and figures before the eyes.

Redness, burning and itching of the cars as if they had been frostbitten. The sensation as of chilblains, the same sensation as found

throughout ; the same itching and tingling as of the remedy in general.

• ▸Dulness of hearing.
• ▸Deafness.
• ▸Hearing acute.
• ▸In the morning he

is dumb, sluggish, stupid, tired, but when evening comes he brightens

up, becomes warmed up, becomes excited, poetical and prophetical,

wants to sit up late at night, is brilliant, wants to play games.

Nosebleed ; profuse, foetid discharge from the nose. Agaricus will

cure the most inveterate chronic catarrhs with dryness and crusts, in

tubercular constitutions, so deep-seated is it. It has cured many cases

of incipient phthisis. It cures old coughs and catarrhs. Red nose, as

if frostbitten. It is as good as Ledum and Lachesis for the red-tipped

nose in old drunkards.

From what we have already seen we expect twitching of the muscles

of the face, and itching and redness and burning as if frostbitten, paralytic weakness, etc,, because these are general features, and just as we

expect we sec these things in the text. Choreic spasms. Expression

as of idiocy. Now notice this: Some patients when going on witli

their own usual vocation are pretty smart, but if you put some new

idea before them, something not in the routine of their work, they arc

perfectly idiotic. This is especially noticeable in the morning. He

can't take in anything new in the morning, but he is able to take in

new ideas and is bright in the evening, like the effect produced by tea

and coffee and alcoholic beverages. This remedy is a great antidote

to alcoholic beverages. In this remedy and in Zinctim the spine is

affected and both of these have aggravation from stimulants.

AGAKICUS ^n;SCARIUS

Agaricus has cured many cases of epileptiform convulsions, more

commonly the hysterio-epileptic type with frothing of the mouth,

opisthotonos, drawing of the muscles of the face. The Agaricus

patient has spells in which a little muscle of the face or a few fibres

of a muscle w’ill quiver for a few minutes and stop, and then in another

part of the face the same thing, an eyelid will quiver, and then another

set of fibres, sometimes so bad as to nearly drive him crazy. Such is

an Agaricus state as well as Nux vomica.

The teeth feel too long and arc sensitive to touch. The tongue

quivers, twitches, jerks and causes disorderly speech ; articulates violently. Tongue dry, tremulous. Learns to speak with difficulty.

Spasms of the tongue, inarticulate speech. Phagedenic ulcer on the

• ▸Iraemun of the tongue; cats it away.
• ▸Soreness of the tongue.
• ▸Mercurial aphthie in roof of mouth.
• ▸Little white blisters like nursing sore

• ▸mouth.
• ▸Chronic sore throat.
• ▸Induration of tonsils.
• ▸Burning thirst,

ravenous appetite. Gnawing in stomach as if from hunger, without

desire for food.

Hatus; distressing belching; great tympanites; rumbling; turmoil

in abdomen ; olfcnsive flatus; rumbling and gurgling in belly. Everything fc=;rmcnts ; rumbling and loud rolling ; pinching colic. Horribly

foetid discharge. Tympanitic condition marked in typhoid ; low typo

of typhoid; trembling and jerking of muscles; paralytic weakness;

emaciation ; mental symptoms.

Morning diarrha-a, great deal of hot flatus [Aliic), with burning

m the rectum; soft stool, great tenesmus; urging to stool violent; involuntary straining before, during and after stool. Sensation as if

rectum would burst, even after stool [Merc, and Sul). Violent, sudden pains ; can’t wait; distressing, bursting sensation. Before stool,

cutting and ^nchmg in abdomen ; urgent tenesmus ; painful straining

m rectum. During stool, colic and passing of flatus ; burning, soreness, smarting and cutting in anus ; sweat ; pain in loins to legs, contmumg after stool. After stool, headache relieved; biting in anus •

s raining tn. rectum ; cutting pain in anus ; griping in hypogastrium ;

distension m abdomen ; heaviness in abdomen and around^Lil ; pSn

in chest. Emphasize the tenesmus after siooL ^

‘-■o”s»pation and paralytic feelings of the rectum ; stool

hard, straining at stool as if life depended on it and yet no stool

Beginning paralysis of the lower limbs, with twitching oi the muscles

and burning spine In one case, after straining had ^en given u^ 2

unsuccessful would pass a stool involuntarily. This symptom Liv

wa. known ^JeTurS

• ▸as the desire for stool.
• ▸Dribbling of urine.
• ▸A neculiar fear,?
• ▸,?
• ▸“f

this remedy is that the urine feels cold on passing ; while the urine

dribbles, can count the cold drops along the urethra. “Urine passes

slowly in a stream or in drops, has to press to promote the flow,”

“Urine watery, clear, lemon-colored, bright yellow ; dark yellow and

hot ; red, flocculent, a powdery sediment ; watery in the forenoon, in

the afternoon milky, like whey, with a red or white sediment (phosphate of ntagnesia) ; iridizing on surface.” Phosphates ; milky urine.

Oily surface, iridescent surface, greasy-like pellicle on urine, like petroleum, Scanty urine in rheumatic, gouty, hysterical subjects. Persons cold, feeble, pale, going info phthisis. Urine becomes scanty and

a headache comes on. Goes many days and is constipated, and headache relieved by stool. In Fluoric acid, if he does not attend to the

desire to urinate, a headache comes on.

Transformation takes place. The milk ceases in one day, but congestion of the brain or spine comes on. Metastasis, especially if milk

ceases and complaints come on.

Genital organs cold and shrunken. The comparative examination

of the symptoms of male and female sexual organs shows that the

proving has not been extensively made on the female, but in the male

there are many symptoms which have an analogous condition in the

female. In the male, symptoms are worse after coition, but just as

marked in the female. Complaints after sexual excitement, debauch,

etc., in the woman, fainting; in the man, weakness, The trembling

and twitching, or any of the Agaricus symptoms may be worse after

coition, because the sexual functions are related to the cord. Those

sufl'ering from spinal affections have distress after this act.

In the 7nalc, during coition, burning in the urethra comes from excoriation or a sense of hotness of the seminal fluid while being ejected,

and hence can only be a symptom of the male. Burning in the prostate during ejaculation. Violent sexual excitement before and during,

but at the time of ejaculation the orgasm is wanting, it is a passive

and plcasureless ejaculation. This occurs in men with spinal weakness, nervous men who have tingling and crawling all over. It comes

in the cure of old catarrhal discharge from the urethra, chronic

gonorrhoea, gleet, after all sorts of local treatment have been used.

The penis is cold and strunken ; excessively painful retraction in testes.

In old gleety discharge where there is a continued itching tingling in

the urethra and the last drop will remain, discharging for a long time.

There are two remedies better for this than many others, Petroleum

and Agaricus.

The routine prescriber always thinks of Puls,, Sep,, etc., for bearingdown pains in the female, but in a woman with spinal irritation, etc.,

with the dragging-down sensation as if the parts would drop into the

world, this remedy is the best. Those slender, nervous, restless women

with tingling and creeping, must have Agaricus. During menses,

headache, toothache, etc. All the general symptoms are worse during

AGARICUS MUSCA&ItS

the menstrual period, not to any great extent before or after. Aggravation of the heart symptoms and prolapsus just at the close of the

menses.

Leucorrhoea very profuse, dark, bloody, acrid, excoriating in parts.

This remedy has been mentioned in relation to Fluoric acid. There are

many points of relation. They are like each other in the leucorrhoea

especially ; copious and acrid, so acrid that it keeps the parts raw and

irritated around the genitals and the patient can’t walk. In Fluoric

acid there is, with the nervous symptoms, headache ameliorated by

passing the urine, or headache if urination is not immediately attended

to, with copious, acrid, excoriating leucorrhoea.

Agaricus is a great remedy in chesi troubles, though seldom thought

• ▸of.
• ▸It has cured what seemed to be consumption.
• ▸Catarrhal condition of the chest, with night sweats and history of the nervous symptoms.
• ▸Violent cough in isolated attacks ending in sneezing.
• ▸Convulsive cough, with sweat towards evening, with frequent pulse, expectoration of pus-like mucus, worse in the mornings and when lying on

the back. Add to this the symptoms of Agaricus as described, and

Agaricus will take liold of that case. Cases of incipient phthisis. It

closely relates to the tubercular diathesis. I remember starting out

to prove Tubercidinum on an individual I suspected would be sensitive to it from his history and symptoms. The first dose almost killed

him, and, considering the use that that substance is put to in diagnosing the disease in cattle, it seemed to stir him up. He became emaciated and looked as if he would die. I let it alone and watched and

waited patiently and the symptoms of Agaricus came up and established the relationship between these two remedies, and confirmed

Hering’s observation of the relationship of Agaricus to the tubercular

diathesis. Agaricus cured him and fattened him up.

The remedy is full of nervous palpitation ; worse in the evening.

It cures shocks and thrills in the heart ; spasms of the heart ; internal

manifestations of its jerking symptoms. These shocks come from

sudden noise ; from eructations ; on coughing ; when lying on the left

side or back ; worse at night ; during fever ; they often extend to other

parts, as to abdomen or back or limbs. On the outer chest there is

tingling and creeping as in general.

• ▸The hack has many peculiar and general guiding symptoms.
• ▸Stiffness of the whole spine.
• ▸Feeling as if it would break when he attempts to bend.
• ▸Feels as if something is so tight that it will break

when he stoops. Tightness in the muscles of the back. Tingling deep

in the spine. Violent, shooting, burning pains. Pain along the spine,

worse by stooping. Pains of all sorts in the spine. Pains go up the

back and down the back. Sensitiveness of the spine to touch, especially in the back of the neck and dorsal region between the scapulae.

• ▸Limbs affected diagonally; 1.
• ▸forearm, r.
• ▸thigh; r.
• ▸knee, 1.
• ▸hand.
• ▸—Tearing in limbs, <

• ▸in rest or sitting, > moving.
• ▸—Cracking in joints.
• ▸—Subsultus tendinum.
• ▸—Feels as if her limbs did

not belong to her.