Cuprum Metallicum

Metallic copper is an antipsoric remedy, working from within outwards. It

ranks with the most important of those which relieve states arising from the "striking inward" of

diseases or the failure of eruptions or discharges to appear. It is this power to relieve internal

spasm which renders it appropriate to the collapse stage of cholera, of which it is also, like

Sulphur, a prophylactic either when worn next the skin, or when taken internally. Cuprum

produces many skin eruptions, and also foot-sweat, and it corresponds to these, and also to the

effects of suppression of eruptions, exanthems, and foot-sweat; whether these effects be internal

pains or spasms or oppression of the brain and mental disturbance. Mackechnie made a brilliant

cure of psoriasis in a young girl with Cuprum. The leading features of its symptomatology are:

Cramps, convulsions, spasms of the most violent form, coming on from disappearance of pains,

discharges, eruptions, mental derangement. With suppression of menses, patient screams. Tonic

• ▸spasms of thumbs.
• ▸Eyeballs turn up.
• ▸Opisthotonos.
• ▸Tonic and clonic spasms.
• ▸"Convulsions

during pregnancy and puerperal convulsions which begin in the fingers or toes, and spread all

over the body; or where there is great restlessness between the attacks, either filling up the entire

interval, or only a part of the time." Thus Guernsey. He also says that "a slimy metallic taste in

the mouth" is one of the strongest indications for Cupr. Rhus is the only other remedy which has

this symptom so marked. "Cramps or spasms beginning in hands and feet, extending to belly," is

• ▸confirmed by J.
• ▸C.
• ▸McLaren.
• ▸Mossa regards Cupr.
• ▸as one of the remedies for the effects of fright,

and relates the case of a girl who, after a fright, was affected by involuntary motions of left arm

and leg developing into pronounced general chorea. Cupr. brought about slow but decided

recovery. Another girl, 12, who had recovered from whooping-cough got a kind of chorea from

repeated frights on seeing an epileptic. To the muscular movements was added silly behaviour:

tongue heavy, speech slow, gait unwieldy. Frightened at night. Greediness in eating and

• ▸drinking.
• ▸/gn.
• ▸, Stram.
• ▸, Sul.
• ▸, did little good.
• ▸She became ill-natured.
• ▸Cupr.
• ▸every four days cured

completely in three months. Mackechnie reports the case of a boy who became epileptic after

being locked up in school. Very great improvement followed the administration of Cupr.

• ▸Schwencke cured a case of epilepsy of forty years' standing with Cupr.
• ▸6 after Bell.
• ▸and Hyo.
• ▸had

done some little good. The patient was a man aged 45. The fits began suddenly towards morning

with chewing motion of lower jaw; gnashing of teeth; becomes upright and rigid in bed; shrieks;

limbs convulsed. After giving way to violent anger, attacks become more severe; arms and legs

• ▸were thrown outwards and trunk arched upwards.
• ▸Cupr.
• ▸was now given.
• ▸For a time the attacks

continued severe, but gradually improvement set in, and in less than three months they ceased

altogether. The "anger" in this case and the "ill-humour" in Mossa's are noteworthy.

Maliciousness is an indication for Cupr. In a second case cured by Schwencke, that of a man, 38,

epileptic seven years, a pressive headache preceded the attacks, ascending from nape to

forehead; then there was profuse salivation, head turned to left, eyes closed, tongue in active

motion in open mouth, trunk arched upward, slight spasms of right arm outward. After attack,

dulness of head, and feeling in body as if beaten. Cupr. first removed the fits and then the

dulness of the head. Cupr. has pains like knife-thrusts, < on least motion; take away the breath,

thinks he must die if they last. Speaks in a whisper. The thrusts go through to back from ensiform

cartilage, from umbilicus. Restless tossing all night. Perfect stupor, with jerking of muscles.

Paralysis of isolated muscles. Many unusual symptoms are produced, including maliciousness

• ▸and desire to injure.
• ▸Screaming, with cerebral or mental symptoms.
• ▸Loquacious.
• ▸Violent head

• ▸pains < over left eye.
• ▸Brain seems paralysed.
• ▸Chlorosis from abuse of iron.
• ▸Vomiting, hiccoughs,

and spasms > by drink of cold water. Over-sensitiveness of skin, especially in region of stomach

and fourth and fifth dorsal vertebrae. Touch and pressure <. < Before menses; from vomiting.

Symptoms are < evening and night. Cold air and cold wind <; cold drinks > (colic, cough &c.).

Wrapping head > headache. < At new moon. Periodicity every 15, 30, or 60 minutes; every

• ▸fortnight.
• ▸Getting wet = epileptic attacks.
• ▸> From being mesmerised; during perspiration.
• ▸Suited

to fair-haired people; and the carbo-nitrogenoid constitution. Women who have borne many

children (after-pains).

Melancholy, with attacks of extreme anguish, like fear of death; restlessness,

groaning, and desire to escape.—Want of moral courage.—Anxiety and tears, alternating with

buffoonery.—Convulsive laughter—Incoherent, delirious talk.—Mildness, alternating with

obstinacy.—Unfitness for exertion, with fear to be idle.—Fits of abstraction, with fixed ideas of

imaginary occupations at which the patient labours, or with lively songs; or else with malice and

moroseness (with proud bearing, and at times interrupted by clonic spasms; craziness), and often

with quick pulse, red and inflamed eyes, wandering looks, followed by sweat.—Attacks of rage

• ▸(wants to bite the bystanders).
• ▸—Furor.
• ▸—Dementia.
• ▸—Loss of sense and thought.
• ▸—Delirium.

Pressive tearings or startings in the limbs.—Pain, as from a bruise in several

• ▸places, esp.
• ▸in the joints and in the limbs.
• ▸—Aching in the bones.
• ▸—Rheumatic pains.
• ▸—Many pains,

esp. those which are aching, are < on being touched.—Shaking pains, which traverse the whole

body.—Shocks or painful blows in different parts —On weeping, convulsions, with want of

breath, and retraction of the thighs —Clonic spasms.—Tonic spasms with loss of consciousness,

turning of the head backwards, redness of the eyes, salivation, and frequent emission of

• ▸urine.
• ▸—Convulsions, with piercing cries.
• ▸—Epileptic convulsions.
• ▸—Epileptic attacks (at night),

followed by headache.—Involuntary movements of the limbs, as in St. Vitus' dance, with redness

of the face, distortion of the eyes, of the face, and of the body, tears and anxiety, buffoonery and

desire to hide oneself.—The convulsions begin mostly in the fingers and in the toes.—Spasmodic

laughter—Convulsive startings, at night, when sleeping.—Violent convulsions, with great display

of strength.—Paralytic affections Symptoms which appear periodically, and in groups.—Great

• ▸lassitude, and sinking of the whole body.
• ▸—Obstinate weakness.
• ▸—Consumption.
• ▸—Excessive

sensibility of all the organs.—Fainting fits Outward appearance of the face bluish; bluish-

red.—Affections of the soles of the feet; attacks of sick feeling; blackness of outer parts; cyanosis

or morbus czruleus; bloated skin.

• ▸Fixed ideas, malicious and morose.
• ▸Uses words not intended.
• ▸Fearful.
• ▸Empty feeling.
• ▸Purple, red swelling of head, with convulsions.
• ▸Bruised pain in brain and eyes on turning them.
• ▸Meningitis.
• ▸Sensation as if water were poured over head.
• ▸Giddiness accompanies many ailments, head falls forward on chest.

Vertigo on reading, and on looking into the air—Whirling vertigo, as if the head were

going to fall forward (< during motion, > when lying down).—Sensation (painful) as if the head

were empty.—Pain in the parietal bone, so as to cause, crying out on putting the hand upon

it—Pain as from a bruise in the brain, and in the orbits, on moving the eyes.—Stupefying

depression in the head, with tingling in the vertex.—Aching in the temples, < by the

touch.—Pulling in the head, with vertigo, > by lying down.—Headache, in consequence of an

epileptic attack.—External, burning shootings, in the side of the forehead, in the temples, and in

the vertex.—Pains in the occiput and in the nape of the neck, on moving the head.—Swelling of

the head, with redness of the face.—Distortion of the head on one side and backwards; the head is

drawn to one side or falls forward; aggravated or renewed by each contact

(hydrocephalus).—Purplish-red swelling of the head; face purple-red and blue lips; convulsion

and twitches in the limbs; < when touched, which causes the swelling to pain.

• ▸Aching over eyes.
• ▸Fixed, stary, sunken, glistening, turned upward.
• ▸Crossed.
• ▸Quick rolling of eyeballs, with closed eyes.

Itching (violent) in the eyes towards evening.—Aching in the eyes and in the eyelids, <

by the touch.—Eyes, red, inflamed, wandering, or fixed (staring), sunken.—Convulsions and

restless movements of the eyes.—Eyes are turned upward.—Greater immobility of the

pupils——Eyes prominent and sparkling.—Eyes closed (weak and dim).—Pupils

insensible—Obscuration of the sight.—Pains resembling a bruise in the orbits on turning the eyes.

Itching in the ears.—Tearing in the ears.—Pressure on the ears, as from a hard

body.—Boring pain in and behind the ear.

Sensation of violent congestion of blood to nose (Melilot).

Distorted, pale bluish, with blue lips. Contraction of jaws, with foam at mouth.

Face pale (changed features, full of anguish), with eyes downcast and surrounded by a

livid circle-—Face bluish; bluish-red.—Spasmodic distortion of the muscles of the face.——Sad and

• ▸anxious air.
• ▸—Redness of the face.
• ▸—Lips bluish.
• ▸—Excoriation of the upper lip.
• ▸—Aching of the

lower jaw, increased by the touch.—Spasm in the jaw.

• ▸Strong metallic, slimy taste, with flow of saliva.
• ▸Constant protrusion and retraction of the tongue, like a snake (Lach).
• ▸Paralysis of tongue.
• ▸Stammering speech.

Mouth clammy in the morning.—Accumulation of water in the mouth.—Foam at the

mouth.—Sweet taste in the mouth—Burning sensation in the mouth.—Coldness of the tip of the

tongue —Tongue clammy, loaded with a white coating. —Hoarse crying like a child.—Cries, like

the croaking of frogs.—Loss of speech.

Odontalgia, with acute pullings, extending into the temples —Difficult dentition in

children, with convulsions.

Inability to talk, on account of spasms in the throat—Dryness of the throat, with

thirst—Inflammation of the pharynx, with impeded deglutition—Singultus and spasm of the

cesophagus.—Desire for warm food; eats hastily.—Audible sound of drink (gurgling) while

swallowing it—Swelling of the glands of the neck.

• ▸Hiccough preceding the spasms.
• ▸Nausea.
• ▸Vomiting, relieved by drinking cold water; with colic, diarrhoea, spasms.
• ▸Strong metallic taste (Rhus).
• ▸When drinking, the fluid descends with gurgling sound (Laur).
• ▸Craves cool drink.

Taste, sweetish, or metallic, acid, or salt—Watery taste of food. —Desire for cold

things in preference to hot.

• ▸Constant risings.
• ▸—Hiccough.
• ▸—Singultus preceding the spasms.
• ▸—Flow of water

like saliva, after taking milk.—Nausea, with inclination to vomit, extending from the abdomen to

the gullet; but chiefly in the epigastrium, with a feeling like intoxication, loathing, and putrid

taste in the mouth.—Violent periodical vomitings, mitigated by drinking —Vomiting is prevented

by drinking cold water—Vomiting in general, which is very severe.—Vomiting of bile, of water

(containing flakes, offensive-smelling), of slimy matter, or even of blood.—Violent vomitings,

with pressure in the stomach, cramps in the abdomen, diarrhoea, and convulsions.—Cramps in the

stomach.—Excessively troublesome pressure on the stomach, and on the epigastrium, < by touch

and by movement.—Anguish in the epigastrium.—Gnawing and corroding sensation in the

stomach.

• ▸Tense, hot and tender to touch; contracted.
• ▸Neuralgia of abdominal viscera.
• ▸Colic, violent and intermittent.
• ▸Intussusception.

Pain, as from a bruise, in the hypochondria, on the part being touched —Drawing

pains from |. hypochondrium to the hip.—Violent pains in the abdomen, with great

anxiety.—Abdomen hard, with violent pains on its being touched.—Pressure in the abdomen, as

from a hard body, aggravated by the touch.—Retraction of the abdomen.—Spasmodic colic, with

convulsions and shrill cries.—Tearing and gnawing (corroding, stinging ulcers) in the intestines.

Black, painful, bloody, with tenesmus and weakness. Cholera; with cramps in abdomen and calves.

Constipation, with great heat of body.—Violent diarrhoea (with flakes),

sometimes sanguineous.—Bleeding of hemorrhoidal tumours.

Urgent want to make water, with scant emission.—Frequent emission of

fetid (dark-red, turbid, with yellowish sediment), viscid urine.—Burning shootings in the urethra,

during and subsequent to the emission of urine.—Wetting the bed at night.

• ▸Menses too late, protracted.
• ▸Cramps, extending into chest, before, during, or after suppression of menses.
• ▸Also, from suppressed foot sweats (Sil).
• ▸Ebullition of blood; palpitation.
• ▸Chlorosis.
• ▸After-pains.

Before the catamenia, ebullition of blood, palpitation of the heart,

and headache.—Menstruation too late; protracted; complaints before.—Menses absent for months;

violent delirtum.—Before, and during menses, cramps, convulsions, piercing shrieks; spasmodic

dyspneea; violent palpitation.—Menses not appearing after suppression of foot-sweat.—Torpid

chlorosis.

• ▸Cough as a gurgling sound, better by drinking cold water.
• ▸Suffocative attacks, worse 3 am (Am c).
• ▸Spasm and constriction of chest; spasmodic asthma, alternating with spasmodic vomiting.
• ▸Whooping-cough, better, swallow water, with vomiting and spasms and purple face.
• ▸Spasm of the glottis.
• ▸Dyspnoea with epigastric uneasiness.
• ▸Spasmodic dyspnoea before menstruation.
• ▸Angina with asthmatic symptoms and cramps (Clarke).

Obstinate hoarseness, with great inclination to lie down.—Bronchial

rale, as if from mucus.—Tickling in the larynx.—Dry cough, with fits of suffocation, like

whooping-cough.—Spasmodic affections generally; whooping-cough where the attacks run into

catalepsy; movements of the head; epilepsy.—Cough, with expectoration of whitish mucus,

• ▸during fits of spasmodic asthma.
• ▸—Asthma increases (at 3 a.
• ▸m.
• ▸) when bending the body

backwards, when coughing, when laughing.—Cough, in the morning, with expectoration of

putrid matter.

• ▸Angina pectoris.
• ▸Slow pulse; or hard, full and quick.
• ▸Palpitation, praecordial anxiety and pain.
• ▸Fatty degeneration (Phytol).

Respiration accelerated, rattling, moaning, with convulsive efforts of the abdominal

muscles. Short, difficult respiration, with spasmodic cough, and crepitation in the chest—Cough,

with wheezing respiration at each effort to breathe.—Difficulty of respiration, increased by

coughing, laughing, throwing back the body, &c., as well as in the night—Asthma when

ascending or walking quickly, with necessity to breathe deeply.—Spasmodic asthma.—Fits of

• ▸suffocation.
• ▸—Pressure on the chest.
• ▸—Painful contraction of the chest, esp.
• ▸after

drinking. —Cramps in the chest, which cut short the respiration and the voice (after fright and

anger).

Spasm of heart.—Angina pectoris.—Palpitation of the heart (before the

menses).—Pulse very changeable; imperceptible; small; soft.

Sensation of heaviness in the axillary glands.—Swelling of the glands of

• ▸the neck.
• ▸—Paralysis of muscles of back up to neck.
• ▸Hypereesthesia of spinal column.
• ▸—Backache

top of sacrum.

Herpes in the bends of the elbows (forming yellow scales, itching, esp. in

evening).—Swelling of the hand, with inflammation of a lymphatic vessel extending to the

shoulder.—The arms and hands are bluish marbled.—Aching and acute pullings in the metacarpal

bones.—Weakness and paralysis of the hand.—Starting of the hands, in the morning, after

rising.—Torpor and shivering of the fingers——Convulsions in the fingers, particularly which

begin in the fingers and toes, then spreading all over the body; spasms clonic.

Pains in the legs, esp. in the calves of the legs during repose.—Tensive pain

and cramps in the calves of the legs.—In the knee-joint weakness, pain as if broken.—Twitching

of the muscles of the lower extremities ——Pressive and drawing pains in the metatarsus.—Burning

sensation in the soles of the feet—Sweat in the feet.—Suppression of sweat in the feet —Painful

weariness and stiffness in the limbs.—Convulsions in the toes.

• ▸Jerking, twitching of muscles.
• ▸Coldness of hands.
• ▸Cramps in palms.
• ▸Great weariness of limbs.
• ▸Cramps in calves and soles.
• ▸Epilepsy; auro begins in knees.
• ▸Clenched thumbs.
• ▸Clonic spasms, beginning in fingers and toes.

Bluish, marbled. Ulcers, itching spots, and pimples at the folds of joints. Chronic psoriasis and lepra (Hughes).

Eruptions which resemble (dry) itch —Tetters, with yellow scales ——Miliary eruptions,

esp. on the chest and on the hands.—Old ulcers; caries.

Profound, with shocks in body. During sleep constant rumbling in abdomen.

Profound sleep, with shocks in the body, and starting in the limbs.—Lethargic

sleep.—During sleep constant grumbling in the abdomen.

Pulse small, weak, and slow.—Chilliness over the whole body, mostly in the

extremities.—Shiverings after attacks of epilepsy.—Debilitating, hectic, internal heat——Flushes of

• ▸heat.
• ▸—Slow fevers.
• ▸—Cold sweat (at night).
• ▸—Many attacks (epileptic attacks, attacks of mania)

end with (cold) perspiration —Violent nocturnal perspiration.

• ▸After-pains.
• ▸Angina pectoris.
• ▸Asthma.
• ▸Asthma millari.
• ▸Cardialgia.
• ▸Catarrh.
• ▸Chlorosis.

• ▸Cholera.
• ▸Chorea.
• ▸Convulsions.
• ▸Cough.
• ▸Cramps.
• ▸Croup.
• ▸Cyanosis.
• ▸Dentition.
• ▸Dyspneea.

• ▸Emissions.
• ▸Epilepsy.
• ▸Eruptions.
• ▸Erysipelas.
• ▸Fainting.
• ▸Gastric disturbance.
• ▸Gout.
• ▸Heematemesis.

• ▸Herpes.
• ▸Hysteria.
• ▸Inflammations.
• ▸Larynx, spasm of.
• ▸Mania.
• ▸Measles.
• ▸Meningitis.
• ▸Neuralgia.

• ▸Palpitation.
• ▸Paralysis.
• ▸Pneumonia.
• ▸Psoriasis.
• ▸Ringworm.
• ▸Sleeplessness.
• ▸Spasms.
• ▸Spinal irritation.

Ulcers. Whooping-cough. Yellow fever.

/s antidoted by: Sugar, or white of egg mixed with milk and given freely. Hepar, or

potash soap may be used after poisoning from food prepared in copper vessels. Aggravations are

• ▸> by smelling Camphor.
• ▸Dynamic antidotes: Bell.
• ▸, Cham.
• ▸, Chi.
• ▸, Con.
• ▸, Cic.
• ▸, Dulc.
• ▸, Hep.
• ▸, Ip.
• ▸,

• ▸Merc.
• ▸, Nux v.
• ▸Antidote to: Aur.
• ▸, Merc.
• ▸, Op.
• ▸Complementary: Calc.
• ▸Compare: Other Copper

• ▸preparations, Calc.
• ▸c.
• ▸, Gels.
• ▸(overworked brain); Cicut.
• ▸and Solaneacez (mental symptoms);

• ▸Silic.
• ▸(head pains > wrapping up head).
• ▸Nux, Phos.
• ▸, Coloc.
• ▸, Camph.
• ▸, Secal.
• ▸, Verat.
• ▸, Arn.
• ▸, Apis.
• ▸,

• ▸Zinc.
• ▸, Puls.
• ▸, Arsen.
• ▸As if in a dream (Amb.
• ▸, Anac.
• ▸, Calc.
• ▸, Can.
• ▸i1.
• ▸, &c.
• ▸) Loquacity (Hyo.
• ▸, Lach.
• ▸,

• ▸Op.
• ▸, Stram.
• ▸, Ver.
• ▸) Lack of reaction (Sul.
• ▸, Carb.
• ▸v.
• ▸, Lauro.
• ▸, Val.
• ▸, Ambra, Caps.
• ▸, Pso.
• ▸, Op.
• ▸, Bell.
• ▸,

Stram., Bry., Apis).

Antidotes: Bell; Hepar; Camph. Copper is found in Dulcam, Staphisag, Conium and some other plants. Also in King-crab (Limulus).

Complementary: Calc.

Compare: Cupr sulph (burning at vertex; incessant, spasmodic cough; worse at night; tongue and lips bluish; locally, Cupr sulph in 1-3 per cent sol in inoperable sarcoma). Cupr cyan (meningitis basilaris); Cholas terrapina (cramps in calves and feet; rheumatism, with cramp-like pains); Plumb; Nux; Veratr. Cuprum oxydatum nigrum 1x (all kinds of worms, including tapeworms and trichinosis according to Zopfy's 60 years' experience).

Sixth to thirtieth potency.

CUPRUM MEtALLICUM

Cuprum is pre-eminently a convulsive medicine. The convulsive

tendency associates itself with almost every complaint that Cuprum

creates and cures. It has convulsions in every degree of violence,

from the mere twitching of little muscles and of single muscles to

convulsions of all the muscles of the body. When these are coming

on the earliest threatenings arc drawings in the fingers, clenching of

the thumbs or twitching of the muscles. It has twitching, quivering,

trembling, and it has also tonic contractions, so that the hands are

closed violently. In this condition the thumbs are first affected ; they

are drawn into the palms and then the fingers close down over themi

with great violence. In the fingers and toes and in the extremities

the spasmodic condition increases and extends until the limbs are in a

State of great exhaustion. Tonic contractions, the limbs being drawn

up with great violence and it seems as if the frame would be tom topieces by the violent contractions of the mtiscles everywhere. Often

the contractions assume a clonic form, with jerking and twitching.

Cupmm has many mental symptoms. It has a great variety in its

delirium, incoherent prattling, talking of all sorts of subjects incoherently. It has produced a variety of mental symptoms: delirium, ih*

4^6

coherency of speech, loss of memory. During its different conqt'

plaints, such as cholera, some forms of fever, the puerperal state,

dysmenorrhoea, congestion of the brain, etc., there is delirium, unconsciousness and jerking and twitching of the muscles. The eyes roll

in various directions, but commonly upwards and outwards or upwards and inwards. There is bleeding from the nose and the vision

is disturbed. Between the convulsive attacks there is incoherent talk,

delirium, during which the patient is spiteful, violent, weeping or

shrieking. They go into convulsions with a shriek. In one place it

is spoken of as bellowing like a calf.

This drug has the ability to produce a group of spasms followed

by the appearance as if the patient were dead, or in a state of ecstacy.

Convulsive conditions sometimes terminate in a state of stasis during

which the mind ceases to act and the muscles remain quiet or only

quiver. This is often one of the leading features in whooping-coiigh

when Cuprum is indicated. To bring it down to the language of the

mother, the description which she gives of the little one, which will

probably make you remember it better than if I use the text, she says

that when the child is seized with a spell of this violent whoopingcough, the face, becomes livid or blue, the finger nails become discolored, the eyes are turned up, the child coughs until it loses its

breath, and then lies in a state of insensibility for a long time until she

fears the child will never breathe again, but with violent spasmodic

action in its breathing, the child from shortest breaths comes to itself

again just as if brought back to life. You have here all the violent

features of a convulsive whooping-cough. In addition to what the

mother says you may also observe a few things, but the whole make

up of such a case, its whole nature, shows that it is a Cuprum w^hooping-cough. If the mother can get there quickly enough with a little

cold water she will stop the cough. Cold water especially will

i:elievc the spasm, and so the mother soon gets into the habit of hurrying for a glass of cold water, and the child also knows, if it has tried

it once, that glass of cold water will relieve it. Whenever the

respiratory organs are affected there is spasmodic breathing, dyspnoea.

There is also rattling in the chest. The more dyspnoea there is the

more likely his thumbs will be clenched and the fingers cramped.

In the lower part of the chest, in the region of the xiphoid appendix, there is a spasmodic condition that is very troublesome. It

seems to be at times a constriction so severe that he thinks he will die,

and at others a feeling as if he were transfixed with a knife from the

xiphoid appendix to the back. Some say it feels as if a lump were

in that region and others as if much wind were collected in the

stc^E^ch. It destroys the fullness of the voice, and it seems as if his

life would be squeezed out. Sometimes then it takes the form of colic

Cuprum metallicuM

and sometimes of neuralgia. If you examine the sensation of tightness in the region of the stomach you will see at once how the voice

is affected. You will find the patient sitting up in bed ; he tells you

in a cracked and squeaking voice that he will soon die if he is not

relieved ; his face is a picture of fear and anguish he really looks as

if he were going to die ; the sensation is dreadful. Cuprum speedily

cures this complaint. This constriction and dyspnoea occur sometimes in cholera morbus and in painful menstruation. Spasms of the

chest are also accompanied by this constriction and a nervous spasmodic

breathing. He is not able to take a full breath.

The Cuprum patient is full of cramps. There are cramps in the

limbs and in the muscles of the chest, with trembling and weakness.

In old age, and in premature old age, it is useful for those cramps

that come in the calves, the soles of the feet, and the toes and fingers

at night in bed. In debilitated, nervous, tremulous old people.

Cuprum serves a peculiar purpose. When an old man, who has been

single a long time, marries, his cramps will sometimes prevent him

performing the act of coition. He has cramps in the calves and soles

as soon as he begins the act. It is especially suitable to young men

who have become prematurely old from vices, from strong drink,

from late nights and various abuses, and these cramps are not unlikely

to occur in such subjects. Cuprum and Graphites are the two remedies for cramps coming under these circumstances, but whereas Cuprum

is said to produce cramps that present the act. Graphites is said

to bring on the cramps during the act. The two remedies however

compete closely with each other, and hence if Graphites corresponds

to the constitution of the patient, it. should be given, and the same in

regard to Cuprum. Sulphur also has cured this state.

In spasmodic conditions that come on during menstruation Cuprum

is also useful. Painful menstruation with spasms commencing in the

fingers and extending over the body. Tonic contractions that look

like hysterical manifestations. They may be hysterical, but that does

not interfere with Cuprum curing, if they are only spasmodic or convulsive. Violent dysmenorrhoea with delirium, turning up of the eyes,

contortions of the face and epileptiform manifestations.

In epilepsy calling for Cuprum we have the contractions and jerkings of the fingers and toes. He falls with a shriek and during the

attack passes urine and faeces. It is indicated in epilepsy that begins

with a violent constriaion in the lower part of the chest as I have

described, or with the contractions in the fingers that spread oil over

the body, to all the muscles.

Again, it is a remedy sometimes needed in the puerperal state before

or after delivery. The case may be of uraemic character, but no

matter ; the urine is scanty and albuminous. During the progress of

the labor the patient suddenly becomes blind. All light seems to her

to disappear from the room, the labor pains cease, and convidsions

come on, commencing in the fingers and toes. When you meet these

cases do not forget Cuprum. You will look a long time before you

can cure a case of this kind without Cuprum.

In cholera morbus with gushing, watery stools and copious vomiting, the stomach and bowels are emptied of their contents. The

patient is fairly emptied out, becomes blue all over, the extremities

are cold, there is jerking of the muscles, cramping of the extremities

and of the fingers and toes, spasms of the chest ; he is cold, mottled,

blue in blotches, going into collapse ; the finger nails and toe nails and

the hands and feet are blue. There are several remedies that look

like Cuprum in such a condition. In cholera we would naturally

hunt for such remedies as produce cholera-like discharges, more or

less spasmodic conditions, the great blueness, coldness, sinking and

collapse. We would here refer to Hahnemann's observation.

Hahnemann had not seen a case of cholera, but he perceived that the

disease produced appearances resembling the symptoms of Cuprum,

Camphor and Veratrum, He saw from the description of the disease

that the general aspect of cholera was like the general aspect of

Cuprum, Camphor and Veratrum, and these three remedies are the

typical cholera remedies. They all have the general feature of cholera,

its nature and general aspect. They all have the exhaustive vomiting

and diarrhoea, the coldness, the tendency to collapse, the sinking from

the emptying out of the fluids of the body.

From what I have said you will see that the Cuprum case is, above

all others, the spasmodic case. It has the most intense spasms, and

the spasms being the leading feature, they overshadow all the other

symptoms of the case. He is full of cramps and is compelled to cry

out with the pain from the contractions of the muscles. Camphor is

the coldest of all the three remedies ; the Camphor patient is cold as

death. Camphor has the blueness,, the exhaustive discharge, though

less than Cuprum and Veratrum; but whereas in the two latter remedies the patient is willing to be covered up, in Camphor he wants the

windows open and wants to be cool. Though he is cold he wants to

be uncovered and to have the windows open. But just here let me

mention another feature in Camphor, It has also some convulsions

which are painful, and when the pain is on he wants to be covered up

and wants the windows shut. If there are cramps in the bowels with

the pain, he wants to be covered up. So that in Camphor, during all

of its complaints in febrile conditions (and fever is very rare in

Camphor), and during the pains he wants to be covered up and warm,

but during the coldness he wants to be uncovered and have the air.

In cholera, then, the extreme coldness and blueness point to Camphor,

ClfPRUM METALUCU^^

Again, with Camphor there are often scanty as well as copious di$charges, so that the cholera patient is often taken so suddenly that he

has the coldness, blueness and exhaustion and almost no vomiting or

diarrhoea, a condition called dry cholera. It simply means an uncommonly small amount of vomiting and diarrhoea. This is Camphor.

Another prominent feature is the great coldness of the body without

the usual sweat that belongs to the disease. Cuprum and Veratrum

have the cold clammy sweat, and Camphor also has sweat, but more

commonly the patient needing Camphor is very cold, blue and dry and

wants to be uncovered. That is striking. Now wc go to Veratrum

and see that we can have three remedies very much alike, and so perfectly adapted to cholera and yet so different. Veratrum is peculiar

because of its copious exihaustive discharges, copious sweat, copious

discharges from the bowels, copious vomiting, and great coldness of

the sweat. There is some cramping and he wants to be warm ; he is

ameliorated by hot drinks, and by the application of hot bottles which

relieve pain and suffering.

These three remedies tend downward into collapse and death.

Now to repeat : Cuprum for the cases of a convulsive character, Camphor in cases characterized by extreme coldness and more or less dryness, and Veratrum when the copious sweat, vomiting and purging

are the features. That is little to remember, but with that you can

enter an epidemic of cholera with oa^fidence.

In cholera-like states there are other remedies which relate to

Cuprum and which ought to be cemfidered. Podophyllum has cramps,

mainly in the bowels. It has a painless, gushing diarrhoea with

vomiting as well, and hence is useful in cholera morbus.

The cramps in Podophyllum are violent, they feel to him as if the

intestines were being tied in knots. The watery stool is yellow, and,

if examined a little while after, it looks as if corn meal had been

stirred into it. The odor is dreadful, smelling like a Podophyllum

stool. If you say it smells like stinking meat that only partly

describes it ; it is not quite cadaveric but it is horribly offensive and

penetrating. The stool is gushing, copious, and is accompanied by

dreadful exhaustion. ‘It is a wonder where it can all come from,’'

says the mother, speaking of the exhausting diarrhoea in an infant

or in a child. The stool runs away gushingly, in prolonged squirts,

with a sensation of emptiness, sinking, deathly goneness in the whole

abdomen. Phosphorus also ought to be thought of in relation to

Cuprum. It also has cramps in the bowels, exhaustive diarrhoea,

sinking as if dying, but commonly with heat of the skin, with burning

internally, with gurgling of all the fluids taken into the stomach; as

spon as they come to the stomach they commence to gurgle, and

gurgle all the way . through the bowel. A drink of water seems to

430 CUPRUM MeTALUCUM

flow through the bowel with a gurgle. Now this gurgling in Cuprum

commences at the throat ; he swallows with a gurgle ; gurgling in the

oesophagus when swallowing.

Convulsive cramps all over the body with twitching, jerking, trem*

bling and blueness of the skin. Everything he does, all his actions arc

spasmodic, are convulsive. All the sphincters are convulsive. All

the activities are irregular, disorderly and convulsive when poisoned

with copper. Bear these things in mind as we study every region in

Cuprum. Repression or driving in of eruptions, attended with diarrhoea and convulsions, sometimes only convulsions. We note a case

of measles or scarlet fever with a rash that has been suppressed by a

chill or exposure to wind and convulsions have come on. That belongs to Zincum and Cuprum, sometimes to Bryonia^ but to Zincum

and Cuprum particularly. Twitching of the limbs from a sudden

suppression of a scarlet fever, with suppression of urine, chorea, etc.

Cramping of the muscles of the chest ; cramping of the calves ; cramping all over. Suppressed eruptions. Discharges that have been in

existence quite a long time. The individual has become debilitated

and worn out with excitement, but this discharge barely kept him

• ▸alive.
• ▸He has gradually grown weaker, but he has kept about because he had a discharge.
• ▸It has furnished him a safety-valve.
• ▸If

stopped suddenly convulsions will come on. That is like Cuprum. A

woman has suffered a long time with a copious leucorrhoea and some

unwise doctor tells her she must take injections and she checks it up

for a few days, hysterical convulsions, crampings and tearings of the

muscles come on ; contractions of the fingers and toes. Discharges

from old ulcers, fistulas suppressed.

Cuprum will re-establish a discharge that has been suddenly suppressed and convulsions followed. It stops the convulsions and reestablishes the discharge. It has caries, it has senile gangrene, or the

gangrene that belongs to old age : old shriveled up octogenarians,

whose toes and fingers get dark in spots ; feeble circulation.

In the Cuprum patient the nerves are all the time wrought up to the

highest tension ; wants to fly, wants to do something dreadful. Impulsiveness. Compelled to do something ; restless and tossing about —

a constant uneasiness ; nervous trembling ; always tired. Great weakness of the muscles, and relaxation of the body when the convulsions

are not on.; Twitching and jerking and starting during sleep.

Grinding of the teeth with brain affections. Inflammations ceases

suddenly and you wonder what has happened. All at once comes on

insanity, delirium, convulsions, blindness ; evidence of cerebral congestions and inflammation appearing with wonderful suddenness.

Metastasis. A perfect change from one part of the body to another.

The same thing may occur from a suppressed eruption, or sup-

43 •

pressed discharge, or a suppressed diarrhoea, and it goes to the brain,

a&cjts the mind and brings on insanity ; a wild, active, maniacal

• ▸delirium.
• ▸Cuprum is not passive in its business.
• ▸Violence is manifested everywhere.
• ▸Violence in its diarrhoea, violence in its vomiting,

violence in its spasmodic action ; strange and violent things in its

mania and delirium. Hysterical cramps and hysterical attitudes may

change in a night or in a day to St. Vitus’ dance, and go on with it

as if nothing had happened. Such is the suddenness with which it

changes its character. This is not generally known of Cuprum — this

• ▸constant changing about.
• ▸Spasmodic affections in general.
• ▸Spasmodic coughs, spasms all over the body.
• ▸The face becomes purple.
• ▸He

loses his breath ; suffocates. The mother thinks the child will never

come to life again. Spasms of the chest ; spasms of the larynx :

spasms of the whole respiratory system of such a character that the

child seems to be choking to death.

Whooping cough. With every spell of whooping cough comes

this awful spasmodic state, this spasmodic coughing. Jerking of the

• ▸muscles.
• ▸Cuprum has spasms of the limbs with all sorts of contractions such as arc found in hysterical constitutions.
• ▸Puerperal convulsions.
• ▸Convulsions where a limb will first flex and then extend —

an alternation of flexion and extension. In a child you will see the

leg all at once shoot out with great violence, then up against the

abdomen again with great violence, and then again shoot out. It is

hard work to find another remedy that has that. Tabacum has it, but

not many others. Convulsions with' flexion and extension are common to Cuprum. Convulsions of tfie limbs, twitching and jerking of

the muscles. We get a part of the symptom-picture in one and part

in another.

Violent congestion in the head, violent pains in the head. Tingling

pain in the vertex, severe pain in the vertex, bruised pain. Crawling

sensation in vertex, stitches in the temples. Congestion of the brain.

Meningitis. Headache after cpilepdc attacks. Paralysis of the brain

with symptoms of collapse. Metastasis to the brain from other

organs.

About the face ; convulsions, jerking of the eyes ; twitching of the

lids. Bruised pain in the eyes. Spasms of the muscles of the eye so

that the eyes jerk and twitch, first from one side and then the other.

Rolling of the eyes. “Quick rotation of the balls with the lids closed.

Lids spasmodically closed” Closed so that they seem to snap. “In

flammation of the periosteum about the eyes* and cellular tissue of the

lachrymal glands.” Spots of ulceration on the cornea. Face and

lips blue. The face is purple in convulsions and whooping cough ;

lips blue.

Inflammation of the tongue. Paralysis of the tongue. It is not

43 ^

an uncommon thing to find paralysis in Cuprum after convulsions.

The violence of the convulsions seems to have brought about a reaction and paralytic weakness, a numbness and tingling, a loss of

motility. ‘'Spasms of the throat, preventing speech. Sensation as if

constricted on swallowing. Great thirst for cold drinks.” Many

complaints are ameliorated by drinking cold water. The spasms are

sometimes mitigated by drinking cold water. The cough is brought

on sometimes by inhaling cold air, but stopped by drinking cold

water, like Coccus cacti, ‘‘Desire for warm food and drinks. Eats

hastily.” Indigestion from milk.

Then there is nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea connected more or

Jess with spasms. Spasms of the stomach. Spasms of the chest with

diarrhoea and vomiting. Cramps of the calves and the fingers and

• ▸toes.
• ▸“Presssure in the stomach.
• ▸” In the stomach and bowels periodical cramps.
• ▸Cramps coming periodically.
• ▸It has cured colic in the

form of violent cramps coming every two weeks with perfect regularity. It has pain in the stomach, and a pain under the xiphoid

appendix that seems as if it would take his life. If it is not removed

he will certainly die in a little while. Constriction across the chest,

suffocation, cramps of the legs. Cuprum goes deep into the life, and

it has many a time taken such a grand hold of an old hysterical subject that it has completely eradicated in a short time the hysterical

tendency to cramps. In Cuprum particularly, early in the cramps the

thumbs commence to draw down. It is with difficulty that they can

be lifted up. They will draw back again, and then the fingers will

clinch over them and draw so tightly it is painful. In children with

such convulsions, and in hysterics with such convulsions. Cuprum

goes deep into the life and eradicates this tendency to convulsions and

cramps. Uraemic convulsions. Convulsions with suppressed or

scanty urine. No urine in the bladdei. In young girls beginning to

menstruate, violent cramps in the limbs, cramps in the abdomen,

diarrhoea, cramps in the utems. Epileptic spasms coming at every

menstrual period. Before or during menses, or after suppression,

violent, unbearable cramps in the abdomen. A case something like

this is not so very uncommon. Girls, at about the time of puberty,

go in bathing, when their mothers have been a little too prudish, a

little too sensitive, and have not told their daughters what they might

expect, and to look out for bathing in cold water at certain times.

The menstrual flow starts. From a cold bath she suppresses that

flow and on come convulsions. That is in keeping with Cuprum.

Hysterical convulsions they may be called. They will take the form,

quite likely, of hysterical convulsions ; they may take the form of

chorea. Instead of convulsions it may take the form of congestion,

of the brain with violent delirium. Again, the menses not appearing