– Kent J. T.
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 ears, 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 are 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 change-ability, irritability, mental depression and complaints which come on from over exertion 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 symptom “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 convulsions 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 are slow to grasp ideas; wrong words float in kaleidoscopically. When we read in the book “the whole psychological sphere as if paralyzed,” we 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. Incoordination 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 run 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 the 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 the 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. Pain in 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 are all sorts of queer sensations, icy coldness after itching or scratching. That runs all through the body. There is itching, although no eruption is visible; can’t let it alone, and after 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 pendulum-like 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, (