Amanita muscaria. Agaricus muscarius. Fly Agaric. Bug Agaric. Champignon fou. (Europe, Asia, and America, in dry places, especially in dry pine woods.) *N. O. Fungi. Trituration of the carefully dried-up cap (pileus), or tincture of the fresh fungus.
Clinical
*Acne *rosacea. Blepharospasm. *Brain, *softening of. Bunion. *Chilblains. *Chorea. *Coldness. *Cough. *Cramp. Delirium tremens. Dysmenorrhoea. *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 tumors. Sexual excess, effects of. *Spinal *Irritation. *Spleen, *affections of. *Starting. Stitch in side. Tic convulsion. Toothache. *Tremors. *Typhoid fever. *Typhus.
Characteristics
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 delirium, 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 *Agaricus produces fetidity of breath, eructations, and Stool and Anus.s. Sweat may be oily but is not offensive. *Agaricus 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 *Agaricus pass little urine (opp. *Ignatia), 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. Agreeably with this we find in the provings of *Agaricus great sensitiveness to cold air. All symptoms are worse in cold weather, especially headache. Looking out of an open window causes tooth-ache and pains in the limbs. Drinking cold water worse. Symptoms are worse 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 *Agaricus 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 worse indoors and at rest, except vertigo, which may be either worse or better 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. Worse After moving, and by pressure from without.
Relations.
*Compare: Bovista, Stict., Act-r., Cann-i., Opium, Stramonium (alcoholism, chorea); Coffea (ecstasy); Cicuta (spasm of eyes); Cod. (spasm of eyelids); Mygal., Tarent., Veratrum (icy-cold feeling in head); Arsenicum (*hot needles, Agaricus ice-cold needles); Agaricus stands between Stramonium and Lachesis *It is antidoted by: Charcoal, coffee, wine, brandy, camphor, fat or oil (relieves stomach), Calcarea c. (relieves icy coldness), Pulsatilla, Rhus (nightly back-ache). *It follows well: Belladonna, Calcarea c., Mercurius, Opium, Pulsatilla, Rhus, Silicea *Is followed by: Tarent. (typhoid with “rolling of the head”). Teste includes Agaricus in his Belladonna group.
Causation
Coitus, subjective symptoms arising after. Frost. Sun. Fright. Mental application or excitement, Over-exertion. Sexual excess. Alcoholism. Blood poisoning.
Mind
Aversion to conversation. Indisposed to perform any kind of labour, especially 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.
Head
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 walking in the morning. Pain, as if a nail were driven into the head, worse when sitting quietly, better 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, right 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, especially early in the morning.
Eyes
Itching in the eyes. Burning sensation in the internal corners of the eyelids, which are painful on being touched. Pressure in the eyes. Tumour in the corners of the eyes, and agglutination of the lids. Twitching of the eyelids and eyeballs. The cleft of the eyelids growing narrower. Canthi itch, burn, are red, worse from touch, stick together (lachrymal fistula). A viscid yellow tumour 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.
Ears
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.
Nose
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.
Face
Tearing in the face and jaw bones. Twitching in the (right) cheek. On waking, pain in left 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.
Teeth
Tearing pains in the teeth, aggravated by cold. Tearing in the lower molar teeth, worse from cold air. Shooting from right lower teeth up to right side of head. Gums swollen, painful, and readily bleeding.
Mouth
Pain, as from excoriation in the mouth and in the palate. Excoriation of the tongue. Tongue, after a meal, covered with aphthae 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 fraenum of the tongue. Offensive smell of the mouth, as after eating horse- radish. Foam about the mouth. Flow of bitter saliva. Speech inarticulate.
