Agaricus Muscarius


 
The most salient sign of Agaricus Muscarius is shaking of the body, secondary to mental stress and weakness of the muscles. The hands are tremulous, the limbs display jerky movements and the whole body quivers.

Jerky movements are also a characteristic of Actea Racemosa (Cimicifuga), with the difference that the violent movements are on the same side as one lies on, while in Agaricus, the whole body quivers. Tremors and spasms both exist. The eyes also shake and sway. The eyesight is not focussed. I once happened to see a young man suffering from this ailment which was progressing with age.  Agaricus Muscarius significantly benefited him to the extent that he could do his regular work normally.

In Agaricus, eye symptoms are very prominent, such as double vision, black spots dancing before the eyes, squinting, burning and irritation of the eyes and a feeling of fatigue. It is difficult to focus the eye on one particular point. Reading becomes difficult, the eyeballs swing like a pendulum, and the discharge of the eye is yellowish and sticky. The mind becomes weak. Concentrated studies and mental work cause fatigue. Such children are very stubborn in nature, irritable and sensitive. If checked harshly, they may go into mental shock and become unconscious (more so in the case of Aesculus). Agaricus should be given to children even if rolling movements of the eyeballs are absent. Some children are basically mentally weak, more so in the morning. They cannot understand any new idea. They are sluggish, physically as well as mentally. As the day passes, they become mentally alert, normal and cheerful by the end of the day. These symptoms are very similar in Agaricus and Aesculus, except for their timing.

In Agaricus, weakness of nerves can induce deafness. Exposure to cold causes earache, with redness and burning of the skin. The feet burn, itch and become red. Sometimes in extreme cold, if one enters a heated room, hands and feet start to itch and become red and swollen.This condition is called Chillblain. Any condition in which the blood accumulates in one particular part of the body causing distension, redness, itching and pain, will be relieved by Agaricus Muscarius.  Similar conditions can be found in some allergies (for example, during the treatment of malaria). If associated with other symptoms and signs of Agaricus, Agaricus Muscarius will cure these without the help of any other anti-allergic treatment. One or at the most two doses will suffice (by the grace of Allah). Sometimes, Phosphorus may also be helpful in such a situation. Some children happen to stammer.  Stammering is in fact due to some kind of fear. It should be treated psychologically also. In general, Stramonium is very useful in deep mental and neurological conditions, but has not been found sufficiently effective in the treatment of stammers. So one must carefully scrutinize the cause of the illness before suggesting any remedy. Agaricus may be one possible remedy for stammering.
In Agaricus Muscarius, the illness has fleeting tendency. Sometimes women, during their nursing period, may have been subjected to mental shock (due to some severe accident, grief or mental pressure),
causing the milk production (lactation) to be suppressed. If the milk is insufficient due to the mental shock, Agaricus can be very useful. Pulsatilla will be the right medication for Pulsatilla type patient. Other remedies used for normalizing lactation are:

Agnus Castus                    Aconite

Bryonia                             Asafoetida

Causticum                         Calcarea Carbonica

Lac Defloratum                 Chamomilla

Phytolacca                        Phosphoric Acid

Silicea                               Secale
                                         Urtica

In Agaricus, like Aesculus, the pains tend to radiate downwards.  Being related to the nerves, the pains are not dull and localised; instead, they may radiate to one side and then to the other. In such a case, Agaricus is more effective In Agaricus Muscarius, the abdomen is full of wind (or gas) due to sluggish intestinal movements. In such cases, Nux Vomica is also very promptly effective. It restores the intestinal mobility in transient as well as established condition. Sulphur works for prolonged periods and Aconite works temporarily. Nux Vomica is between the two.  The Agaricus patient is usually very quiet. Typically the facial muscles twitch. The intestinal muscles also fasciculate, but do not have the propulsive power. In such a case, Agaricus is the remedy.  In Agaricus Muscarius, one experiences hallucinations as a result of blood poisoning due to the toxins produced inside the uterus. If the uterus does not expel the placental membranes after the childbirth, it can affect the mind. In this condition, Pulsatilla is a good general remedy for the natural cleaning of the uterus. If the infection sets in the uterus and Puerperel fever develops, Sulphur 200 and Pyrogenium 200 should be given. If there are hallucinations and milk formation in the breast is decreased, Agaricus Muscarius will be very advantageous. In the case of infection, Silicia, Kali Mur, Ferrum Phos and Kali Phos, all six 6X, should be mixed and given in addition to Sulphur and Pyrogenium.

In Agaricus, we see eczema also. It is recognised by the blisters containing yellow exudate, which develop along the course of the nerves. It is often seen that the neurological conditions can transform into eczema. In some other conditions, vesicles develop along the course of the peripheral nerves, such as in herpes. But Agaricus is not the remedy for herpes.

Herpes of different kinds is a very painful disease. It should be clearly recognised and treated timely to avoid dangerous complications. Previously, I used to prescribe Silicia, Kali Phos and Kali Mur for herpes which helped to some extent. Later on, I found that the best treatment for herpes was that as for snakebite, i.e. Arnica 200, Ledum 200 and Arsenic 200. This combination offered unusually quick cure (when I used this formula on late Aftab Ahmad Khan Sahib during a severe attack of herpes). Due to the frequent mutation of the herpes virus and changing pattern of the disease, in my knowledge there is no one standard remedy which would be of use all the time.

The Agaricus patient does not have full control on his limbs. Things drop out of his hands. Crockery frequently falls and breaks. His grip is not strong enough. Severe muscle pains and spasms occur in the limbs. Hands and feet twist violently. In Agaricus, the symptoms aggravate after taking food, in the open and in cold weather. Sleep fails to improve the symptoms. The patient feels drowsy all day. Itching and burning are conspicuously present.