PICRICUM ACIDUM

 
Generally patients of acidic types are chilly and feel better in heat. However, in Picric Acid, patients are intolerant to heat and feel better in cold weather. Their ailments aggravate in hot weather, while the cold breeze feels very pleasant and soothing. Picric Acid is the drug of choice for this latter group. Picric Acid plays an important role in the treatment of mental fatigue and general weakness. Usually, the symptoms of mental fatigue appear in old age with the onset of arteriosclerosis i.e. the thickening, hardening and narrowing of the blood vessels going towards the brain and the resultant decrease in blood flow to the brain. Similar symptoms are also seen temporarily in “Brain Fag”. The brain fag occurs due to a transitory spasm of the cerebral vessels decreasing the blood flow to the brain and is usually related to stomach upset. When a patient of arteriosclerosis develops stomach upset, the brain fag becomes more obvious. In brain fag,
there is a sudden temporary loss of recent memory. For example, the patient forgets what he had eaten a few minutes ago and becomes angry with his relatives for not feeding him. He keeps on insisting that nobody does his work when in fact it has already been done. The patient is unable to recognise faces. Loss of recent memory and retention of the old memory is typical of brain fag. It is brain fag that is more pronounced in Picric Acid. There is no cure for the chronic mental deficiency resulting from arteriosclerosis. However, the severity of the symptoms may keep on fluctuating. If the symptoms like brain fag are not due to arteriosclerosis but due to some other temporary conditions, like poisoning and toxaemia, then the appropriate treatment can be readily effective.  The brain fag of Picric Acid closely resembles arteriosclerosis. Picric Acid is very useful in the treatment of frequent episodes of loss of recent memory. Picric Acid is beneficial for a headache, only if it is caused by prolonged mental overwork and a prolonged period of grief.  Some students who are very hardworking, and are always afraid of examinations develop permanent headache. Picric Acid is an important remedy for these patients. Picric Acid is an effective treatment for headaches, no matter whether these are severe or not.  Sleep comforts the Picric Acid patients.

In Picric Acid, the eye muscles become weak and the patient feels heaviness in the eyes. The feeling of dryness and heaviness and sand in the eyes, are very conspicuous. In Picric Acid, like Ruta, fine visual work hurts the eyes. The strain of reading fine print hurts the eyes also. When the muscles around the eyes become weak, this interferes with the performance of daily activities of life. Picric Acid is useful for relieving this weakness, as is Ruta. In Onosmodium also, the headache starts on reading fine print. The cause of this headache is different, though the end result i.e. the headache is similar.  Onosmodium is stated to be good in the treatment of sexual weakness of men and women. In particular, it is said to be very effective in treating some weaknesses of young men.  In the patient of Picric Acid, there is an increase of uric acid and phosphates and a decrease of sulphate. It is readily detectable on urine examination. There are several remedies whose symptoms are related to the lower half of the body, while there are some related to the upper part of the body. The homoeopathic form of Picric Acid relieves the heaviness of the lower part of the body. For the weakness of the spine and the legs, Conium and Phosphorus are also useful.  For all symptoms resulting from the ill effects of grief or emotional upset besides headache, Picric Acid is very useful. Furthermore, Ambra Grisea, Ignatia, Natrum Mur, Acid Phos and Silicea, are excellent remedies for relieving the ill effects of grief and sorrow. It is not difficult to differentiate them from Picric Acid.  Picric Acid is also very useful for the treatment of pimples and acne. For those who are anaemic and get tired of hard physical and mental work, Picric Acid is very useful. In a Picric Acid patient, the headache becomes less by lying down and on tightly tying the head.  However, the headache becomes worse with movement, bending over and mental exertion. The patient feels comfortable in the open and cold air. However, in the humid weather, the pain increases.