Synonyms : Acidum Picricum; Carbazotic acid; Trinitro- phenol; Tri-nitro-phenic acid.
Pure Picric acid is dissolved in distilled water (1 in 100) for the first centesimal dilution. Also trituration.
General action : It causes profound alteration of the blood, even disintegration of corpuscles; degeneration of the spinal cord, with paralysis inflammation of the kidneys, etc. When taken internally in toxic doses it acts as an irritating depressant, reducing the temperature and blood pressure.
Therapeutic uses: “This remedy is frequently of service to restore the wasted and worn out systems of those who are suffering from the effect of close application to study or business, and become anaemic and neurasthenic.”–(BLACKWOOD). “A universal prostration, psychical and physical, is the distinguishing feature, and speedy exhaustion from slight exertion the grand characteristic of this remedy. One single word portrays the generic action of Picric acid: ASTHENIA.” (JONES).
Picric acid is suited to persons of dark complexion, with dirty appearance of knuckles, due to pigmentation of bile; anaemic and cachectic persons, worn-out, overtaxed mentally and physically. Great sexual desire with emissions.
Acne. Boils. Brain fag. Boils in ears. Styes, Profuse seminal emissions. Priapism. Erotomania. Pruritus vulvae. Onanism. Anaemia. Leucocythemia. Congestion of liver. Fatty liver. Jaundice. Pernicious anaemia. Paralysis. Paraplegia. Hemiplegia. Spinal irritation. Spinal sclerosis. Writers cramp. Lumbago. Myelitis. Sycosis. Bloody urine. Diabetes; etc. “Hysteria. Extreme exhaustion at the menstrual period.” Cancerous cachexia.
Generalities: Bright yellow color of sclerotic, skin and urine. Trembling of all muscles. Darting pain in various parts, extending into bones, every hour in the day. TIRED FEELING ON LEAST EXERTION; on walking; on ascending stairs; on rising from bed, with lame sensation; with no desire to talk or do anything, indifferent to everything around him. Great perspiration.
Mind: Desire to be alone. Irritable. Low spirits.
Indifference, lack of will power to undertake anything (Phos.). Disinclination for mental and physical work, aversion to talking or movement, with the headache. Mental prostration after reading a little; any attempt to study causes burning along spine; with great weakness of back and legs. Mental prostration after writing a little. Inability to collect thoughts or to study (Phos.).
Head: Aching, all day; better pressure or bandaging head. The headaches may be relieved by cool applications (Puls. Tabac.). Vertigo at noon, worse rising from a seat, Heavy pain in supraorbital region. Neuralgic pain alternately in left and right temples. Pain in occiput, and in nape. Heavy pain in occiput, extending down neck and spine. Confusion in base.
“Violent occipital headaches, always worse by mental effort, with general fatigue. Brain fag, the slightest mental exertion brings on headache at the base of the brain; the pain is generally intense and throbbing. Any attempt at mental labor causes great general prostration.”.
Eyes: Yellow. Stinging, with lachrymation. Dryness and feeling as if full of sand. Shooting in centre, extending along optic nerve to occiput, with soreness of balls on touch, and photophobia. Conjunctivitis; worse right eye, better washing with cold water and by cold air; worse warm room, with difficulty in keeping eyes open, and sticky feeling on reading. Chronic catarrhal conjunctivitis with copious, thick, yellow discharge. LIDS swollen and sore. Heaviness and inability to keep them open when studying. “Ophthalmia, better cold water.” Air looks smoky. Vision of sparks. STYES, and soreness.
Ears: Puffy and burning, with sensation as if worms were crawling in them. Buzzing and hissing. “Noises in ears with vertigo and headache at the base of the brain. Chronic deafness, apparently caused by excessive headache, with noises in the ears when tired, membrane pale.” Boils in ear. Otitis.
Nose: Weight on bridge. Nose full of mucus, can breathe only through mouth, better in open air. Bleeding from right nostril, with heat and congestion of head. Epistaxis. Boil in left nostril.
Mouth: Taste bitter; sour; bad, of gas. White, frothy saliva hangs in strings to floor.
Throat: Dry. Red with rawness and hot feeling. Feeling of a plug on swallowing saliva and afterwards.
Stomach: Aversion to food. Thirst unquenchable, for cold water. Eructations bitter, after breakfast. Nausea, after retiring, with headache. Sharp pain in epigastric region. Vomiting.
Stool: Diarrhoea, with burning and smarting at anus. Light colored stool. Yellowish, copious, oily, frequent.
Urinary Organs: Pain in region of bladder; sharp in evening, worse right side. Dribbling micturition. Burning pain during and after micturition. Urine bloody. Dark yellow, with strong odor. Scanty. Urine contains abundant urates. Urine contained much indican, numerous granular cylinders and fatty degenerated epithelium. “Valuable for subacute and chronic inflammation of kidneys, with scanty urine, dropsy, profound weakness, very dark, bloody urine.” Enuresis. Diabetes.
Male Sexual Organs: Terrible erections at night, with restless sleep. Priapism. Satyriasis. Emission, with erection which lasted about ten minutes after emission. Desire at night, with erections, lewd dreams and emissions; emissions every other night. Desire, with almost constant priapism night and day, Condylomata. Sycosis. “It has proved valuable for seminal emissions followed by extreme exhaustion, occipital headache, etc.” Useful in prostatic hypertrophy, if not very advanced. “Loss of sexual power, with tendency to boils and carbuncles. Loss of power, with threatening paralysis of the legs.”.
Female Sexual Organs: Aching in left ovarian region. Menses delayed, painful, bruised pain in abdomen, with sickening sensation; “Yellowish-brown leucorrhoea in bed, before menstruation appears, and voluptuous pruritus vulvae after menses (never before.)”.
Back and Extremities: Lumbago. Pain in back, worse sitting. Weakness in sacral and lumbar regions. Pain in lumbar region; and anteriorly in thighs, in muscles, worse motion, extending down legs. Sharp pain in region of coccyx. Rheumatic pain in joints. Lame sensation i shoulders. Heaviness of arms and legs on exertion, worse legs. Locomotor ataxia. The pains referable to spinal cord are strongly marked. Any attempt to study causes burning pain along spine, with great weakness of back and legs.
Upper Extremities: Shoulders tired, and sore; worse right. Shooting in left elbow, extending down arm. Shooting in hands, Perspiration of hands.
Lower Extremities: Weakness, on ascending stairs; and heaviness. Hips and legs heavy all day. Knees weak. Acute ascending paralysis. Feet cold.
Skin: Yellow. Great perspiration and some jaundice. Itching, at night. Reddish, painful boils about mouth and face. “Very frequently called for in the disposition to boils, either on the back of the neck or within the ears.” Cold limbs, cannot get warm.
Modalities:.
Aggravation: From least motion; after sleep; in hot weather; in wet weather; between 10 A. M. and 2 P. M.
Amelioration: From cold water; in open air; at rest; from tight pressure; in afternoon and evening.
Similar: Gels.; Oxalic ac.; Phos. ac.; Phos; Sil.; Arg. nit.
Dose: Sixth and thirtieth potency, also higher.
Calcutta
Chief Editor, Homeopathic Herald