Repertory › Remedies in the repertory

Agaricus muscarius (Agar.)

Agaricus muscarius (Agar.) appears in 997 rubrics in the repertory. Of these, 71 are single-remedy rubrics listing only this remedy, and 101 are small rubrics with at most two other remedies. The emphasis lies on Delirium and Delusions, Anxiety, Laughing, and Egotism, as well as Language and Speech and Work. From these emerges the picture of a person whose mind dissolves into exuberance, flow of speech, and delusory images and who at the same time fails at any sustained mental exertion.

Delirium and Its Alternation

Delirium is the largest block. It alternates with excitement, with lethargy, with stupor, and with sadness; a cheerful delirium is relieved by a melancholic one, and in raving, religious excitement stands beside rage. The rubrics draw a person who appears cheerful and childlike, romps with children in delirium and sings or talks without answering questions. But he can also become dangerous and throws things at the nurse, as the single-remedy rubric "Delirium – recognizes no one – throws wine and medicine at the nurse" records. His urge to move leads him into danger: "Runs about – most dangerous places, to the".

Delirium comes easily, runs its course with twitching or jerking, and appears in typhoid as well as in abdominal colic.

Delusions

The Delusions are unusually pictorial and distort proportions. A spoonful of water appears like a lake, a small hole like an abyss, steps are too high, the whole body is diminished. To this belongs the idea of being able to walk as never before, to dance, or to leave the body and enjoy this state. A second group of single-remedy rubrics leads into confession: the person stands at the gate of hell and must confess his sins, and a mushroom commands him to fall on his knees. The wording reads: "Delusions – mushroom would give her/him the command – to confess, to fall on his knees and confess his sins". The same mushroom demands in a further rubric that he slit open his belly. Vindictiveness, too, is recorded among the Delusions.

Deference and Self-Display

Two opposite attitudes stand side by side. One is that of subordination: the person bows to everything, strives to meet the expectations of others, speaks respectfully and deferentially, and kisses the hands of his companions. Complaints appear on criticism, and in dealing with people he is cautious; he fears being disturbed. The other is that of self-exaltation: he recounts his heroic deeds and great feats, forges bold plans, and demands attention. Both sides apparently follow the same need for recognition.

Language and Mood

Speech appears loosened and at the same time disordered. The repertory knows ecstatic and cheerful speaking, talking about battles and war, prophesying in rhymes, and wandering from one subject to another. The person jumps, sings, and dances, and laughter sets in involuntarily, after yawning or on pressure on the spine. A mood that ignites easily is also recorded: Irritability alternates with singing, anger and raving come and go, and the person quarrels with everything.

Mental Work and Weakness

Against the exuberance stands the exhaustion of the mind. Prolonged mental work is harmful, continuous work is impossible, especially in the morning; dullness sets in at three o'clock at night, and thinking is sluggish. The relation of will and strength is displaced: "Will – excited in stupefaction – the slightest will seems to have enormous consequences". The rubrics on development range from late learning to talk and walk to Korsakoff's psychosis, and there are feelings of insecurity: the sensation of losing consciousness on lying down and the sensation that the legs do not belong to oneself.

Summary

Agaricus muscarius appears in the repertory as a remedy in which exuberance and impotence lie close together. A person who talks, sings, and reports heroic deeds also obeys with zeal and fears disturbance; his mind reaches into the images of hell and abyss but does not sustain lasting work. The states relieve one another without any one of them taking permanent lead.

A reference work for professionals; it does not replace diagnosis or treatment.