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Picricum acidum (Pic‑ac.)

Picricum acidum (Pic‑ac.) appears in 226 rubrics in the Repertory. Of these, 16 are single-remedy rubrics in which only this remedy appears, and 7 are small rubrics with at most two other remedies. The emphasis lies on Thoughts and Delusions with 16 rubrics each, on Ailments from particular causes, Children, Work and mental exhaustion. From these emerges the picture of a person who is exhausted by mental work and sexual excesses, whose will flags and whose delusions reach into the clouds.

Mental exhaustion

Exhaustion is the dominant theme. Single-remedy rubrics name mental exhaustion from loss of sleep, dementia with weakness and acute dementia, alongside ailments from studying that cause brain symptoms, and burning along the spine with weakness in the legs and back. Small rubrics connect mental exhaustion with worries and weakness of will with mental exertion. Thinking consumes the forces.

Sexual weakness and irritability

A second strand concerns sexuality. Single-remedy rubrics record irritability with impotence and with sexual weakness, small rubrics inability to work and aggravation from mental exertion after sexual excesses. Irritability and exhaustion are thus closely linked. A single-remedy rubric also names clear intellect with physical exhaustion: the mind remains bright while the body gives way.

Clouds and expansion

The delusions are striking. Three single-remedy rubrics record that the arms, face or tongue reach to the clouds on falling asleep, another that the person seems to reach the clouds, even arms, face, tongue and forebrain. Alongside stand the delusion of being crushed by the bedclothes and that of a staircase coming toward her. The body expands immeasurably in the half-sleep.

Anxiety and disgust

Small rubrics record long-lasting anxiety, also with bloating of the abdomen, and ailments from long-lasting anxiety. A single-remedy rubric concerns disgust at noon.

Summary

Pic‑ac. appears as the picture of a person whose forces are consumed by studying, worries and sexual exhaustion, whose irritability and weakness of will follow from this, and whose body, on falling asleep, expands into delusions toward the clouds. With 23 specific rubrics the data are modest, but the picture is clearly outlined.

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