Picricum acidum
Remedy of brain fag and neurasthenia. Complete mental and physical exhaustion. Cannot study — even thinking causes headache. Burning in spine. Heavy, tired legs. Priapism or loss of sexual power.
Source
Prepared from picric acid (trinitrophenol, C6H2(NO2)3OH), diluted and potentised.
Available Potencies
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Keynote Symptoms
Brain fag — complete inability for mental work. The slightest mental effort causes headache, heaviness, and exhaustion. Burning along the spine. Heavy, aching legs, especially on climbing stairs. Neurasthenia after overwork. Priapism with exhaustion, or complete loss of sexual power. Small boils in ear canal.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Cannot study, think, or concentrate. Aversion to mental effort — even attempting causes headache. Indifferent, apathetic. Student burnout. Lack of willpower. Brain feels tired and heavy.
General Symptoms
Complete exhaustion — mental and physical. Worse from mental or physical exertion, heat, wet weather, studying. Better from cold, open air, rest, bandaging, cold water.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Heavy, aching headache from the slightest mental effort. Pressure on top of head. Occipital headache extending down spine. Brain fag.
Ears
Small, painful boils in external ear canal — a useful particular symptom.
Back
Burning along spine. Heavy, tired back. Myelitis. Weakness of legs from spinal exhaustion.
Male Genitalia
Priapism with brain exhaustion. Or total loss of sexual power. Erections without desire. Emissions without erection.
Extremities
Legs heavy as lead, especially ascending stairs. Cannot walk. Weakness. Numbness.
Urinary
Urine contains excess uric acid. Sediment.
Skin
Small boils. Indolent ulcers.
Modalities
Better From
Cold, open air, rest, bandaging, cold water, sunshine
Worse From
Mental exertion, physical exertion, heat, wet weather, studying, ascending stairs
Constitutional Type
Students, intellectuals burned out from overwork. Those with spinal weakness. Neurasthenic types.
Clinical Indications
Brain fag, student burnout, neurasthenia, myelitis, spinal exhaustion, priapism, boils in ear, heavy legs, mental exhaustion
Comparative Materia Medica
Phosphoric acid has mental exhaustion but more indifference and apathy. Calcarea phosphorica has brain fag in students but with more bone involvement. Kali phosphoricum has mental exhaustion but with more nervousness. Gelsemium has dullness but more trembling.
Safety Information
Camphor, Coffea, Nux vomica.
Picric acid is a powerful explosive and toxic substance. Causes yellow staining of skin, liver damage, kidney damage, convulsions. Use only potentised forms.
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