• Spasmodic affections, cramps and convulsions. Aura begins in knees
• Strong, metallic taste of saliva
• Cough at 3 am with constriction of chest
• Dysmenorrhoea with cramps in abdomen and calves

Source: Mineral kingdom
Synonyms: Metallic copper
Group: Metal
Formula: Cu
Prover: Dr Hahnemann
Miasmatic Background: Antipsoric remedy which works from within
outwards
Thermal Relationship: Symptoms are worse from cold air

Introduction and History: Metallic copper, an insoluble substance in it’s pure form is made soluble by means of trituration. Our Master Dr Samuel Hahnemann solved the problem of using insoluble substances in the field of therapeutics. This medicine was first introduced by him as one of the weapons to combat against the cholera epidemic.

As per the orthodox school, copper is used as copper sulphate for external application. But they did not dare use it internally because of its toxic effect. However, homeopathy has made it useful through the processes of trituration and potentization. It is the Venus of alchemists.

Preparation: It is prepared from metallic copper by trituration method.

Constitution and Physiognomy: It is suited to a carbo-nitrogenoid constitution having fair hair, and to those women who have borne many children.

Seat of Action (Pharmacodynamics): It mainly acts upon the alimentary canal, spinal nervous system and various nerve centres.

Physio-pathological Changes (Pathology)

1. It is a special irritant to the cerebrospinal nervous system affecting especially the pneumogastric nerves and the anterior portion of the spinal cord.
2. It acts on the vagal centre producing nausea and vomiting in every case of poisoning.
3. Through the spinal nerves it produces gastric irritation and inflammation of every part of the abdominal viscera.
4. It produces dysentery and cholera accompanied with cramps in the extremities.
5. As per Dr Clapton, copper produces distinctly marked green stains on gums, bluish-green hue of perspiration in old work men, and green discharges from old ulcers.

Ailments From: Bad effects of repercussed eruptions, suppressed foot sweat, emotions, anger, fright, loss of sleep, chorea from fright, getting wet causes epileptic attacks.

Characteristic Mental Symptoms (Psychology)

1. Patient is nervous. Uneasy. Fixed ideas, malicious and morose.
2. Patient is fearful; piercing shrieks, weeps violently; convulsive laughter.
3. Fear of society, shuns everybody.
4. Confusion, afraid of everybody who approaches him.
5. Loquacity followed by melancholy with fear of death.
6. Attacks of rage, wants to bite bystanders.
7. He is sullen, tricky; alternatingly yielding and head strong.
8. Delirium, mania bites, beats, tears things.

Characteristic Physical Guiding Symptoms

Spasms and cramps: Spasms and cramps disposed to appear periodically and in group.

Cough: Cough has a gurgling sound, as if water was being poured from a bottle. Worse by drinking cold water

Whooping cough: Long lasting, spasmodic cough due to which the patient is unable to speak, becomes breathless, has a blue face, is rigid, stiff; three attacks successively.

Vomiting: Vomiting of solid food after regaining consciousness and cataleptic spasms with each paroxysm.

Taste: A strong, sweetish, metallic, coppery taste in the mouth with constant flow of saliva.

Tongue: Constant prostration and retraction of the tongue like a snake.

Gastrointestinal tract: The fluid descends with a gurgling sound while drinking.

Cholera: It is indicated in cholera morbus or Asiatic cholera with cramps in the abdomen and calves.

After pains: After pains are severe, distressing, in calves and soles.

Cramps: Cramps in the extremities, pain in soles and calves with great weariness of limbs.

Convulsions: Convulsions with a blue face and clenched thumbs.

Clonic spasms: It begins in the fingers and toes and spreads over the entire body, during pregnancy. Puerperal convulsions after fright or vexation, from metastasis from other organs to the brain.

Paralysis: Paralysis of tongue; imperfect and stammering speech.

Epilepsy: Aura begins in knees and ascends; worse at night, during sleep, about new moon, occurs at regular intervals, from a fall or blow upon the head, from getting Wet.

Desires: Desires cold drinks.

Important Characteristic Features

Cholera: It is a useful remedy in cholera morbus with gushing, watery stools and copious vomiting, the stomach and bowels are emptied of their contents. The extremities become cold and blue, especially the finger and toe nails, hands and feet. Jerking of the muscles, cramping of the extremities that is, fingers and toes, spasms of chest. Patient has tendency to collapse and sink from the emptying out of the body fluids.

Cramps: Convulsive cramps all over the body with twitching, jerking, trembling and blueness of the skin. All the sphincters are convulsive. All the activities are irregular, disordered and convulsive when poisoned with copper. Cramping in the muscles of the chest, calves, all over. The individual becomes debilitated and worn out with excitement.

Epilepsy or convulsions: In epilepsy there are contractions and jerking of the fingers and toes. He falls with a shriek and during the attack passes urine and faeces. Epilepsy begins with a violent constriction in the lower part of the chest, with contraction in the fingers that spread all over the body. There is drawing in the fingers, clenching of the thumbs or twitching of the muscles and tonic contractions so that the hands are closed violently. In the fingers, toes and extremities, the spasmodic condition increases and extends until the limbs are in a great state of exhaustion.

In this medicine, nerves are brought upto the highest tension. Patient wants to fly, wants to do something dreadful, impulsive. Twitching, jerking and starting during sleep. There are spasms of the chest, larynx, in fact of the entire respiratory system of such character that child seems to be choking to death.

General Modalities

Aggravation: From emotions, anger, fright, suppressions, overworked mentally and physically, at new moon, hot weather, from vomiting, raising arms, before menses, from vomiting, during evening and night, cold air.

Amelioration: During perspiration, laying hand on affected part, drinking cold water, wrapping head improves headache.

Remedy Relationships

Complementary: Calc.

Follows well: Apis, Ars, Bell, Caust, Hyos, Puls, Stram, Verat, Zinc.

Antidotes: Bell, Hep, Camph.

Comparison

Takes cold from exposure of feet: Con, Cupr, Sil.

Cramps during coition: Cupr, Graph, Sulph.

Mental and physical exhaustion from loss of sleep: Cocc, Cup, Nux-v.

Dosage: 6 to 200 potency.

Repetition: Should be repeated after the paroxysm.

Therapeutic Value: After pains, Angina pectoris, Asthma, Bronchitis, Cardialgia, Catarrh, Chlorosis, Cholera, Chorea, Colic, Convulsions, Cough, Cramps, Croup, Cyanosis, Dentition, Emissions, Epilepsy, Haematemesis, Herpes, Hyperaesthesia, Hysteria, Mania, Measles, Meningitis, Neuralgia, Palpitations, Paralysis, Pneumonia, Psoriasis, Ringworm, Spasms, Spinal irritation, Tapeworm, Ulcers, Whooping cough, Worms, Yellow fever.