CUPRUM METALLICUM

CUPRUM METALLICUM

(Copper)

Cupr.

Cuprum Metallicum primarily treats spasms, cramps, and convulsions that start in the fingers and toes, accompanied by violent, intermittent pain. It is effective for both tonic and clonic spasms, convulsions, and epilepsy. It addresses chorea triggered by fright, and severe nausea. In epilepsy, the aura starts at the knees, rises to the hypogastrium, leading to unconsciousness, foaming, and falling. Symptoms often appear periodically and in clusters, usually beginning on the left side (Lach.). It is also used for tapeworm (colloidal Cupr. 3x).

In cases where eruptions strike in, such as scarlet fever, it can manage excessive vomiting, stupor, and convulsions. Pain worsens with movement and touch.

Head:
Fixed ideas, malicious thoughts, and moroseness. Inappropriate use of words. Fearful with an empty feeling. Purple, red swelling on the head with convulsions, bruised pain in the brain and eyes when turning them, and meningitis. Sensation of water being poured over the head. Giddiness leading to the head falling forward on the chest.

Eyes:
Aching over the eyes, fixed, staring, sunken, glistening, turned upward. Quick rolling of the eyeballs with closed eyes.

Nose:
Severe nasal congestion (Meli.).

Face:
Distorted, pale, bluish with blue lips (cyanosed). Jaw contraction with foam in the mouth (epilepsy).

Mouth:
Strong metallic, slimy taste with excessive saliva. Constant protrusion and retraction of the tongue, like a snake (Lach.). Paralysis of the tongue and stammering speech.

Stomach:
Hiccough before spasms, nausea, vomiting relieved by drinking cold water, colic, diarrhea, spasms. Strong metallic taste (Rhus-t.). Fluid descends with a gurgling sound when drinking (Laur.). Craves cool drinks.

Abdomen:
Tense, hot, tender to touch, contracted. Neuralgia of abdominal viscera, violent intermittent colic, intussusception.

Stool:
Black, painful, bloody with tenesmus and weakness (dysentery). Cholera with cramps in the abdomen and calves.

Female:
Late, protracted menses with cramps extending to the chest before, during, or after suppression of menses, and from suppressed foot sweats (Sil.). Blood ebullition, palpitations, chlorosis, and after-pains.

Respiratory:
Cough with a gurgling sound, relieved by drinking cold water. Suffocative attacks worse at 3 a.m. (Am-c.). Spasms and chest constriction, spasmodic asthma alternating with spasmodic vomiting. Whooping cough improved by swallowing cold water, with vomiting, spasms, and a purple face. Spasm of the glottis, dyspnea with epigastric uneasiness, and spasmodic dyspnea before menstruation. Angina with asthmatic symptoms and cramps (Clarke).

Heart:
Angina pectoris, slow pulse, or hard, full, and quick pulse. Palpitations, precordial anxiety and pain, fatty degeneration (Phyt.).

Extremities:
Muscle jerking and twitching, cold hands, cramps in the palms, and great limb weariness. Cramps in calves and soles, epilepsy with aura starting in the knees, clenched thumb, clonic spasms starting in the fingers and toes.

Sleep:
Profound sleep with bodily shocks. Constant abdominal rumbling during sleep.

Skin:
Bluish (cyanosed), marbled skin, ulcers, itching spots, and pimples in joint folds. Chronic psoriasis and leprosy (Hughes).

Modalities:
Worse before menses, from vomiting, and contact. Better during perspiration and by drinking cold water.

Relationships:
Antidotes include Bell., Hep., Camph. Copper is found in Dulc., Staph., Con., and some other plants, as well as in King-crab (Limulus cyclops). Complementary: Calc. Compare with Cuprum sulphuricum (burning at the vertex, incessant spasmodic cough, worse at night, tongue and lips bluish, Cupr-s. in 1-3 percent solution for inoperable sarcoma), Cuprum cyanatum (basilar meningitis), Cholas terrapina (calf and foot cramps, rheumatism with cramp-like pains), Plumb., Nux-v., Verat., Cuprum oxydatum nigrum lx (all kinds of worms, including tapeworms and trichinosis as per Zopfy’s 60 years’ experience).

Dose:
Sixth to thirtieth potency.