# Piper Methysticum ## Remedy Classification - **Type:** Homeopathic Remedy - **Miasm:** Syphilitic Miasm - **Temperament:** Neutral - **Aggravation Time:** Neutral/Anytime ## Keynote Indications Kava-Kava is an intoxi cant which produces liveliness and inclina tion to do more work without fatigue. Silent and drowsy intoxication, with incoherent dreams, loss of muscular power. Nervous system strung up to its highest tension. Trembling. Uneasiness and weakness during day with timidity and apprehension. Weakness in morning, better rising and moving around. Want of tone and life in all functions towards night. Dizziness and vertigo, better on closing eyes. Full forehead, “solid with pain,” shifting to occiput and cervical spine, where it became a compression, extending as a constricting sensation to stomach and chest. Marked and persistent sensation of enlargement of head. All the symptoms, especially pains are temporarily better by dive rting attention, changing position or topic. Arthritis defor mans. Emaciation and decrepitude. Colic with flatulence. Urinary and skin symptoms have been verified. COMMENTS - W. N. Griswold proved the third and second dilutions and developed a large number of nervous, mental and brain symptoms, among which are some which have proved to be keynotes. The mental symptoms of Pip-m. or the “Intoxicating Pepper” are the most interesting feature of the drug's action. Feeling of buoyancy, as if every nerve was strung up to the highest pitch, feels he can work without fatigue, quickly followed by a feeling of tired brain and over-sensitiveness to all external impression. Griswold cured a case having burning in chest, better by diverting mind, and three cases having “Agonizing pain with tossing, twisting and writhing, patient driven irresistibly to change position, which generally gives little or no better.” These cures were with the lx or tinctures. Skinner gave fractional doses of tincture in water to a highly excitable young girl. She had severe toothache and earache and had worn out her family by the incessant day and night attendance she required. The pains were dragging, heavy, worse at night in bed and after or when eating, forgets all about her pains if amused with anything, but directly she is tired of it she exclaims ‘Oh. my tooth or ear!' ” She had “Agonizing pain with tossing, twisting and writhing, irresistibly driven to change position.” The patient slept well that night the first time for a fortnight and had no more pain. The remaining swelling was removed by Puls. 200c. Skinner also reported the case of Miss R., 20, who had a toothache in a decayed molar, better if attention is diverted by anything, is diverted by anything sufficiently exciting. When pain is at all violent she has no rest in any position, must keep continually changing it. Pip -m. 500c (F. C.) was given and there was relief very soon after the first dose. A few doses completely removed the pain. Farrington said convulsions simulating catalepsy are produced. Cerna, as a result of his investigations, found Pip-m. a general and local anesthetic. It diminishes reflex action by its action on the cord and kills by paralyzing respiration. Cerna illustrated its relationship to Cub. by citing cases of gonorrhea, acute and chronic cystitis, gleet, prostatorrhea, vaginitis, cured with it. ## Modalities (Aggravations / Ameliorations) Better moving, open air. Better by turning mind to another topic, changing position. Vertigo better closing eyes. Worse reading and thinking. Worse in open air, motion, walking. Going down stairs causes symptoms to rush up. Sour belchings worse before meals. Burning in urethra worse urinating. ## Symptoms by System ### Mind - Mental symptoms, excitement or depression, and the headache, better by diversion of m ind. - Amelioration of pains by diverting the attention. - Restless desire to change position. - Intoxication with fantastic ideas and desire to skip about, although he cannot for a moment hold himself on his legs. - Exaltation of mind. - Very sensitive. - Men tal tension. - Lively and inclined to work. - Faculties sharpened, capable of working more without fatigue or brain-fag. - Lazy and drowsy. - Want of vigor, timid, apprehensive. - Mental symptoms, excitement or depression, and the headache, better by diversion of m ind. - Amelioration of pains by diverting the attention. - Restless desire to change position. - Intoxication with fantastic ideas and desire to skip about, although he cannot for a moment hold himself on his legs. - Exaltation of mind. - Very sensitive. - Men tal tension. - Lively and inclined to work. - Faculties sharpened, capable of working more without fatigue or brain-fag. - Lazy and drowsy. - Want of vigor, timid, apprehensive. ### Vertigo - From 5 to 9 p.m. - very dizzy, swimming sensation and faintness. - Vertigo in morning in bed with frontal pressure. ### Head - Brain tired in morning on waking, better getting on feet. - Heaviness of head. - Feeling as though the head were enlarged even to bursting. - Headache with pressure in upper part of orbits with sleepiness. ### Eyes - Conjunctivae red. - Pain along right optic nerve when reading. - Pain deep in left eye as if ball would be pressed out. - Dizzy blindness when dressing ### Ears - Singular pressure in lobules of pinna of left ear. ### Face - Pressure outward in face at 7 p.m. ### Mouth - Burning in whole mouth followed by numbness. - Dryness of mouth on waking from afternoon nap with sweat (on a hot day). - Salivation. - Taste is nauseous, sweet, then piquant and sharp, pappy , everything tasteless, lost to food, but ravenous haste in eating. - Taste and relish to food not as usual, at noon, but appetite usually good. ### Chest - Constriction of chest and stomach, extending from base of brain. - Heaviness behind upper part of sternum, as from wind that cannot be belched out. ### Stomach & Abdomen - Warmth in stomach. - Crampy pain, better pressure against edge of table. - Sour belchings, worse an hour before meals. - Teeth - Teeth deep yellow. - Teeth sensitive to cold water, cold air, brushing, Tongue - Tongue feels as if covered with velvet or fur at night. - Burning on tongue. - Appetite is formidable, but not able to eat much. ### Urinary & Genital - Kidneys - Chordee. - Cystitis. - Burning in urethra during urination, gonorrhea and gleet. - Urine increased, scanty in morning. - Urine nearly neutral, hot and over-acid at night. - Brain tired in morning on waking, better getting on feet. - Heaviness of head. - Feeling as though the head were enlarged even to bursting. - Headache with pressure in upper part of orbits with sleepiness. - Kidneys - Chordee. - Cystitis. - Burning in urethra during urination, gonorrhea and gleet. - Urine increased, scanty in morning. - Urine nearly neutral, hot and over-acid at night. - Shooting in penis. - Pain in right testicle. - Erection in afternoon, at night after an emission. - Emission early in morning without dreams. - Amorousness. ### Extremities - Numbness of the lower limbs. - Weakness, as if unable to stand. - Heavi ness of legs when walking. - Sticking in left knee at 4 p.m. - when walking. - Pain in right arm. - Numbness of right elbo w. - Pain in right wrist, worse writing. - Weakness of left hand. - Hands feel paralyzed. - Pain in the thumb joint. ### Neck & Back - Pain in back only felt on pressure. - Soreness about second dorsal vertebra. ### Skin - Dryness, especially where it is thick, as on hands and feet with scales, cracks and ulcers. - Ichthyosis. - Leprosy. - Scaly. - Fall of scales leaves white spots, which often ulcerate. ### Sleep - Difficult falling asleep. - Sleepless. - Sleepiness at 10 p.m., soon afterwards irresistible liveliness and wakefulness. - Restless sleep last part of night. - Stupid sleep. - Heavy sleep with disturbing but u nremembered dreams. - Dreams are curious, nonsensical, wild, amorous of traveling by rail, active, vivid, last part of night of a fire, heard the engines and firemen.