Anhalonium lewinii
Lophophora williamsii · Mescal buttons, peyote, sacred mushroom. · Plant · Cactaceae
This remedy is best suited to people who have lost all conception of time and feel separated from ordinary life. They may be introverted, lethargic, depressed, and resentful and distrustful of others, and can experience irrational changes in mood. A general loss of identity and willpower may affect them, along with an impression that life is meaningless. They may have the strange feeling that their whole being has become transparent, enabling them to see their internal organs.
The symptom picture for Anhalonium is of mental exhaustion, hallucinations with brilliant- colored vision, migraines, and lack of coordination. Headaches or migraines may occur in the front of the head, or there may be a persistent aching, tired sensation at the back of the head. There may be blurred vision, dilated pupils, or grotesque, multicolored, distracting vision disturbances. Listening to music may trigger the feeling that each note is surrounded by a halo of color that pulses to the music.
Severe lack of coordination is also associated with Anhalonium; it may be accompanied by muscle tremors, nausea, and faintness, and neuralgic pains and paralysis in the face. The brain is often overactive and prevents sleep.
Key symptoms
- Wonderful colored visions; kaleidoscopic changes and brilliant hallucinations
- Cardiac tonic and respiratory stimulant
- Motor incoordination; extreme muscular depression
- Loss of conception of time
- Polychrome spectra; fantastic colored moving objects
- Exaggerated reverberation of ordinary sounds
- Hysteria and insomnia; brain fatigue
- Increased patellar reflex; paraplegia
- Distrust and resentment; lazy contentment
Worse (aggravation)
Better (amelioration)
Mescal Button (ANHALONIUM)
Mescal is a strong intoxicating spirit distilled from Pulque fuerte. Pulque is made from the Agave Americana of Mexico, locally known as Maguey and is the national beverage of Mexico. Indians call it Peyote. It weakens the heart, produces insanity. Its most striking effects appear in the auditory nerve for it makes each note upon the piano a center of melody which seems to be surrounded by a halo of color pulsating to the rhythm of the music" (Hom. World).
Causes a form of intoxication accompanied by wonderful visions, remarkably beautiful and varied kaleidoscopic changes, and a sensation of increased physical ability. Also visions of monsters and various gruesome forms. A cardiac tonic and respiratory stimulant. Hysteria and insomnia. A remedy for brainfag, delirium, megrim, hallucinations, with colored brilliant visions. Motor inco-ordination. Extreme muscular depression; increased patellar reflex. Paraplegia.
Mind
Loss of conception of time. Difficult enunciation. Distrust and resentment. Lazy contentment.
Head
Aches, with disturbed vision. Fantastic, brilliant, moving colored objects. Affected by beating time. Pupils dilated, vertigo, brain tired. Polychrome spectra. Exaggerated reverberation of ordinary sounds.
Dose
Tincture.
Relationship
Compare Agave. The intoxication of Anhalonium is similar to that of Cannabis Indica and Oenanthe.
Mescal buttons. N. O. Cactaceæ. Tincture, extract, or infusion. Havelock Ellis says: "I first cut up the buttons into small fragments and poured on boiling water twice; a single infusion is inactive."
Clinical
Brain-fag. Delirium. Headache. Hallucinations. Megrim. Mental weakness. Neurasthenia. Paraplegia. Senses, disordered. Visions, disordered, of; coloured.
Characteristics
The plant from which the mescal buttons are obtained grows in barren and rocky soil in the valley of the Rio Grande. It is used by some Indian tribes in their religious ceremonies. It has been recently tested scientifically, a notable proving having been made by Dr. Wier Mitchell. Dr. E. M. Hale has collected the facts about the drug in an article published in the Hahnemannian Monthly. The chief feature of the drug's action is the production of coloured visions of most over-powering brilliancy, associated with moving shapes of fantastic design, the motion being regulated somewhat in time by music. In the Indian ceremonies the constant …
Classical texts are in the public domain. Educational reference only — not medical advice.
