Murex Purpurea appears in 10 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.
- Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.
“A Mollusk (Muricidae) Persons of a melancholy temperament. For the sufferings during climacteric (Lach., Sep., Sulph.). Great depression of spirits. Sinking, all gone sensation, in stomach (Sep.). Least contact of parts , causes violent sexual excitement (excessive sexual irritation driving to self abuse, Orig…”
- Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Murex purpurea. Class, Mollusca. (Gasteropoda.) Family , Muricidæ. Preparation , Triturations of the desiccated liquid (contained in a sac near the neck of the animal). Authorities. Emotional. Dislike to conversation (after twelve hours), 1. Great depression of spirits; it seemed to her that she was hopelessly ill, 4…”
- Boger (GA) — Which general headings this remedy belongs under — the analytical scaffolding.
“CLIMAXIS, Agg. DIRECTION of sensations, Diagonally HOLDING, being held, etc., Amel.”
- Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“FEMALE SEXUAL ORGANS. Touch. In sun. Sitting. Abortion. Before menses. Eating. Sensitive. Very tired and weak. .................... Fearful and anxious. Cold nose. Violent hunger, even after eating. Sinking at stomach. Urging in bladder. Urine smells like valerian. Pains in genitals; up through abdomen; into breasts…”
- Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“purpurea. Purple-fish. N. O. Gasteropoda. Trituration of desiccated juice. Trituration or tincture of fresh juice. (The fresh preparation is to be preferred, though the dried is the usual one.) Abortion / Breasts, pains in / Cervix uteri, affections of / Climacteric sufferings / Diabetes / Dysmenorrhœa / Leucorrhœa /…”
- Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“A Mollusc. Muricidæ. A sea snail found on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. The coloring matter, from which is obtained a fine red, is contained in a sac situated between the heart and liver. Provings by Petroz (Rev. de la Mat. Méd. Hom., 3, 9, 1841) ; Hering, effects of 200th dil. (Am. Hom. Rev., vol. 4…”
- Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Weakness of memory, and difficulty of connecting words. Headache in the morning on waking, going off after rising. Cramp pains behind the ears. Coldness of the nose all day. Burning of the right cheek towards evening, and of the left cheek early in the morning. Frequent desire to urinate, urine colorless. Urine smells…”
- Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: mollusk. Especially adapted to nervous, lively, and affectionate women (Br.). Useful for the sufferings during climacteric (Amyl-N., Glon., Graph., Lach., Sep., Sulph.) (A.). Very weak and tired (Kali-P., Nux-M., Sep.) (B.). Aching in the sacrum (Rhus-T.) (Bl.). Lumbar pain impels walking, which…”
- Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Is a remedy which, though not extensively proven, bids fair to become exceedingly useful. So far as we know, it comes nearer to Sepia than any other remedy and the characteristic difference between them is, that with Murex there is great, almost uncontrollable sexual desire, while with Sepia there is a lack of or…”
