Agnus castus

Prepared from the fresh ripe berries by tincturing the expressed juice, then potentised by serial dilution with succussion. Classical homeopathic use centres on collapse of sexual power with a picture of premature old age: genitalia cold, relaxed, flaccid; absent or feeble erections; emissions without lust; gleet and prostatic dribbling after gonorrhoea; profound mental depression, distrust of recovery, and forgetfulness. In women, a key clinical note is insufficient lactation with sadness and exhaustion, and occasionally amenorrhoea with indifference. The “as if all sexual power had vanished” feeling is characteristic [Hahnemann], [Hering], [Allen], [Clarke], [Boericke], [Boger], [Nash], [Tyler], [Farrington].

Provings/toxicology and abundant bedside confirmations record: genital coldness and relaxation, loss of sexual desire, impotence with mental depression, gleet/prostatic discharge, diminished milk in nursing women, sterility/amenorrhoea, low spirits with distrust of recovery, poor memory, hypochondriasis, sleeplessness, and a general sense of premature decline [Hahnemann], [Hering], [Allen], [Clarke], [Boericke].

Agnus castus is the archetype of sexual collapse: power gone, genitals cold and flaccid, no desire, no erections, and a mind that has stopped believing. The whole person reads as prematurely old—empty, indifferent, without reactive spark. On the male side, think impotence with gleet after gonorrhoea/self-abuse, emissions without lust, scrotum cold; on the female side, think deficient milk, amenorrhoea/sterility with indifference. The mood is grey distrust, not fiery despair; the body is relaxed and cold, not spasmodic. Choose Agnus when collapse + coldness + hopelessness weave through uro-genital complaints and daily life.

• Male sexual organs. Impotence; cold, relaxed, flaccid penis; no erections or feeble, transient ones; emissions without pleasure; prostatic dribbling/gleet; infertility; after masturbation or venereal disease (cross-ref. Male/Urinary/Mind) [Hering], [Clarke], [Boericke], [Boger].
• Prostate/urethra. Chronic catarrh, thread-like discharge, burning after urination, dribbling; the mental picture is despondent, indifferent (cross-ref. Urinary/Mind) [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Female reproductive/lactation. Insufficient lactation with sadness and exhaustion; amenorrhoea or scant, delayed menses with indifference; sterility with sexual apathy (cross-ref. Female/Mind) [Boericke], [Clarke], [Hering].
• Nervous system (mood–memory). Melancholy, distrust of recovery, hypochondriasis, weak memory, low reactivity—a blank, used-up feeling (cross-ref. Mind/Sleep) [Hahnemann], [Clarke], [Boger].
• Endocrine–vital tone. Atony/“premature old age” across systems; coldness of parts; general loss of tone (cross-ref. Generalities) [Boericke], [Nash].

Low, despondent, “used-up.” Thinks he will never recover; distrusts the physician, hopeless about health; indifferent to life’s interests [Clarke], [Hahnemann]. Hypochondriacal about sexual failure; anxiety centred on lost virility; avoids company and conversation on the topic [Hering], [Clarke]. Memory weak, absent-minded, cannot fix attention; confuses names, mislays objects—another sign of nervous atony [Boger], [Clarke]. Irritable if pressed; peevish but soon listless. In women with deficient milk, there is tearful sadness, lack of confidence, and feeling of emptiness (cross-ref. Female) [Boericke], [Clarke]. The mental tone is grey and flat, unlike Aurum’s passionate despair or Anacardium’s divided will; it mirrors vital collapse more than agitation [Farrington], [Clarke].

Late, unrefreshing; lies brooding on failure; wakes tired with no desire for work or pleasure [Clarke], [Nash]. Dreams erotic yet powerless, waking in despair; nocturnal emissions without erection leave prostration (Male/Dreams link) [Allen], [Clarke]. Short daytime naps give brief lift (Better: after sleep) [Nash].

Erotic but impotent; of former lovers with indifference; anxious dreams about health and incurable disease; wakes hopeless (Mind/Male ties) [Clarke], [Allen].

Essence of collapse: Sexual power gone, genitals cold and relaxed, mind hopeless, memory weak, vital tone low. Everything speaks of premature old age—face, energy, libido. After venereal disease or sexual excess, the organism lets go—uro-genital catarrh (gleet, prostatic ooze), impotence, amenorrhoea/defective milk, and a flat, grey mood. Worse: erotic stimuli, recalling past excesses, grief/jealousy, evening brooding. Better: cool quiet, simple open-air exertion, occupation, short sleeps. Differentiate from Selenium (desire remains, emissions from trifles; craving for stimulants), Caladium (desire present but no erections; mental state not hopeless), Lycopodium (performance anxiety with partial erections, right-sided complaints; not cold genitals), Nuphar lutea (constant emissions with complete loss of erections, less mental despair), Yohimbinum/Damiana (stimulant pictures with desire), Acid phosphoricum (sexual debility with indifference and grief, but less cold genitals), Aurum (suicidal despair, heart focus; not a sexual-collapse keynote), Sepia/Pulsatilla in women (different affect/style, not the empty, used-up sexual atony) [Farrington], [Boger], [Boericke], [Clarke], [Nash], [Tyler].

Not a fever remedy; chilliness with vital depression; cold sweat in anxiety; no sustained pyrexial signature [Boericke].

Chill: internal, especially of genitals/abdomen. Heat: flushes with anxious thoughts. Sweat: cold, clammy in mental distress; without relief (Generalities) [Clarke].

Dull, heavy headache from sexual exhaustion; frontal pressure with low spirits; head feels empty; scalp cool (vital chill) [Clarke], [Boger]. Vertigo on rising in the “used-up” state; better in open air [Clarke]. Not a congestive head remedy; the head symptoms echo the psyche.

Dim sight with mental gloom; circles under eyes; lids heavy; visual fatigue after sexual losses (Male link) [Clarke]. Tears without relief in nursing women (Female link) [Boericke].

Noisy places irritate; roaring in ears when lying brooding at night (Sleep/Mind tie) [Clarke].

Dryness from indoor warmth; little characteristic coryza. Odour sensitivity to sexual perfumes aggravates the mental state (Mind link) [Clarke].

Pale, worn, prematurely aged look; cold sweat upper lip in depressing thoughts; features relaxed (vital atony) [Clarke], [Boericke].

Bad taste in the morning; tongue pale, flabby; dry mouth under worry; desire diminished for food and drink (Stomach link) [Clarke].

Sensitive from night grinding in anxious brooding; not a keynote.

Sense of emptiness; dry, scraping when despondent; better cool water (Generalities) [Clarke].

Weakness and short breath on slight effort in depressed states; palpitation from worry rather than exertion (Mind link) [Clarke].

Pulse soft, easily excited by emotion; precordial emptiness with despair (Mind) [Clarke]. Not a structural heart remedy; functional reactivity belongs to the vital atony theme.

Sighing when despondent; wants air but has no initiative to move (Mind/Generalities) [Clarke].

Poor appetite, early satiety, flatulence; food feels indifferent; eating gives little energy (vital atony) [Clarke]. Nausea with self-reproach after erotic thoughts (Mind) [Hering].

Abdomen feels empty and cold; dragging in hypogastrium in both sexes; flatulence after brooding (Mind link) [Clarke], [Boger].

Constipation from inactivity; sluggish peristalsis; piles tender after sexual excess (terrain note) [Clarke].

Frequent urging with scanty stream; dribbling after urination; burning in urethra; slimy threads (gleet) persisting after gonorrhoea [Clarke], [Boericke]. Prostatic ooze stains linen; worse after erotic thoughts or stool (Male/Prostate tie) [Hering], [Clarke]. Coldness of genitals accompanies urinary weakness (Generalities).

Little desire for food; eating does not refresh; tobacco/alcohol aggravate sexual atony and mental gloom (terrain) [Clarke], [Hughes]. Aversion to warm rooms, rich fare (Generalities).

Frequent urging with scanty stream; dribbling after urination; burning in urethra; slimy threads (gleet) persisting after gonorrhoea [Clarke], [Boericke]. Prostatic ooze stains linen; worse after erotic thoughts or stool (Male/Prostate tie) [Hering], [Clarke]. Coldness of genitals accompanies urinary weakness (Generalities).

Insufficient lactation with sadness, indifference to child, exhaustion; milk fails early (compare Ricinus, Urtica urens) [Boericke], [Clarke]. Amenorrhoea or scant menses in low vital states; sterility with apathy to coitus; leucorrhoea thin, non-irritating; genital coldness and relaxation mirror the male sphere [Clarke], [Hering]. Post-partum low spirits with empty, used-up feeling (Mind tie). Distinguish from Sepia (bearing-down, irritability, better exertion) and Pulsatilla (weepy, changeable, desires consolation but has some warmth of feeling).

Lumbosacral weakness after seminal losses; dragging in sacrum with prostatic ooze (Male link) [Clarke], [Boger].

Tremulous weakness, cold hands/feet; easy fatigue; nervous fidget of fingers in brooding (Mind tie) [Clarke].

Pale, relaxed, cool; acne in venereal histories (terrain); sweat little, or cold in anxiety (Generalities) [Clarke].

• Male impotence / prostatic catarrh
  • Selenium — Desire persists; emissions from slightest excitement; great general weakness; not the cold, flaccid keynote.
  • Caladium — Desire present but erections fail; marked genital itch and tobacco aggravation; less despair.
  • Lycopodium — Partial erections, premature ejaculation, performance anxiety; generally warm genitals; digestive power/liver signs.
  • Nuphar lutea — Complete loss of erections with constant emissions; mental state less despairing than Agnus.
  • Acidum phosphoricum — Sexual debility after grief; apathetic, dreamy; genitals not markedly cold.
  • Conium — After suppressed sexual expression; induration, glandular theme; less flaccid-cold signature.
• Female sexual atony / lactation issues
  • Ricinus communis — Promotes milk; gastric irritability; not the “used-up” sadness keynote.
  • Urtica urens — Milk suppression with urticaria or after haemorrhage; skin keynotes.
  • Sepia — Bearing-down, irritability, better exertion; warm-blooded modalities.
  • Pulsatilla — Weepy, wants consolation; changeable symptoms; not cold/indifferent.
• Post-venereal sequelae (gleet)
  • Sabal serrulata — Prostatic enlargement, urinary obstruction; less mental despair.
  • Thuja — Sycotic warts, splitting stream; fixed ideas; not the cold flaccidity keynote.
  • Cannabis sativa — Acute urethritis, burning; more acute than the chronic Agnus catarrh.

• Complementary: Acidum phosphoricum (nerve debility after grief), Selenium (residual seminal weakness when desire returns), Ricinus or Urtica (lactation layer) [Clarke], [Boericke], [Boger].
• Follows well: Thuja or Sabal after sycotic/prostatic layer when sexual atony persists; Nux-v. after stimulant overuse unmasks true collapse [Clarke], [Boger].
• Precedes well: Caladium when desire reappears but erections fail; Lycopodium when anxiety predominates with partial power [Farrington].
• Antidotes/Notes: Absolute sexual rest, plain diet, fresh air, avoid stimulants; rebuild by occupation and order—terrain measures that harmonise with the remedy [Clarke], [Boericke].
• Inimical: None fixed in classical texts; avoid alternation of “sexual power” remedies without a clear picture shift [Boger].

• Key cue (male): “As if all sexual power had vanished.” Penis cold, relaxed, flaccid; no erections or feeble, vanishing ones; emissions without desire, followed by despair and prostration. Often a history of self-abuse or post-gonorrhoeal gleet (thin, thread-like discharge).
• Key cue (female): Insufficient lactation with sad, indifferent mood and exhaustion; sexual apathy, amenorrhoea or scanty menses in a generally “used-up” constitution.
• Mood & mind: Distrust of recovery, grey indifference, weak memory. If the emotional tone is fiery, remorseful, or suicidal (e.g., Aurum), reconsider the prescription.
• Coldness theme: Genitals feel cold; patient often chilly, low sweat. This helps separate from Caladium (desire present but erections fail; not cold) and Selenium (desire persists with easy emissions).
• Prostate/urethra: Chronic gleet, dribbling, burning after urination with perineal weight—think Agnus when this accompanies sexual collapse rather than acute inflammation.
• When to choose vs look-alikes:
  • Agnus if desire absent, power gone, mental hopelessness.
  • Selenium if desire remains, emissions from trifles, general weakness.
  • Caladium if desire present but no erections, tobacco aggravates; mood not hopeless.
  • Nuphar if constant emissions with complete loss of erections, but less mental gloom.
  • Acid phos if debility after grief with apathy, but not prominently cold genitals.
• Women—differentials in lactation failure:
  • Ricinus (to stimulate milk flow), Urtica urens (suppression with urticaria/after haemorrhage). Choose Agnus when low mood + indifference dominate.
• Potency & dosing (classical practice):
  • Chronic sexual atony / gleet: 6C–12C once or twice daily for short periods; lengthen intervals as tone improves.
  • Marked mental collapse with clean keynote: 30C–200C singly or at long intervals; stop on improvement.
  • Deficient lactation: 6C–30C once–twice daily for a few days; reassess supply and mood.
• Case management pearls:
  • Enforce sexual rest, plain diet, avoid stimulants (alcohol/tobacco), fresh air, gentle occupation.
  • Track objective changes: return of spontaneous morning erections, reduction of prostatic ooze, improved confidence and memory.
  • If desire returns but erections still fail, consider moving to Caladium; if emissions persist with renewed desire, think Selenium.
• Red flags / when to rethink: Rapid-onset erectile dysfunction with vascular, endocrine, or drug-related causes; acute urethritis (think Cannabis sativa/Cantharis); postpartum mood disorder beyond mild sadness—seek appropriate care alongside the remedy.

Mind

• Despair of recovery; distrusts everyone; indifferent to life.
• Memory weak; absent-minded; cannot fix attention.
• Hypochondriasis centred on sexual failure; avoids company.
• Brooding at night; sleepless from despondency.

Head

• Headache from sexual excess; frontal heaviness.
• Head, emptiness sensation; open air ameliorates.

Urinary/Prostate

• Urethral catarrh (gleet) chronic; thread-like discharge.
• Burning after urination; dribbling from prostate.
• Coldness of genitals with urinary weakness.

Male

• Impotence with cold, relaxed penis; no erections.
• Emissions without erection/without lust; prostration after.
• Prostatic discharge stains linen; perineal weight.

Female

• Lactation, deficient, with sadness and exhaustion.
• Amenorrhoea with indifference; sterility with apathy.
• Leucorrhoea thin, non-irritating; genital coldness.

Generalities/Modalities

• Premature old age; vital atony; coldness of parts.
• Worse: sexual excess, venereal sequelae, erotic thoughts, evening/night, warm rooms.
• Better: occupation, open air, short sleep, cool quiet.

Sleep/Dreams

• Sleepless from brooding; wakes unrefreshed.
• Dreams erotic but impotent; despair on waking.

Hahnemann — Materia Medica Pura: early proving indications for sexual atony and mental depression.
Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica: cold, relaxed genitals; impotence; gleet; mental despair.
Allen, T. F. — Encyclopaedia of Pure Materia Medica: emissions without lust; prostatic ooze; weak memory; sleeplessness.
Clarke, J. H. — A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica: male impotence with gleet; deficient lactation; modalities; differentials.
Boericke, W. — Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica: keynotes—premature old age, cold relaxed genitals, impotence, insufficient milk.
Boger, C. M. — Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica: relationships (Selenium, Caladium, Nuphar); mental–sexual collapse.
Nash, E. B. — Leaders in Homeopathic Therapeutics: despairing sexual weakness; better after short sleep.
Farrington, E. A. — Clinical Materia Medica: comparisons (Lycopodium, Selenium, Caladium, Acid phos.).
Tyler, M. L. — Homeopathic Drug Pictures: bedside portrait—flat, used-up tone; cold genitals; hopelessness.
Hughes, R. — A Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy: toxicologic/physiologic context and contrasts with herbal uses.
Kent, J. T. — Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica: miasmatic colouring; collapse theme in sexual sphere.