Introduction
IN order to obtain, by provings of the metal, an exact knowledge of its action on human health-to vitiate and therefore to cure- Hahnemann was at much pains to secure MERCURY in, at once, a pure and soluble state.
One of his preparations, “Mercurius vivus”, was quicksilver (Purified from lead, etc.) and then made active by trituration and potentization. Because, as he says, “Mercury in its fluid metallic state has little dynamic action on man’s health; it is only its chemical compounds that cause great effects.” He discusses the various salts of mercury. He says that these, when carefully proved, “all display in their action a certain general similarity as mercurials; whilst, on the other hand, they differ greatly from one another in their peculiarities, and very much in the intensity of their action of human health.”
So “this great analytical chemist”-for Hahnemann was known as such in his day-set to work” to obtain pure mercury in such a condition that it should be able to display its true, pure, peculiar effects on the human organism in the more powerfully curative manner than all other known preparations and saline combinations”
The result was MERCURIUS SOLUBILIS HAHNEMANNII, the black oxide of mercury, which was quickly” preferred in almost all countries to all other mercurials hitherto in use, on account of its much milder, and more efficacious anti-syphilitic properties”; and which still remains in general use in medicine, the world over, to-the present day.
Even this did not wholly content Hahnemann’s desire “for the highest degree of purity” and he proceeded to prepare in the grey precipitate a perfectly pure oxide of mercury. However, its preparation requiring much are an labour*, In Materia Medica Pura he describes the processes of the various preparations. and its effects being indistinguishable from the black oxide, it was the black oxide, Mercurius solubilis that was so drastically proved by Hahnemann and his band, and which we prescribe as Mercurius so, or simply “Merc”; :-it being understood that all the other mercurials which we use will have their special designation attached, Merc-v., Merc-cor., Merc-cy., Merc bin-iodide, etc., etc., to identify them.
HERING (Guiding Symptoms) says that “the symptoms of the solubilis, obtained by regular proving, and the effects of the vivus, gathered from toxicological reports carefully sifted and clinically verified, are sufficiently similar to be placed under one arrangement”; though where possible, he places an “s” or a “v” to show to which especially the symptom belongs: and Clarke in his dictionary follows Hering. While Allen’s Encyclopedia gives Dictionary follows Hering. While Allen’s Encyclopedia gives symptoms under each preparation separately.
Mercurius is one of the “drugs of frequent use.” which we could ill do without. It finds its place, accordingly, in every little pocket case of a dozen domestic remedies: and no physician would sally forth on his rounds without “Merc” in his portable armoury. It has its unique position in the treatment of alike the lightest and most serious diseases: of colds and coughs toothaches and ear aches; headaches and eye troubles;’ diseases of nose, mouth,, gums, tongue, where its action is very marked; of throat, liver, abdomen and stools-with constipation and diarrhoea; on urinary organs sexual organs, lungs, limbs, glands, nerves-with tremor; skin with eruptions,. and ulcerations, and sweat. But everywhere it has its marked peculiarities. Once fathom its “thusness” and it is difficult to miss.
Mercurius is notable especially for its foulness and offensiveness- of breath-of its profuse saliva-of its drenching sweats: but, curiously enough stool, urine, menses, leucorrhoea are not especially offensive:- excepting the stools in the case of Mercuriuscor.
Another great feature is “Worse for the heat of he bed.”
Another “Worse at night.”
Another sliminess of mucous membranes.
Now we will see how Mercurius has appealed to, and been useful to, some of our great prescribers, and what tips they have to bestow on us, as regards its uses.
This is NASH’S little summary.
“Swollen, flabby tongue, taking imprint of the teeth: gums also swollen, spongy and bleeding; breath very offensive.
“Sweats day and night without relief-in many complaints.
Creeping chilliness in the beginning of a cold or threatened suppuration.
“Sliminess of mucous membranes.
“Moist tongue, with intense thirst.
“Glandular swellings, cold, inclined to suppurate. Ulcers with lardaceous base.
“Modalities: worse at night in warmth of bed: while sweating: lying on the right side.
“Bone diseases; pains worse at night.
“Dysentery: stools slimy,. bloody; with colic, fainting: with great tenesmus during and after, followed by chilliness, and a ‘cannot finish sensation. (More marked in Mercuriuscor.)
“The more blood and pain, the better indicated.
“Affects lower lobe of right lung: stitches through to back (Chelidonium, Kali-c.)
“Intense thirst, although the tongue looks moist, and saliva is profuse.”
And Nash says, “in low potencies it hastens suppuration; in high aborts suppuration, as in quinsy.”
Now we will let BOGER speak from his Therapeutic Key,
“Profuse sweat with nearly every complaint, which does not relieve.
“Catarrh. Nostrils raw, ulcerated (Aurum, Sulphur)
“Ptyalism-fetid, Metallic tasting.
“Tongue large, flabby, shows imprint of teeth (Chelidonium, Podophyllum, Rhus)
“Thirst with a moist tongue and salivation (Puls dry, and no thrust) (Also Nux mosch).
“Dysentery,. Stools slimy and bloody, with colic and fainting.
“No relief from stool (Mercuriuscor). Never-get-done sensation (Mercurius, cor).
“Salivation. Wets the pillow in sleep.
“Trembling hands.”
Nash further discusses and amplifies,- he writes.-
“The chill of Mercurius is peculiar, as I have observed it It is not a shaking chill, but is simply a creeping chilliness.” (Gelsemium, big chills with heavy limbs: Nux vomica, chills from every movement, from leaving the fire.) “Often when this creeping chilliness is felt it is the first symptom of a cold that has been taken, and, if left alone, the coryza, sore throat, bronchitis or even pneumonia may follow; but if taken early, a dose of Mercurius may prevent all such troubles. The chilliness is felt most generally in the evening and increases in to the night if not removed by Mercury. It is often felt in single parts. Then again it is felt in abscesses, and is the harbinger of pus formation.”
(One remembers a case, where a surgeon was dressing several sinuses in a shoulder joint. The a patient complained of this creeping chilliness in the wounds. Mercurius was given, with (so one was told later) great benefit to the condition.
Compare Silicea, which has a sensation of coldness in ulcers.
“Now the sweats. They are very profuse and do not relieve like the sweats of inflammatory diseases generally do, but on the contrary the complaints increase with the sweat. (Tilia). In what diseases is this condition found? It may be found in almost every disease : in sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleuritis, abscesses, rheumatism, etc. In short, in any disease in which this profuse and persistent sweating without relief is present, Mercurius is the first remedy to be thought of.
“Worse at night, and especially in the warmth of the bed, is another strong characteristic of Mercurius. (Led). There is a long list of remedies that have aggravations at night, but not so many from warmth of the bed. I have cured many skin diseases of various names guided by this modality.
H.C. ALLEN points out that “Mercurius is worse by heat of bed but is better for rest in bed: whereas Arsenicum is better for heat of bed, but worse for rest in bed.
It is knowledge of these little points that often makes successful prescribing quickly practice able in acute work: and Allen says, “Worse lying on right side-very few remedies have this.”
And now a few quotations from KENT.
“Merc has stinging pains like Apis. All routinists will give Apis for stinging pains, and yet it is often Mercurius that the patient needs.
“Purulent, offensive otorrhoea furuncles in external canal. Fungous excrescences and polypi.
“Taste and tongue tongue flabby, mealy surface, often pale. The imprint of the teeth is observed all round the edge of the tongue. It is swollen and presses in around the teeth, and thus gets the imprint of the teeth. Old gouty constitutions; the tongue will swell in the night and he will wake up with a mouthful of tongue (Comp. Crot. h) copious flow of fetid saliva.
“Milk in the breasts of the non-pregnant woman at the menstrual period. Milk in the breasts instead of the menstrual flow. I once had a freak in a sixteen-year-old boy who had milk in his breasts. I cured him with Mercurius
“Urine burns and must be washed off. Itching from contact of urine.
“The complaints in general are worse while he sweats, and the more he sweats, the worse he is.
“excoriating wherever two parts come together.
“Mercurius especially affects the joints; inflammatory rheumatism with much swelling, aggravated from the heat of the bed and from uncovering. It is difficult to get just the right weight of clothing. Rheumatic affections with sweat, aggravation at night, from the warmth of the bed and while sweating, with sickly countenance. It especially attacks the upper limbs, but is also found in the lower.
