Mercurius Præcipitatus Albus

Allen, The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica, 1874, Vol. VI, p. 294

Hydrargyrum amido-bichloratum.

H. ammonio-muriaticum.

Ammonium chloride of mercury.

Formula (variable) Hcl 4- HgNHj or 2NH^ClHgCl2.

Preparation for use. Triturations.

Authorities. 1, Giles, poisoning of a young woman by about I a drachm. Lancet, July, 1857 ; 2, Greenhow, a woman, aged thirty, took a “ pennyworth,” Med. Times and Gaz., 1863; 3, Graham, a man, aged thirty-five, took more than 2 drachms, Brit. Med. J., April, 1869.

Face

Face much flushed

Great swelling of face (second day)

Mouth

Great swelling of gums (second day)

Tongue much coated

Tongue covered with thick greenish fur (after ten hours)

Salivation (second day)

Stomach

Thirst urgent

Considerable nausea

Became very sick, and continued so (immediately)

Vomited violently (after half an hour)

Vomited much ; the last matter vomited consisted of clear deeply blood-stained fluid (first day) ; frequent slight vomiting (second day)

Much pain at stomach

Abdomen

After half an hour began to feel pain in the epigastrium, which gradually spread over the whole abdomen

Great pain in abdomen (soon); continuing after taking any even liquid food, for more than a week

Constant griping (first and second days)

Whole abdomen painful on pressure

Stool

One copious evacuation from bowels, containing mucous shreds in some quantities, and a good deal of dark blood (first day). Numerous scanty evacuations with a very large intermixture of blood. This continued until sixty hours after taking the poison. One very copious motion, consisting apparently of almost pure bile, the passage of which caused a great scalding of the anus (second day). This occurred again after the lapse of another forty-eight hours, the evacuations in the interim containing bile, and apparently scarcely any blood