Mercurius Sulfuricus

INIercuric sulphate (in part) SOjHg2HgO.

Hydrargyrum oxydatum sub-sulfuricum.

Praecipitatus flavum.

Turpeth mineral.

Preparation, Triturations.

Authorities. 1, Neidhard, Dr. Hamilton Ring, took two powders, each containing 2 grains of the 3d trit., at a week’s interval, same symptoms after each; la, took 2d trit., in same way. Appendix, N. A. journ. of Horn., p. 281 ; 2, Dr. J. C. Ra)’moud, took 3d trit. first and fifth days, 2d trit. twelfth and seventeenth days, ibid.; 3, Dr. J. P. Dake, proving, took 5 grains of 3d trit., N. A. J. of Horn., 8, 180; 4, same, took 2 grains of 2d trit.; 5, same, repeated ; 6, Berridge, proving. Dr. Croker took repeated doses of i to 1 grain, crude, two or three times a day, for a week, then the 1st (1 to 30) trit., M. Horn. Rev., 14, 108; 7, Leathery, poisoning of boy, aged sixteen, by 1 drachm. Bond. Med. Gaz., 1847; 8, Lowndes, effect of about 1 drachm, taken for scabies, Med. Times and Gaz., 1863; 9, Taylor, fatal case, Guy’s Hosp. Rep., 1864.

Mind

Emotional. Delirium at times (after two nights)

Depression of spirits (first day)

hltellectaal. Increased clearness and vivacity of mind, in evening (first day),b

Dulness and sleepiness (first day)

Dulness and chilliness (second day)

Head

Much confusion in head, lasting several hours (after one hour)

Unusually comfortable feeling in head, in evening (first day),h

Fulness in head, and occasional shooting pains (first day)

Headache (after seven days)

Soreness all through the head after breakfast, and on moving about (second day)/.

Sensation of heaviness and soreness through the head (second day)

Dull pain in forehead (second day)

Pain in head under coronal suture, on waking in morning; during forenoon, it was confined to right frontal region ; pains dull, extending deep into brain, and very unpleasant when exercising ; passed off in afternoon (third day)

Sharp pain in right parietal protuberance; darting pains in other parts of the head (first day)

Violent itching of hairy scalp, throughout the proving

Eyes

Oppression over eyes, continuing for several hours (after one hour)

Nose

Sneezing (second day)

Fluent coryza (second day)

Face p. 326

Pale anxious countenance (after ten minutes); (after one hour)

Mouth p. 326

Gums and palate dark-bluish colored (third day)

Gums. Gums of a deep bluish tint, with ulcerated margins

Gums beginning to be sore (third day)

Tongue. Tongue tinged down the middle with a greenish-yellow color

Tongue thickly coated white, inclining to yellow at base; papillae enlarged, and their red points project through the coating on tongue (eighth day)

Tongue moist, swollen (third day) ; furred, swollen, but moist (sixth day); covered with dry, black fur (ninth day)

Dryness of tongue and fauces (first day)

Soreness, as from scalding, on tip of tongue (fifth day)

Soreness on tip of tongue cured in eight or ten hours (second day)

General 3Iouth. Lips, gums, palate, and fauces, look dry and black (eighth day)

Tongue and inside of mouth red and inflamed, feeling raw (second day)

Lips, gums, fauces, mouth, and tongue swollen (second day)

Dryness in mouth and fauces (first day)

Burning sensation of mouth and throat (immediately)

Soreness in the mouth and throat; and the saliva ran continually from his mouth

Sallvff. Slight salivation (third day)

Spat more than usual (third day) ; profuse salivation

Taste. Pasty insipid taste in mouth (eighth day)

Bad taste in mouth after rising (second day)

Brassy metallic taste

Throat p. 326

Pain in the throat

Sense of heat and constriction in throat (after one hour)

Burning sensation in the throat (immediately)

Scalding pain in throat, chest, and stomach (after ten minutes)

Fauces. Fauces rather inflamed

Dryness and slight excoriation of the fauces (second day)

Stomach p. 326

Ax^petite. Some diminution of appetite, for several days

No appetite for dinner (first day) ; and for several days appetite considerably less than usual

Eructations. Acidity of stomach, hut being rather inclined to this, I do not rely upon it as a drug-symf)tom ; took medicine for it, and closed the proving (second day)

Nausea and Yomiting. Sick feeling not passing off soon, nor easily removed by food

Constant sickness (after one hour)

Very sick ; vomiting of ingesta (after ten minutes)

Vomiting (soon)

Violent yellow vomiting, every ten minutes (after ten minutes)

Stomach so irritable that nothing would remain on it an instant (second day)

Stomach. The digestion was impeded, till at last, after supper, a most distressing feeling all night, that unless the stomach were relieved a fit would ensue; eructated at intervals small portions of food ; at one time vomiting with relief; took an emetic of Ipecac., in morning, which relieved the pain, but a total inability for food remained, a kind of consciousness that food would not he digested ; next day, after excessive sweat at night, the above symptoms of pain, indigestion, and of the faeces gradually subsided from day to day

Pain in the epigastrium

Complains of pain in the epigastrium and abdomen

Weight in the epigastric region (second day)

Stomach somewhat tender on pressure (second day)

Abdomen p. 326

Umbilical. Pains in umbilical region, after retiring (first day)

Awoke at 1 a.m., with severe pains along duodenum and down into umbilical region ; they became so intolerable that I took Nux von., became easier, and fell asleep; waking again at 5, found the pains not so severe, accompanied by soreness across the abdomen ; took Nux vom., and closed the proving (third day)

General Abdomen. Much griped

Soreness in inguinal glands (second day)

Rectum and Anus p. 327

Anus sore (third day)

Stool p. 327

Looseness of bowels (second day); with some pain (second

much relaxed (second day)

Constant purging (after one hour)

* Much purged

* Violent purging (after ten minutes); limewater motions, some yellow

Brown loose motions (after three days)

Stools softer, and voided earlier in morning than usual (3d trit.)

Fjeces paler than usual, at last becoming gray

Hard, scanty, and delayed stool (2d trit.)

Stool and Anus p. 327

Desire to urinate not as frequent as usual ; great urging, with inability to void the usual quantity, late in the afternoon (second day)

Not able to urinate freely as usual (second day)

Urine increased in quantity (3d trit.)

* XJrine scanty and scalding, but clear (after six hours)

Sexual Organs p. 327

Involuntary emission and lascivious dreams (first night\®.

Respiratory Organs p. 327

Raised considerable mucus from larynx and trachea (second day)

Larynx and trachea free from mucus; generally collected there in the morning (second day)

Sensation of heat in the larynx (first day)

Sensation of roughness in the larynx, after breakfast (second day)

Occasional hoarseness (second day)

Unusual expectoration of mucus (second day)

Mercurial fetor of the breath (second day),’; (third day)

Pulse p. 327

Pulse 90 usually 75), (second day); 94 (seventh day); 70 (eighth day)

Pulse 90, tremulous (after twelve and twenty-four hours); 85, regular (after forty-eight hours); 90, softer (after sixty hours); 90 (fourth and fifth days); 86 (sixth day) ; 90 at 10 A.M., 86 at 6 p.m., 80 at 12 P.M. (seventh day); 84 at 10 a.m.; 80, soft, at 12 p.m. (eighth day); 84 at 10 A.M., 90 at 2 p.m., 96 at 8 p.m., 100 at 12 p.m. (ninth day); ilO at 10 A M., 120 at 3 p.m., 125 at 12 p.m. (tenth day); 130, tremulous, and irregular (eleventh day)

Pulse slow and small (after ten minutes)

Pulse regular, but small and weak

Extremities in General p. 327

Tormented by pain and cramps in limbs, at night

After four weeks, the pains that remain are in the limbs, especially the legs, causing a weak wearied feeling, and pain and stiffness in right knee, especially when stepping down a step; for a few days, a bloated hot feeling in feet, like rheumatic gout; and for two days, a slight swelling and painfulness on inner side of left ankle, as if a boil were likely to form there ; a tendency for the feet to become inflamed, as if likely to be blistered by the boots when walking; the boots seem tighter than usual; this tenderness caused by the boots, when walking, seems at the soles, especially about toes, especially the outer two toes; it is rather of aborning character; for t^^o days the tarsi-metatarsal joint of right big toe seemed inclined to inflame, as if rheumatic gout would set in

Violent beating in left arm, commencing above the elbow in the course of the brachial nerve, and extending along radial nerve to wrist, followed by pain similar to that produced by a blow upon the arm below insertion of deltoid muscle; the pain affected, principally, the radial side of the forearm, the thumb, and index finger, at 8.30 a.m. (second day)

Numbness of forearm and hand, also of right hand (second day)

Superior Extremities p. 327

Shooting pains in wrists and along metacarpal bones (first day)

Inferior Extremities p. 327

Pain and lameness of knees, noticed particularly when walking (thirteenth clay)

Aching in calf of right leg (first day)/.

Numbness in hollow of right foot (first day)/.

Generalities p. 328

Sense of considerable weakness, continuing for several hours (after one hour)

Uneasiness, late in the afternoon (second day)

Restless

Pains all over, especially in the lower part of back and limbs

Sleep and Dreams p. 328

Sleepiness. Frequent yawning (second day)/®.

Sleepiness, in the afternoon (fourth day)/.

Unusual sleepiness, in the afternoon (third day)

Exceedingly sleepy, at the hour of rising (second day)

Sleeplessness. Restless night, with dreams and delirium (after two nights)

Passed a wakeful and restless night (first day) ; wakefulness after midnight (third day); wakefulness, and dreams after midnight (sixth day); passed a restless night (eighth day)

Dreams. Dreams of travelling amid many perplexities (first night)

Lascivious dreams, and involuntary emission (first night)

[HO.] Vivid dreams of fires, exerting himself to extinguish them ; viewing a person hung, and another cut up, seeing the blood and mangled remains (first night); vivid dreams of fire (eighth day)

Fever p. 328

Chilliness. *Skin cold and clammy (vihev ten minutes)

Felt cold (after one hour)

Chills, late in the afternoon (second day)

Chills from 12 M. to 1.30 p.m. (seventh day); chills, with nausea, from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. (ninth day); slight chill (eleventh day); chills slighter (fifteenth day); chills every other day (eighteenth to twenty-fifth day)

Creeping chills ascending the back ; when they reached the neck a general shudder ensued (second day)/.

Icy coldness of hands; blueness of nails (second day)

Heat, Slight febrile sensations (second day)/.

Slight fever (second day)/.

Burning in face and ears (second day)

Sweat Excessive sweat, at night

Notes by Dr. Hughes p. 328

Merc. sulf. is as important in hydrothorax as Arsenic. Has cured several cases ; one was reported by Ad. Lippe, and another case by Dr. C. Miller (Montreal). Perfect recoveries after very profuse watery diarrhoea.

* Stools loose, watery, causing severe burning and soreness of the anus.

* Very profuse watery evacuations (relieving dyspnoea).

* Great dyspnoea ; has to sit; cannot lie down ; breathing quick and short.

* Burning in chest.

* CEdematous swelling of the legs.