Mercurialia

Head

Weakness of mind (from the smoke of Mercury). Self-deception : he imagines he is well (from the smoke of sixteen grains of vermilion). Craziness (from the internal use of various mercurial preparations in Egypt). She complained that she lost her senses and did not know what she was doing (from the external application of corrosive sublimate as a plaster).

5. Great want of memory ; he frequently forgot the first part of a sentence, when he was about to utter the second (from employing the oxyde of Mercury, at the same time gurgling the throat with a decoction of nut-shells). Aching pain in the temples. Paroxysms of excessive headache, requiring the head to be compressed externally in order to relieve the pain (from the smoke of vermilion). Swelling of the head, the cervical glands, the gums.

10. Falling off of the hair (different mercurialia, especially calomel).

Face and eyes p. 134

Alteration of the features (from the internal use of the mercurial oxydes and salts). The face becomes lead-colored. Swelling of the face, neck and all the inner parts of the mouth.

Ears p. 134

Excessive sensitiveness of the organ of hearing ; he starts by the least noise (from the fumes of mercury).

Nose p. 134

15. Bleeding from the nose. Violent bleeding from the nose.

Jaws and teeth p. 134

Caries of the upper jaw. Spasmodic movement of the lips (from friction with the mercurial ointment). The tendons of the muscles of the jaws are affected and make the opening of the mouth painful.

20. The gums are swollen and bleed at the slightest touch. Swelling of the gums and fauces (from friction with the mercurial ointment). Violently burning pain in the nerves of the teeth. The teeth are raised from their sockets, become loose and fall out. Vacillation of the teeth.

25. The teeth become black, vacillate, and finally fall out.

Mouth and pharynx p. 134

Trembling of the tongue inducing stammering; it could not be relieved by electricity. Swelling of the tongue. Stiff, swollen tongue. Swelling of the tongue ; it has scarcely room enough in the mouth.

30. The tongue is swollen, intensely painful, it protrudes from the mouth one handbreadth, and is squeezed in between the teeth (from friction with the mercurial ointment). The tongue is coated white, thick, almost immovable, with ulcerated edges. Aphthae upon the tongue (from the internal use of calomel and frictions with the mercurial ointment). Aphthae in the mouth. A number of spreading ulcers in the mouth.

35. Painful, spreading ulcers in the mouth. Bleeding of the ulcers of the inner mouth, especially at night. Fetid odor from the mouth. Cadaverous smell from the mouth.

40. The palate or jaw-bones are frequently destroyed. Incipient ptyalism (from the internal use of the artificial vermilion). Excessive ptyalism, immediately. Ptyalism (from the internal use of the natural vermilion).

45. Bloody ptyalism. Haemorrhage with the ptyalism. Corrosion of the orifices of the Stenonian ducts. The saliva, which has an intolerably fetid smell, corrodes the lips and cheeks, sometimes disorganizing them completely. The Eustachian tube is frequently compressed by swelling, inducing deafness. Inflammation of the fauces, almost preventing deglutition. Burning pain in the fauces, as of incandescent coal. Trembling of the pharynx and the oesophagus ; the swallowing was spasmodic, the spasm being frequently so violent that he came near suffocating.

Appetite, Stomach, Abdomen, etc : Want of appetite (from using a solution of the corrosive sublimate for several weeks). Inclination to vomit.

55. Vomiting with convulsive movements. Anxiety in the pit of the stomach. Great distention of the abdomen (from friction with the mercurial ointment). Excessive pinching in the abdomen. Intolerably stitching pain in the abdomen.

60. Affections of the liver. Perfect jaundice. Dangerous diarrhoea. Green stools. Stools accompanied with burning and smarting at the anus.

65. Frequent stools smelling like the fetid odor from the mouth. Constant tenesmus with frequent discharges of blood by the stool. The urine is emitted drop by drop, accompanied with burning (from the use of crude mercury which had been triturated with liquoricewood.) Burning and acrid sensation while emitting the urine. Diabetes with excessive emaciation.

70. Inflammation of the orifice of the urethra, (from the internal use of the corrosive sublimate). Gonorrhoeal discharge from the urethra.

Respiratory organs p. 135

Continuous hoarseness. Cough. Spitting of blood.

75. Violent spitting of blood (from the internal use of the corrosive sublimate). Violent oppression of the chest and region of the heart. Violent asthma returning in paroxysms ; he was neither able to walk nor stoop, lest he should suffocate. Suffocation.

General symptoms p. 135

Trembling.

80. Violent trembling of the hands, and afterwards of the whole body. Fits of spasmodic contraction of the arms and legs. Local or general tetanic spasm. Pains in the loins and knees, and afterwards in the other limbs, which were at first transitory, but afterwards became fixed and piercing. Excessive pains in the muscles, tendons or joints, resembling rheumatic or arthritic pains.

85. Rheumatic pains, followed by a liability of the bones to break. Corrosive ulcers. Spongy, bluish ulcers, readily bleeding. Ulcers which are excessively painful when touched, emitting an acrid, corrosive ichor, spreading quickly and formingunequal elevations and depressions as if corroded by insects, accompanied with an unequal, quick pulse ; the patient has no sleep or rest, is dripping with sweat in the night ; he is irritated and made impatient by the least cause. Eruption upon the skin, resembling the measle-eruption, accompanied with burning and itching (from friction with the mercurial ointment).

90. The skin of the chest, thighs and the lower part of the back is covered with a rash-eruption. Spots over the whole body, having the appearance of scorbutic spots, intermingled with an itch-like eruption, herpes and boils. Peeling off of the epidermis, especially on the hands and feet. Erysipelas (from the external use of the mercurial ointment). Thickening of the periosteum.

95. Exostoses. Caries and abscesses in the joints. Excessive emaciation. Exsiccation of the whole body. General emaciation and exhaustion of strength.

100. Excessive sensitiveness to electricity. General immobility, a sort of catalepsy. Paralysis of various limbs. Apoplexy. Fainting fits (from the fumes of quicksilver).

105. Repeated internal feinting fits. Want of strength. Continued sleeplessness.

Fever p. 136

The pulse is at first quick, intermittent, strong ; afterwards trembling and weak. Fever ; general irritability of the nervous system.

110. Fever, with painful local inflammations, terminating in gangrene. Lentescent fevers. Lentescent fever, with evident emaciation of the body (removed by selters-water and milk). Hectic fever. Acute, putrid fevers.

115. Exhausting sweats.

Moral symptoms p. 136

Oppressed breathing, great aversion to liquids, afterwards a sort of rage, during which he tore every thing he could get hold of (from frictions with the mercurial ointment for nine days, in the case of a young man who was supposed to be affected with syphilis).