Mercurius

In commerce this metal is often found alloyed with lead or even bismuth. The best method to purify the quicksilver is, to place it in a porcelain cup, and to place over it a dilute solution of the nitrate of mercury, causing this solution to boil for an hour over coal-fire, and constantly renewing the evaporating liquid. The lead or bismuth is absorbed by the solution, and the mercury contained in the solution is set free and goes to the mercury underneath.

In its natural state, quicksilver has but little dynamic effect upon the health of man ; but the preparations of mercury are very powerful.

The preparations which have been most frequently employed for several hundred years past, are calomel, corrosive sublimate, and the mercurial ointment. There are other innumerable mercurial preparations, combinations of mercury and acids, etc., which I forbear mentioning.

This is not the place to express an opinion in regard to the medicinal value of the preparations, were it for no other reason than that their pathogenetic effects upon the human organism have never been ascertained by systematic proving. From a careful examination, I feel authorized to assert that all of those preparations have something in common in their action upon the organism, but that each of them has nevertheless some peculiar and more or less powerful and penetrating influence upon the animal economy ; the mercurial salts especially exercise an action upon the system which is different from that of pure mercury, and frequently characterized by powerful secondary effects, corresponding to the power of the acid.

Even mercurial ointment produces different symptoms from those of the pure mercury, probably on account of the mercury in the ointment being bound by an acid *

Homoeopathy rejecting all heterogeneous compounds, I was therefore induced to discover a method by means of which quicksilver should be enabled to exercise its pure, genuine curative action upon the organism in a state of subversion.

Even as early as the years 1787 and 1788, 1 tried to obtain the sesquioxyde of mercury by precipitating it from a solution of the nitrate of mercury prepared in a cold temperature, by means of caustic ammonia. The formation of the sesquioxyde had been imperfectly attempted in olden times by means of a mechanical shaking of the metal, or by rubbing it with crabstones or liquid gum. This oxyde, which may be recognized by its black color and goes under the name of mercurius sol. Hahnemann’s — mercurius oxydulatus niger — has indeed been preferred to all the mercurial preparations, on account of its milder action and its more powerful and more specific antisyphilitic action ; nevertheless a more careful examination has convinced me that this preparation is not entirely pure, but that, the black color originates in an excess of caustic ammonia which had been required to precipitate the mercury from a solution of the nitrate of mercury containing nitric acid in excess ; but that the nitrate of mercury with an excess of nitric acid contains yet some muriates and sulphates of mercury (which have acrid properties even in the smallest quantity),, being hidden from the eyes by the dark color of the oxyde, and being precipitated with it, and making it impure.

To avoid this inconvenience I have described, in the second edition of my preface to mercury, the manner in which a pure mercurial oxyde can be obtained by means of caustic ammonia, as pure as the mercurial powder which is obtained by shaking the original quicksilver for a long while, and is known under the name of (æthiops per se.

Nothing can be objected to this last preparation except the tedious process of preparing it.

The subjoined symptoms belong to the mercurius sol. Hahnem.j which was pure enough to show the genuine effects mercury upon the healthy body.

Inasmuch as we know now that almost all chronic diseases, without any exception (except of course genuine syphilis and sycosis) result from a more or less developed psora, and that even in those cases where syphilis and sycosis are complicated with psora, the latter is to be considered and acted upon in the first place, not by mercury, and still less by its acrid preparations, which make psora so much more incurable : this explains why the treatment of chronic diseases should have so signally and shamefully failed previous to that classification of the chronic miasms being known.

Excepting the processes of depletion by the veins and bowels, the frequent abuse of opium, as an anodyne and soporific, the abuse of China, as a means of suppressing intermittent fever, and giving artificial strength to the patient, in cases where the weaknesss resulted solely from the disease not being cured, and the vital humors of the patients having been squandered by the physician there have been no surer means in the hands of doctors, of abbreviating human life, than their favorite calomel and corrosive sublimate. How differently proceeds homoeopathy enlisted in the service of humanity !

Cinnabaris or vermilion has likewise peculiar symptoms some of which will be found below.

Antidotes are: Hepar s., Sulphur, Camphor, Opium, China, or nitric acid.

Electricity is said to antidote the effects of a slow poisoning by mercury, especially the tremblings of gilders.

The following symptoms of the black oxyde of mercury are mostly primary symptoms ; a few are secondary effects, which may be distinguished by an absence of pain and inflammation for instance a kind of hard, cold, painless glandular swellings and a certain kind of cataleptic paralytic weakness of the muscles.

This drug has been proved by Gross, Gutmann, Fr. Hahnemann, Hartmann, Homburg, Langhammer, Rummel, Hart.

This is the most powerful of all mercurial preparations, and acts with equal intensity upon every part of the animal economy; it may be employed in the following affections : Acute and chronic rheumatism. Acute and chronic gout. Syphilis in the second and third stage. Syphilitic ulcers of the mucous membrane of the fauces, tonsils, soft and hard palate ; ozaena syphilitica with destruction of the vomer and the turbinated bones ; iritis syphilitica with condylomata on the margin of the pupils ; chancre on the skin, and syphilitic cutaneous ulcers ; syphilitic tubercles of the skin ; corona veneris ; syphilitic herpes ; periostitis and syphilitic ostitis ; syphilitic caries. — Primary phagedenic syphilitic ulcers, with profuse and malignant suppuration. — Corrosive sublimate is the best remedy to arrest the destructive process of the syphilitic virus in the vegetative sphere of the organism and the inferior tissues, even when the most persevering mercurial treatment had been without any effect ; it not only arrests, but also cures in the safest and most permanent manner the various effects of constitutional syphilis, surpassing in this respect every other mercurial preparation. — Febris lenta. — Hectic symptoms, with short, fatiguing, loose cough. — Typhus cerebralis stupidus with torpor. — Arthritic iritis. — Amaurosis. Aphthas. Noma. Atrophia meseraica infantum. — Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestines. — Typhus abdominalis in the second and third stage, with sanguineous and slimy, fetid, disorganized stools with tenesmus, cutting in the umbilical region, parched tongue, etc. Dysentery. Secondary gonorrhoea. Tuberculous phthisis of the lungs in the first and second stage.

MERCURIUS Praecipitatus RUBER.

It has been several times employed with brilliant success in primary and secondary syphilis ; in primary syphilis for suddenly spreading corrosive chancres, in secondary for inveterate syphilitic cutaneous eruptions, ulcers of the throat, chancres on the skin, affections of the periosteum and bones. ANTIDOTES OF ALL THE MERCURIAL PREPARATIONS.

Acidum nitricum, against violent pains of the bones, ulcers of the mucous membrane, hydrargyrosis combined with congestive symptoms and inveterate syphilis. Stomacace mercurialis ; scorbutic haemorrhage, ulcers in the mucous membrane of the mouth and fauces ; affections of the periosteum and bones.

Acidum phosphoricum, for periostitis.

Ammonium carbonicum, has been recommended as an antidote by Hahnemann, without indicating the special symptoms.

Arnica, against pulmonary haemorrhage occasioned by the abuse of mercury.

Arsenicum ?

Artemisia vulgaris, for hydrargyrosis combined with rheumatism and gout.

Asa foetida for caries mercurialis ? ozaena mercurialis?

Aurum : this antidote was known already to Dioscorides and Paracelsus.

Aurum muriaticum, for hydrargyrosis with cachectic symptoms and scrofulosis ; hypochondria and ozaena mercurialis ; mercurial induration and swelling of the testicles?

Belladonna, against the congestions to the head brought on by mercury ; periostitis and ostitis, phlegmonous inflammation of the glands.

Camphora, has been recommended and employed as an antidote by Hahnemann without indicating the special forms.

Carbo vegetabilis, in acute poisoning with the corrosive sublimate, and when gangrene is to be apprehended ; ulcers in the mucous membrane of the intestines ; stomacace mercurialis ; gangrene resulting from mercurial ptyalism ; mercurial ulcers having a scorbutic and gangrenous character, with burning nightly pains, etc.

China, against excessive weakness consequent upon the loss of strength, and humors occasioned by mercury ; excessive irritation of the nervous system, lentescent fever, excessive sweats, excessive sensitiveness of the skin to changes of temperature, great liability to taking cold, affections of the periosteum and bones, mercurial caries, etc.

Conium,for cold glandular swellings, from abuse of mercury.

Cuprum for mercurial ulcers 1

Dulcamara, for mercurial rheumatism, great liability to cold, mercurial herpes and impetigo.

Electricity, for mercurial trembling of the limbs, mercurial neuralgia and paralysis ; hydrargyrosis combined with rheumatic and arthritic affections ; affections of the bones ; hydrargyrosis with syphilis.

Ferrum et aquae martiales, for mercurial cachexia, mercurial ulcers, periostitis (ferrum phosphoricum) ; hydrargyrosis combined with torpid scrofula (ferrum jodatum) ; mercurial trembling of the limbs and mercurial neuralgia ; mercurial ulcers.

Guaiacum, for mercurial rheumatism and gout ; hydrargyrosis combined with rheumatism and gout.

Sodium and Kali hydriodicum ; these are the chief antidotes of mercury, especially when the lower tissues are the seat of the mercurial affection, assuming the form of secondary or tertiary syphilis, and consisting in affections of the inner mucous membranes, the outer skin, of the periosteum and bones, hypertrophy and abnormal growths of the aforesaid tissues. Sodium ought therefore to be chiefly employed in indurations and hypertrophy of glandular organs, of the testicles, liver, glands, mesenteric glands, parotid, cervical, axillary and inguinal glands, ptyalism, gangrene from mercurial ptyalism ; cutaneous diseases ; cutaneous tubercles : cutaneous ulcers ; inflammation of the periosteum and bones ; caries, tophi, gummata ; when the organism has been saturated with mercurial preparations in the treatment of secondary tertiary syphilis, and has lost its susceptibility to mercurial action ; in such a case Sodium neutralizes the effects of the mercury and restores the susceptibility of the organism to the action of that drug.

Kreosot, for scorbutic symptoms ; mercurial stomacace ; mercurial ulcers of the mucous membrane of the mouth and fauces ; cutaneous ulcers ; mercurial ptyalism.

Lachesis, for mercurial ulcers of the fauces? Gangrene from mercurial ptyalism.

Lactucarium, for nervous and vascular irritation, especially in persons with a rigid fibre and cholerico-sanguine temperament.

Lycopodium, for mercurial ulcers in the throat and fauces ; affections of the bones ?

Manganum aceticum, for mercurial periostitis and ostitis ; mercurial acute rheumatism of the joints, and gout?

Mezereum, for mercurial periostitis and ostitis ; chronic inflammation and induration of the tonsils and testicles ; mercurial impetigo and herpes ?

Natrum chloratum, for ptyalism.

Natrum muriaticum, for mercurial scorbutic diathesis.

Nux vomica, for mercurial trembling of the limbs ; paralysis of the optic nerve and limbs.

Opium, for excessive nervous irritability ; neuralgia ? painful ptyalism ; hydrargyrosis combined with rheumatism ; adynamic fever with congestion to the brain ; mercurial ulcers, characterized by great pain ; mercurial morbid sensibility and hydrargyrosis, with decomposition of the blood, softening and puffiness of the solids and solid tissues, and colliquative phenomena.

Phosphorus, for mercurial amaurosis ; neuralgia? mercurial periostitis and ostitis ; paralysis ?

Plumbum aceticum, for abdominal ptyalism.

Sarsaparilla, mercurial cutaneous eruptions.

Silicea, mercurial caries? mercurial ulcers?

Staphysagria, mercurial hypochondria? mercurial periostitis and ostitis ?

Sulphur, and especially the Hepar sulphuris of hot springs, in the lower forms of hydrargyrosis, but no longer applicable in a perfectly developed scorbutic mercurial cachexia; useful in. mercurial iritis, mercurial cutaneous eruptions and ulcers ; the steam of sulphur has been recommended against affections of the bones and mercurial asthma.

Sulphate of zinc, for mercurial neuralgia in plethoric individuals suffering with congestions, and sensitive individuals disposed to spasms.

Mercurial ptyalism, internal and external, has sometimes been cured by the administration of another mercurial preparation.

Notes p. 81

* John Bell wonders that he should never have been able to cure the venereal bubo by the mere application of the mercurial ointment, and that he should have been obliged to destroy the chancre by exter- nal means. And it is nevertheless true that the pure quicksilver, such as the mercurius solubilis (hydrargyrum oxydulatum nigrum) cures the bubo without using any other drug. VOL. III. 7