Mercurius solubilis

SENSITIVE TO: DRAFTS, to head. Changing, cloudy or cold damp weather. Taking cold. Heat and cold. Wet feet. Firelight. Great variety of symptoms. Uncertain, tremulous, weak and sweaty. Swelling, redness; livid congestion. Continued exudation. Rawness. FREE SECRETIONS, thin, slimy, acrid, burning, foul or thick, green-yellow. Salty, lips, taste, expectoration, etc. Suppuration; bloody. Ulceration; of mucous membranes. Catarrhs. Glandular activity. Biliousness. Yellowness; eyes, teeth, nasal discharge. Jaundice. Pains stick to one point. Syphilis. Everything seems too short. Rheumatism. Sycosis. Scrofula. Weak, exhausted and ready to sink down. .................... Hurried; nervous. Stammering. Violent impulses (homicidal), etc. Restless and sweaty. Filthy in mind and body. Senses impending evil. Forgetful. As of a band about head. Headache with ear and tooth ache. Swelled, scurfy tarsi. Eyes draw together. Photophobia, < lamplight (Glo.). Musca volitantes. Arcus senilis. Pains into ears, from teeth, throat, etc. Deaf on becoming heated. Colds travel upward or attack eyes. Coryza; acrid; purulent; every autumn. Heavy nose. Red, raw, dirty nosed children. Face yellow; puffy under eyes. Swelled cheeks. Aching jaws. Mumps. Lips salty; cracked in r. angle. Painful, ragged, swelled, bleeding gums. Gumboil. Loose, hollow, black or aching teeth, < heat and cold; < night. MUCH SALIVA; flows during sleep; yellow; bloody; bad tasting. Aphthæ. METALLIC TASTE. Broad, flabby, INDENTED TONGUE. Itching palate. Enlarged tonsils. THROAT; SORE; as of an apple core, choke pear, or something hanging in; ulcer, pharyngeal, behind lingual tonsil; hawks large lumps from. Sore liver. Weak bowels; holds them. Swelled inguinals. STOOLS; painful; scanty; bloody; green slime; ashen white; acrid; then tenesmus or chill. Tenesmus recti, with tenesmus vesicæ. Urine causes itching. Urinates more than he drinks. Frequent, scanty urine; then burning. Swelled glans or foreskin. Red meatus. Genitals, inflamed; pulls at. Bloody emissions. Gonorrhœa. Collapse and fainting at start of menses. Thick, white leucorrhœa, when urinating. Cough; in double bouts; dry at night; yellow-green sputum, by day. Right lower chest. Mammæ; pain below r. through to scapula; milk in, instead of menses, spoiled. Awakes with cardiac tremor. Respiration < lying on left side, but cough < lying on right side. Neck stiff; cervicals enlarged. Trembling limbs. Numb fingers. Cold sweat on feet in A.M. in bed. Phlegmasia dolens. Pain forward from right scapula. Cool heels. Skin yellow; tender; excoriated, like raw meat. Moist, crusty eruptions. Ulcers, irregular, spreading, shallow, bleeding; with cutting and proud flesh. Jaundice. Measles. Nightly bone pains; deep or near surface. Orgasms (to head and chest). Erethism and restlessness, < least exertion. Easily chilled or overheated. Alternate chill and heat. Creeping chills. Chilly within abscesses. Catarrhal fevers; after suppressions. EASY, PROFUSE SWEAT; without relief, with the pains; oily; foul; sour; stains; an indelible yellow; on head; on chest; at night. Must get up and walk about at night.

NIGHT. Night air. SWEATING. LYING ON RIGHT SIDE. HEATED, IF; < bed or fire.

Moderate temperature.

BLOOD. Mucous membranes. GLANDS: Buccal. SALIVARY. TONSILS. THROAT. LYMPHATICS. Liver. Kidneys. MUCOUS. GENITALS. Cellular tissues. Joints. Right side. Bones. Skin.

Antidotes: Aur. Carb-v. Hep. Nit-ac. Sul. Thu. Complementary: Bell. Sil. Related: Kali-io.

Mercurius solubilis

Hahnemann's Soluble Mercury. Black Oxide.

Nervous affections after suppressed discharges especially in psoric patients (Asaf.).

Glandular and scrofulous affections of children. Otorrhoea: bloody, offensive discharge, with stabbing tearing pain; < r. side, at night and lying on affected side.

Furuncles and boils in external meatus (Pic. ac.).

Polypi and fungous excrescences in external meatus (Mar. V., Thuja).

Acrid nasal secretion, having odor of old cheese; nostrils, red, raw, ulcerated.

Epistaxis : when coughing; at night during sleep; hangs in a dark clotted string from the nose, like an icicle.

Gonorrhoea: with phymosis or chancroids; green discharge, < at night; urging to urinate; intolerable burning in forepart of urethra when passing last few drops; prepuce hot, swollen, oedematous and sensitive to touch; of a torpid character, with threatening or suppurating bubo.

Chancre : primary ; regular indurated Hunterian, with lardaceous base ; with cheesy bottom and inverted red edges ; with phymosis or paraphymosis ; deep, round, penetrating, eating through frsenum and prepuce; bleeding, painful, yellowish fetid discharge.

Hahnemann’s remedy for syphilis and diseases of the genito-urinary tract. Is rarely indicated if the tongue is dry.

Diseases of the skin; intolerable biting, itching, over body, as from insect bites, < in evening and from warmth of bed; becomes pleasant on scratching.

Weakness and weariness of limbs; sore, bruised.

Lecture LVI — The Preparations of Mercury

Mercurius vivus and solubilis.

dulcis.

corrosivus.

aceticus.

protoiodatus.

biniodatus.

cyanatus.

Cinnabaris.

Mercurius sulph.

prsecip. rub.

r Hepar.

Cinch.

Nitr. ac.

Dulc.

Kali hyd.

Aurum.

Asafcet.

Staph.

Lach.

Iodine.

Mezer.

I Stilling.

Wk begin this morning with the study of Mercury and its combinations. Mercury has long been known and used as a medicine in the old school of practice. Its abuse, when given in excess or inappropriately, has rendered it a very unpopular remedy among the laity. There are many physicians in the so-called old-school practice who have endeavored to obtain for Mercury a substitute which would answer the same purpose without deleterious results. They have been more or less successful, but they have never really obtained anything equivalent to that remedy in its genuine usefulness. Of late days, there are not so many allopathic physicians who give the great doses of Mercury that used to be so common. This caution in its administration is no evidence of improvement of the medical world, scientifically speaking,- but only that they have been driven to this course by their unfortunate results and by popular clamor. There are many physicians who are afraid to let their patients know that they are taking mercurials. The eclectics have substituted such plants as Podophyllum and Leptandra for Mercury, especially in liver affections. We, of the homoeopathic school, are not afraid to use mercurials, because we do so according to a fixed law, guided by their effects on the human system; therefore, we are not in any danger of the bad results which follow overdosing or misapplication of the drug. You notice that I have placed on the board a number of mercurial preparations. All of these have some medicinal properties, but we have not the time, nor will it be proper, to dwell on them all. Our main object is to treat of the principal actions of Mercury in general, and then to teach you the principal characteristics which will enable you to prefer one of these preparations rather than others. From the general character of the patient, you know that he needs some mercurial preparation, and you want to know wmich one. We have here two preparations, Mercurius vivus and solubilis, that I have placed on the same line. I do not know enough to separate them symptomatica!^'. The provings have been separately placed in Allen's Encylopcpdia, but I have not been able to see any essential differences between them. These preparations are the quicksilver, or metallic Mercury, and the Soluble Mercury of Hahnemann. Mercurius solubilis is not a pure mercurial preparation. It contains some Ammonia and some Nitric acid. There are only traces of AHtric acid, however, and yet these traces must modify its symptomatology somewhat, but to what degree I do not know. The provings of the "solubilis'" are excellent. They are complete, much more so than those of the " vivus." These latter are collected more from poisoning cases and from clinical cases than from actual provings. If, then, the s}miptoms are clearly placed in the Encyclopedia under Soluble Mercury, I would advise you to use that preparation. Below the Mercurius vivus and solubilis on the board we have two preparations of Mercury with Chlorijie. Next comes Mercurius aceticus, of which we have but few symptoms. Next we have the two Iodides of Mercury, w Thich are very important. The Biniodide is red, the Protoiodide, yellow. Then w Te have the Cyanide of Mercury. Next we have Cinnabaris, which is the Sulphide of Mercury. Beneath this we have the Sulphate of Mercury, and then the Mercurius prtzcipitatus ruber. Of the latter three we have but few symptoms. Cinnabaris, the two iodides, the corrosivus, the solubilis and the vivus are the most frequently used.

You see here on your right a list of antidotes to Mercury. That is in itself evidence of the numerous ill-effects which may result from its abuse. The}' are not all of equal importance. As I mentioned the other day, Hepar is the most important antidote for Mercury, and also for many of the other metals. It is useful for the mental symptoms that may follow a course of Mercury, the anxiety, distress, and even the suicidal mood; also for the bone pains, sore mouth, ulcers and the gastric symptoms.

Nitric acid is particularly to be remembered when the lower tissues are attacked, as the periosteum, the bones and the fibrous tissues. The patient has bone-pains worse at night, aching in the shins in damp weather, ulcers in the throat; particularly if secondary syphilis is complicated by mercurial poisoning.

Cinchona is said to antidote the chronic ptyalism produced by Mercury.

Dulcamara has been successfully used for the salivation of Mercury, particularly when it is aggravated with every damp change in the weather.

Kali hydriodicum, or the Iodide of Potassium, is a well-known antidote for Mercury, and has come into practice of late years, and is given by both schools of medicine very extensively, whether the case be syphilitic or not. Like Nitric acid, it is particularly indicated when syphilis and Mercury combine to make the patient sick, especially when the lower order of tissues are involved, as the bones, the periosteum and the glands; when there is the well-known syphilitic ozaena, a thin watery discharge from the nose, making the upper lip sore and raw. You will find it the best drug we have for the repeated catarrhs which may follow the abuse of Mercury. Every little exposure to a damp atmosphere, or even to cool air, causes coryza. This, remember, is a case of mercurial poisoning which the Iodide of Potassium is to antidote. The eyes are hot, and watery, and swollen. There are neuralgic pains in one or both cheeks, the nose feels stuffed up and is swollen, and discharges at the same time a profuse watery scalding coryza, and there is more or less sore throat. These symptoms recur at every fresh exposure. There is scarcely any drug which will cure these quicker than will Iodide of Potassium.

There is another salt of potash that has an antidotal relation to Mercury, and that is Kali chloricum. This is an efficient antidote when the poison has developed a sort of scorbutus, and the gums are spongy, soft, and bleed easily; there are ulcers of an aphthous character in the mouth and throat, and foetor of the breath.

Aurum has next mention. This we find particularly called for in the mental depression and suicidal mania which may develop after a course of Mercury, and also for the caries of the bones, particularly of the bones of the palate, nose, etc.

Asafoetida also comes in as a drug to be thought of in the bone affections developed b}' Mercury. Here you have, as a characteristic distinguishing it from the others, extreme sensitiveness around the diseased portion of bone. For instance, in the case of an ulcer communicating with a carious tibia, the parts are so sensitive that the patient can scarcely bear the dressing that you apply. You will find that the tissues are firmly adherent to the bone for some little distance around the inflamed portion. Then, too, you find Asafoetida sometimes indicated for iritis following mercurialization. Here, to distinguish it from other remedies, you have the same characteristic, extreme soreness of the bones around the eye.

Staphisagria is an antidote for Mercury, and in rather bad cases, too, when the system is very much depreciated by the mercurial poison. We find the patient wasting away and sallow, dark rings around the eyes, well-marked mercurial mouth and throat, with spongy gums, tongue flabby, ulcers on the tongue and in the throat and well-marked bone pains.

Lachesis is an occasional antidote for some of the symptoms, when the mercurial poison has been engrafted upon the constitution and the special characteristics of that remedy are present.

Iodine comes in as an antidote, especially w rhen the glands are affected.

Mezereum is excellent when the mercurial poisoning has invaded the nervous system and neuralgia has developed. This neuralgia may appear in the face, in the eyes or in any part of the body. Lastly, we have Stillingia, which is called for in broken down constitution with periosteal inflammation and nodes on the bones. Mercury, it is well known, enters into loose combination with the tissues of the body. It has been found in every tissue and may be excreted by almost every channel. It has been found in the perspiration, urine, bile, faeces and saliva. It has even been found in the child in utero and, again, in the nursing infant, when the drug has been taken by the mother. I said that the combination of Mercury with the tissues is a loose one, by which I mean it is early disrupted. If a person is poisoned with Mercury, it will be readily displaced by one of the above remedies. It is only the chronic cases that need give you concern, and the cure of which you may despair of. When mercurialization is combined with other poisons, as with syphilis and scrofula, then you will have greater difficulty.

The symptoms of poisoning by Mercury are these: after exposure to the poison, the breath takes on a sickening sort of odor hard to describe but easy to remember. There is also a metallic taste in the mouth. These are very early symptoms and assert themselves long before the well-known characteristics of the drug appear. The patient feels languid and is frequently sick at his stomach. He vomits his food without any apparent cause. His face becomes rather pale, with dark rings around the eyes; the lips are rather livid and purplish. He complains of heat, particularly in the forehead and down the root of the nose. He cannot bear the warmth of the bed. As soon as he gets warm in bed, his aches and pains begin. Then his mouth begins to feel sore. The mucous membrane becomes puffed, swollen and redder than natural. The salivary glands begin to secrete more rapidly and the mouth is filled with saliva, which is, however, normal in its composition. In a more advanced case, the saliva becomes vitiated. It is no longer the pure secretion, for the glands are overworked. The breath becomes more and more offensive, the gums swell and are tender to touch and the teeth become loose. A dark red line sometimes appears on the gums below the teeth. Later, the gums grow spongy and yellowish-white and ulcerate and discharge an offensive matter. The tongue swells and readily takes the imprint of the teeth. The glands then become involved and you find more or less tumefaction of the parotid and cervical glands. If you were to look into the mouth at this stage, you would find the opening of Steno's duct red and inflamed and, in some cases, even ulcerated. Other glands, too, are affected. We find the pancreas attacked by Mercury. The liver also comes in for a share of the poison. You are probably aware that the liver is markedly affected by Mercury, and that allopathic physicians have been accustomed to give blue mass or calomel in almost every attack of "liver-complaint." Quite recently, several eminent physicians in the old school have declared that Mercury does not increase the flow of bile and hence is not useful for torpid liver; but, however that may be, it is certain that Mercury does affect the liver in one way or another. It has caused catarrh of the duodenum, and this catarrh has extended along the bile-duct into the liver. This is a form of trouble which frequently causes jaundice, and a form, too, for which Mercury is useful. It has also produced and cured hepatitis, particularly when one or more abscesses have formed in the liver. Individual susceptibility and age vary these symptoms considerably. You will find that it is more difficult to salivate children than adults.- Some persons are salivated by very small quantities, while it is difficult to affect others. The scrofulous are very seriously affected by Mercury, as you all know.

The more remote symptoms of mercurial poisoning are these: you will find that the blood becomes impoverished. The albumin and fibrin forming of that fluid are affected. They are diminished, and you find in their place a certain fatty substance; the composition of which I do not exactly know. Consequently, as a prominent symptom, the body wastes and emaciates. The patient suffers from fever which is rather hectic in its character. The periosteum becomes affected and you then have a characteristic group of mercurial pains, bone pains worse in changes of the weather, worse in the warmth of the bed, and chilliness with or after stool. The skin becomes of a brownish hue ; ulcers form, particularly on the legs; they are stubborn and will not heal. The patient is troubled with sleeplessness and ebullitions of blood at night; he is hot and cannot sleep; he is thrown quickly into a perspiration, which perspiration gives him no relief. The entire nervous system suffers also, and you have here two series of symptoms. At first, the patient becomes anxious and restless and cannot remain quiet; he changes his position: he moves about from place to place; he seems to have a great deal of anxiety about the heart, precordial anguish, as it is termed, particularly at night. Then, in another series of symptoms, there are jerkings of the limbs, making the patient appear as though he were attacked by St. Vitus' s dance. Or, you may notice what is still more common, trembling of the hands, this tremor being altogether beyond the control of the patient and gradually spreading over the entire body, giving you a semblance of paralysis agitans or shaking palsy. Finally, the patient becomes paralyzed, cannot move his limbs, his mind becomes lost, and he presents a perfect picture of imbecility. He does all sorts of queer things. He sits in the corner with an idiotic smile on his face, playing with straws; he is forgetful, he cannot remember even the most ordinary events. He becomes disgustingly filthy and eats his own excrement. In fact, he is a perfect idiot. Be careful how you give Mercury; it is a treacherous medicine. It seems often indicated. You give it and relieve; but your patient is worse again in a few weeks and then you give it again with relief. By and by, it fails you. Now, if I want to make a permanent cure, for instance, in a scrofulous child, I will very seldom give him Mercury; should I do so, it will be at least only as an intercurrent remedy.

I have placed on the board in tabular form, a list of the mercurial salts together with the parts of the body on which they act. Wherever you notice the cross, you know that the preparation acts on the part of the body placed on that line under the heading of Mercurius vivus. This table is only a convenient form. There is nothing practical or scientific in it.

Mercurius Vivus.

Byes Nose Mouth and \ Throat, / Kidneys and \ Bladder, J Heart .

Lungs Genitals Glands and \ Bones, J Skin Stomach and Liver, Bin. Prot. Cyan. Dulc. Corros. Cinn. Sulph. Rub. Acet.

— + — + -f + — — — + _1_ + — + + — — — + + + + + + — — — — + — + — — — + — + + — + — + + — + + — — 4- + + — — + + + — + + — + — -r- + + + + + + + + + + + — + + — + — + + — — + + + ' — — Taking Mercurius vivus as a type of the whole, we find that it is indicated in persons who are of a scrofulous habit, whether of syphilitic constitution or not, in whom the glandular system is active. This glandular activity shows itself in two ways. In the first place, we may have a condition simulating plethora. In more advanced stages, we may find Mercurius indicated in enlarged glands with emaciation and deficiency of blood. We find Mercurius indicated also in scrofulous children who have unusually large heads with open fontanelles, particularly anterior fontanelles. They are slow in learning to walk, the teeth form imperfectly or slowly, the limbs are apt to be cold and damp, and there is a damp, clammy feeling to the limbs. You may distinguish it from Calcarea, Silicea and Sulphur by these characteristics: the head is inclined to perspire in the Mercurius case, but the perspiration is offensive and oily. It is not as often indicated as Calcarea, Silicea or Sulphur, nor is it as certain or as permanent in its effects. But it may come in as a remedy to partially relieve, and it may be indicated as an intercurrent remedy in a course of treatment with Sulphur, when the latter remedy seems to fail. You will find the Mercurius patient illustrating plethora with anxiety and restlessness, tossing about, moving from place to place. It is one of the remedies useful for nostalgia or home-sickness. The patient becomes anxious and irritable. This anxiety seems as if it were in the blood, that is, it is always attended with ebullitions of blood. This distinguishes it from other remedies.

The congestions of Mercurius indicate it after Belladonna. There are resemblances between the two remedies, which have been well confirmed clinically. It often follows Belladonna in inflammations, even in inflammation of the meninges of the brain, when, as under Belladomia, there are the same hasty speech and quick, nervous manner. The child talks so rapidly that one word runs into another. You will find the face flushed very much as in Belladonna, but } 7ou have, in addition, to distinguish it from that remedy, glandular swellings, and tendency to sore mouth.

Mercurius is often indicated in catarrhal or gastric fevers when the face is puffed, when the throat is swollen, both internally and externally, from involvement of both glands and cellular tissue; when there are aching pains in the joints, which are made worse by the warmth of the bed, and are not relieved by sweat. In addition to this you almost always find that there is a tendency to catarrh of the bowels, characterized by slimy, bloody stool, accompanied by great tenesmus, this tenesmus not ceasing after stool. Here, too, you will find that Mercurius follows Belladonna well.

We find Mercurkis indicated in haemorrhages. It is often called for in nose-bleed or epistaxis, particularly when the blood coagulates and hangs from the nostrils like icicles. This is a useful hint. Suppose that nose-bleed appears in a scrofulous child or in a full-blooded patient, a boy at the age of fifteen or sixteen, when congestions are so frequently noticed. You have given Belladonna, Hamamelis, and Erigeron, and have failed to check it. The blood is quite bright, and runs in streams. Medicines do not stop it. Then comes this Mercurius condition. You give that remedy and cure, not only that attack, but you prevent the return of others. The same indications apply to uterine haemorrhage or menorrhagia when the flow is profuse, dark and clotted. Then, if the glandular swelling, sore mouth, and other symptoms are present, Mercurius is certain to be the remedy.

We find Mercurius indicated in pneumonia. Here it requires that the right lung be affected, and that there are also icteroid symptoms. The skin is yellow. There is sharp stitching pain through the lower portion of the right lung. There will be other pathognomonic symptoms of pneumonia present, but these need not be specified separately.

We find it indicated in peritonitis, and here again it follows Belladonna when suppuration has commenced and you have tympanitic abdomen, evidence of effusion, which will be partly serous and partly purulent, sweat, rigors, etc. Here Mercurius prevents the further spread of the suppurative process.

Another condition in which we may use Mercurius is one of inflammation which has gone on to suppuration, whether the disease be a boil, a tonsillitis, or any other form of inflammation. Mercurius belongs to an interesting little group of medicines which you will use very often; they are Belladonna, Hepar, Mercurius and Lachesis. To these we may also add Silicea and Sulphur. You should prefer Belladonna in the beginning of inflammation as in tonsillitis. The throat is bright red and swollen, and there is difficulty in swallowing fluids, and sharp pains through the tonsils.

You should change to Hepar when the sharp sticking pains and chills indicate the beginning of suppuration. It may prevent suppuration when given in the incipiency of that process.

Mercurius is suited to a still more advanced state when pus has formed and you wish it evacuated. Mercurius does not prevent the formation of pus, but rather favors it. If you give it too soon you will spoil the case. In felons, if it is given low, it will generally favor the rapid formation of pus.

When pus continues to discharge and the wound refuses to heal, Silicea follows Hepar. In some of these cases, the benefit under Silicea will cease. Then a dose or two of Sulphur will excite reaction and Silicea can effect a cure.

Lachesis is indicated when the pus degenerates and becomes of a dark, thin, offensive character, with the sensitiveness to touch of that drug. Mercurius vivus is indicated in ophthalmia, usually of scrofulous or syphilitic origin. The patient suffers from the glare and heat of the fire, consequently he avoids the fire and warm rooms. You sometimes find it indicated in blepharitis of men who work in and about fires, as foundrymen. The pains are usually worse at night. The lids are thickened, especially at their tarsal edges, and the eyes discharge a thin acrid muco-pus, and you find little pimples scattered over the cheeks. Ulcers may form on the cornea. These ulcers are usually superficial, and have an opaque look as though pus were between the corneal layers. In syphilitic iritis Mercurius will be sometimes indicated when there is hypopyon. Now let us distinguish between this and other preparations of Mercury.

The Biniodide of Mercury is indicated in inflammations of the eye. The symptoms are very similar to those of '

' vivus, '

' but there is more glandular swelling.

The Protoiodide is more frequently indicated in eye diseases than is the Biniodide. It is called for in corneal ulcers which look as if they had been chipped out with the finger nail. There is, usually, a thick yellow coating on the base of the tongue, the anterior portion being clean and red.

Mercurius d?ilcis, or calomel, is selected more by its general symptoms, which are these: it suits in scrofulous children who are pale, and who have swelling of the cervical and other glands. The skin is rather flabby and ill nourished. The flabby bloatedness and pallor are the indications for calomel.

Next to this we have Bichloride ofMercury or Mercurius corrosivus. This is indicated in inflammatory symptoms of the most violent character. There is no mercurial that produces such intense symptoms as does the Bichloride. It produces burning, agonizing pains, with most excessive photophobia and profuse excoriating lachrymation, making the cheeks sore, almost taking the skin off, so excoriating is it. There are tearing pains in the bones around the eye. There is ulceration of the cornea, with tendency to perforation. In such cases you will, as a matter of course, have hypopyon. Mercurius corrosivus is almost a specific for syphilitic iritis. If the symptoms of the case do not point to some other drug as the remedy, you should give it in this disease. If you choose to use atropia locally, do so in order to prevent the adhesions which will otherwise almost inevitably take place in these cases. You will also find Mercurius corrosivus indicated in retinitis albuminuria.

Cinnabaris is next. As a remedy for quite a variety of inflammations of the eye. I will only give you one symptom for it, and that is pain which shoots across the eye from canthus to canthus, or seems to go around the eye.

Next, the action of Mercury on the nose. We find Mercurius vivus indicated in catarrhs of the nose and throat, which are provoked by damp, chilly weather, and by the damp, cool evening air. The nose itches and burns and feels stuffed-up; with this there is thin coryza. The throat feels raw and sore. There is aching in the various joints. These are the symptoms which will indicate Mercurius both as to the exciting cause and as to the symptoms present. You may have with these a hot feeling. The face flushes up and gets red, perspiration breaks out but it gives no relief. There is another form of coryza in which you may give Mercurius, and that is when the cold is "ripe," and the discharge from the nose is yellowish-green, thick and mucopurulent.

Here it rivals Pulsatilla and Kali sulphuricum, both of which are useful for these thick, yellowish-green nasal discharges, when the patient is better in the open air and worse in the evening. Pulsatilla, independently of its other symptoms, is distinguished by the fact that the discharge is never irritating, but is perfectly bland. The discharge in Kali sulph. is more apt to be yellow.

You are also to distinguish Mercurius from Nux vomica, which is suited to coryza caused by exposure to dry cold, and when there are soreness, roughness and a harsh, scraped feeling in the throat. Mercurius always has a smarting, raw or sore feeling.

Now, the throat symptoms of Mercurius vivus may lead you at times to think of it in diphtheria. Think of it as much as you choose, but think of it only to reject it. It is not indicated in diphtheria. I do nqt believe it indicated even in diphtheritis. But there are other preparations of Mercury which may be used here. Both the Biniodide and the Protoiodide of Mercury are indicated in diphtheritic sore throat, or even in true diphtheria. The Biniodide is of use when the left tonsil is inflamed and there is a yellowish-gray membrane forming there. The glands of the neck are swollen. There is also some involvement of the cellular tissue,around the throat. The patient may have an accumulation of slimy or sticky mucus in the mouth and throat. The symptoms are worse from empty swallowing, so that the simple attempt to swallow saliva excites more pain than does the swallowing of food.

The Protoiodide of Mercury is to be thought of more when the deposit forms on the right side of the throat, with swelling of the glands in the neck and with the accumulation of this tenacious mucus in the throat. Here there is almost always present that thick, 3'ellow, dirty coating on the base and posterior part of the tongue, the tip and sides being red. These two remedies are often indicated in diphtheritic sore throat.

Next you will notice the Cyanide of Meirury, which is a combination of hydrocyanic acid and mercury. We have in this drug one of the very best remedies in diphtheria, especially when it is of a true adynamic or malignant type. By reason of the presence of theprussic acid you will find it indicated in cases in which the patient is very much prostrated from the beginning. The pulse is quick. It may be as high as 130 or 140, and it has no volume to it at all. The membrane at first is white, covering the velum palati and tonsils. The glands soon begin to swell, however, and then the membrane becomes dark, threatening even to grow gangrenous. Weakness is extreme. The breath is foetid. There is loss of appetite. The tongue is coated brown, or, in severe cases, even black. Nose-bleed sets in, and this you know is a dangerous symptom. The remedy may also be used in diphtheria of the lar3 7nx. The expectoration is thick and ropy and there is harsh, barking, croupy cough, with dyspnoea. Here, the Cyanide of Mercury has saved life, but it will not always do so. You will notice its resemblance to Kali bichromicum in diphtheritic croup. The fact lies in the larynx and in the thick, tough, tenacious expectoration. The distinction lies in this: the Cyanide of Mercury has great weakness. Now this weakness is not a simple prostration caused by the efforts of the child at breathing. It is due to poisoning of the blood, which is represented by the blueness of the surface, coldness of the extremities, and quick, weak pulse. If you have not these, Kali bichromicum is to be preferred.

Cinnabaris is a remedy not often thought of in catarrhal troubles. It is indicated in nasal catarrh when there is great pressure at the root of the nose, a feeling as though something heavy was pressing on the nose, a heavy pair of spectacles for instance. We also frequently find throat symptoms with this form of catarrh. The throat is swollen and the tonsils are enlarged and redder than normal. There is great dryness in the throat, and this is more annoying at night, waking the patient from sleep. Remember this sensation across the bridge of the nose and the character of the throat symptoms in connection with it. These symptoms may occur in the syphilitic, in the scrofulous, or in persons in whom there is tendency to catarrh. We have found Cinnabaris of use in the sore throat of scarlatina, which is often diphtheritic in its character, when there is quite an accumulation of stringy mucus in the posterior nares. That symptom being prominent, Cinnabaris will be the remedy for the emergency.

I have used Mercurius corrosivus successfully when the accumulation of mucus in the nose is quite thick; in fact, almost like glue. In some cases of syphilitic disease of the nose, you find Mercurius corrosivus indicated from the fact that the ulcers perforate the nasal septum, there are burning pains, and discharges are acrid, corroding the tissues over which they flow.

The throat symptoms of Mercurius corrosivus are very violent. I can conceive of cases where it would be required in diphtheria, though I have never given it in that disease. The uvula is swollen, elongated and very dark red. There is intense burning in the throat, just as intense in fact as that of Arsenicum album, Arsenicum iodatum or Capsicum. This burning pain is rendered intolerable by any external pressure. It is accompanied by violent constriction of the throat. Any attempt to swallow, be the matters swallowed solid or liquid, causes violent spasms of the throat, with the immediate ejection of the solid or liquid.

You here recognize a resemblance to Belladonna in the spasmodic character of the symptoms. Mercurius corrosivus is at once distinguished from Belladonna by the inflammatory tendency of the symptoms as indicated by these extreme burning pains. Thus it has the constrictive quality of the Belladonna plus the most intense, destructive inflammation of the throat. You may further distinguish between the two remedies by the pulse. In Mercurius corrosivus the pulse is quick, weak, and irregular, and not full and strong as under Belladonna.

Next, a word or two about the Mercuries in their action on the genitals and the glands. The Mercuries have long been used in the treatment of syphilis. Mercurius solubilis or vivus is indicated in primary syphilis for the so-called soft chancre or chancroid. The ulceration is superficial rather than deep, and the base of the sore has a dirty, lardaceous appearance. Mercurius sol. has produced such an ulcer as this, and, therefore, it will cure it. The sore throat which often ushers in the syphilitic fever six or seven weeks after the appearance of the primary lesion, is also found under Mercurius solubilis. The Iodides of Mercury are the preferable remedies for the Hunterian or hard chancre. That is a form of ulcer which the Protoiodide and Biniodide have both produced, therefore they will cure it. There is no necessity whatever for such external applications as caustics, for the proper internal remedy if it does not entirely prevent the onset of secondary symptoms will at least lessen their intensit} T .

Mercurius corrosivus is to be preferred to any of the drugs mentioned for syphilitic symptoms when the ulceration is very destructive. The ulcer is serpiginous; it has a ragged edge, eating out and destroying in a few days nearly half the penis.

Secondary syphilis may be treated with one or the other of these preparations, if the drug has not been abused in the primary stages. Mercurius solubilis very quickly helps the syphiloderms on the palms of the hands, which are red, itch slightly, and scale off. There is another use of Mercurius which should be mentioned here: if a child continually pulls at the penis, it may be on account of irritation. Mercurius is the remedy—or perhaps Cantharis.

Returning to Mercurius vivus, I want to say a few words concerning its use in diseases of the liver. The tongue is coated a dirt} 7 yellowish-white and takes the imprint of the teeth. Scorbutic symptoms are usually present. The gums ulcerate and become spongy. There is a foetid or disagreeable odor from the mouth. The skin and conjunctiva have a well-marked jaundiced or icteroid hue. There is tendency to rush of blood to the head. The region of the liver is sore to the touch; the abdomen rather tympanitic and swollen, particularly across the epigastrium and in either hypochondrium. The patient cannot lie on the right side. You will find the liver enlarged and often indurated. The stools are either clay colored, from absence of bile, or they are 3'ellowish-green, bilious, passed with a great deal of tenesmus and followed by a " never-get-done" feeling. Mercury is indicated in dysentery, especially when it occurs in a season when warm days are followed by cold nights.

Nux vomica has many resemblances to Mercurius, but it differs in that the pains and tenesmus usually cease after stool; whereas, with Mercurius, the}7 continue after stool.

Aconite often precedes the exhibition of Mercury in the weather I have spoken of, hot days followed by cold nights. In the incipient stages, such troubles may be checked by Acoiiite. If Aconite fails, then Mercurius will be indicated. Often, after the tenesmus and blood have ceased, and the mucus still persists, Sulphur will be the remedy.

There is another remedy to be remembered in connection with Mercury in bilious troubles, and that is Leptandra. Both of them have these yellowish-green stools, or stools black like pitch, and horribly offensive stools. The distinction lies here: Leptandra has urging to stool, griping continuing after stool, but not the tenesmus. Leptandra frequently has dull, aching, burning pains in the posterior portion of the liver.

Slow in answering questions. Memory weakened, and loss of will- power. Weary of life. Mistrustful. Thinks he is losing his reason.

Every organ and tissue of the body is more or less affected by this powerful

drug; it transforms healthy cells into decrepit, inflamed and necrotic wrecks, decomposes the blood, producing a profound anæmia. This malignant medicinal force is converted into useful life saving and life preserving service if employed homeopathically, guided by its clear cut symptoms. The lymphatic system is especially affected with all the membranes and glands, and internal organs, bones etc. Lesions produced by mercury very similar to those of syphilis. Very often indicated in the secondary stage of syphilis where there is a febrile chloro- anæmia, rheumatoid pains behind sternum, around joints, etc; ulcerations of mouth and throat, falling of the air, the eruptions and ulcerations of mouth and throat, etc. These are the special conditions and stages to which Mercur is homeopathic and where the 2x will do surprising work. Again, hereditary syphilis manifestations, are within its range; bullæ, abscesses, snuffles, marasmus, stomatitis or destructive inflammations. Tremors everywhere. Weakness with ebullitions and tremblings from least exertion. All Mercury symptoms are worse at night, from warmth of bed, from damp, cold, rainy weather, worse during perspiration. Complaints increase with the sweat and rest; all associated with a great deal of weariness, prostration, and trembling. A human "thermometer". Sensitive to heat and cold. Parts are much swollen, with raw, sore feeling; the profuse, oily perspiration does not relieve. Breath, excretions and body smell foul. Tendency to formation of pus, which is thin, greenish, putrid; streaked with thin blood.

Worse, at night, wet, damp weather, lying on right side, perspiring; warm room and warm bed.

Vertigo, when lying on back. Band-feeling about head. One-sided, tearing pains. Tension about scalp, as if bandaged. Catarrhal headaches; much heat in head. Stinging, burning, fetid eruptions on scalp. Loss of hair. Exostosis, with feeling of soreness. Scalp tense; oily sweat on head.

Pale, earthy, dirty-looking, puffy. Aching in facial bones, Syphilitic pustules on face.

Lids red, thick, swollen. Profuse, burning, acrid discharge. Floating black spots. After exposure to glare of fire; foundrymen. Parenchymatous keratitis of syphilitic origin with burning pain. Iritis, with hypopyon.

Thick, yellow discharge; fetid and bloody. Otalgia, worse warmth of bed; at night sticking pains. Boils in external canal (Calc pic).

Much sneezing. Sneezing in sunshine. Nostrils raw, ulcerated; nasal bones swollen. Yellow-green, fetid, pus-like discharge. Coryza; acrid discharge, but too thick to run down the lip; worse, warm room. Pain and swelling of nasal bones, and caries, with greenish fetid ulceration. Nosebleed at night. Copious discharge of corroding mucus. Coryza, with sneezing; sore, raw, smarting sensation; worse, damp weather; profuse, fluent.

Sweetish metallic taste. Salivary secretions greatly increased; bloody and viscid. Saliva fetid, coppery. Speech difficult on account of trembling tongue. Gums spongy, recede, bleed easily. Sore pain on touch and from chewing. Whole mouth moist. Crown of teeth decay. Teeth loose, feel tender and elongated. Furrow in upper surface of tongue lengthwise. Tongue heavy, thick; moist coating; yellow, flabby, teeth-intended, feels as if burnt, with ulcers, Fetid odor from mouth, can smell it all over room. Alveolar abscess, worse at night. Great thirst, with moist mouth.

Bluish-red swelling. Constant desire to swallow. Putrid sore throat; worse right side. Ulcers and inflammation appearing at every change in weather. Stitches into ear on swallowing; fluids return through nose. Quinsy, with difficult swallowing, after pus has formed. Sore, raw, smarting, burning throat. Complete loss of voice. Burning in throat, as from hot vapor ascending.

Putrid eructations. Intense thirst for cold drinks. Weak digestion, with continuous hunger. Stomach sensitive to touch. Hiccough and regurgitation. Feels replete and constricted.

Stabbing pain, with chilliness. Boring pain in right groin. Flatulent distention, with pain. Liver enlarged; sore to touch, indurated. Jaundice. Bile secreted deficiently.

Greenish, bloody and slimy, worse at night, with pain and tenesmus. Never-get-done feeling. Discharge accompanied by chilliness, sick stomach, cutting colic, and tenesmus. Whitish-gray stools.

Frequent urging. Greenish discharge from urethra; burning in urethra on beginning to urinate. Urine dark, scanty, bloody, albuminous.

Vesicles and ulcers; soft chancre. Cold genitals. Prepuce irritated; itches. Nocturnal emissions, stained with blood.

Menses profuse, with abdominal pains. Leucorrhœa excoriating, greenish and bloody; sensation of rawness in parts. Stinging pain in ovaries (Apis). Itching and burning; worse, after urinating; better, washing with cold water. Morning sickness, with profuse salivation. Mammæ painful and full of milk at menses.

Soreness from fauces to sternum. Cannot lie on right side (Left side, Lycop). Cough, with yellow muco-purulent expectoration. Paroxysms of two; worse, night, and from warmth of bed. Catarrh, with chilliness; dread of air. Stitches from lower lobe of right lung to back. Whooping-cough with nosebleed (Arnica) Cough worse, tobacco smoke.

Bruised pain in small of back, especially when sitting. Tearing pain in coccyx; better, pressing on abdomen.

Weakness of limbs. Bone-pains and in limbs; worse, night. Patient very sensitive to cold. Oily perspiration. Trembling extremities, especially hands,

paralysis agitans. Lacerating pain in joints. Cold, clammy sweat on legs at night. Dropsical swelling of feet and legs.

Almost constantly moist. Persistent dryness of the skin contra indicates mercurius. Excessive odorous viscid perspiration; worse, night. General tendency to free perspiration, but patient is not relieved thereby. Vesicular and pustular eruptions. Ulcers, irregular in shape, edges undefined. Pimples around the main eruption. Itching, worse from warmth of bed. Crusta lactea; yellowish- brown crusts, considerable suppuration. Glands swell every time patient takes cold. Buboes. Orchitis (Clemat, Hamam, Puls).

Generally gastric or bilious, with profuse nightly perspiration; debility, slow and lingering. Heat and shuddering alternately. Yellow perspiration. Profuse perspiration without relief. Creeping chilliness, worse in the evening and into night. Alternate flashes of heat in single parts.

Compare: Capparis coriaccea (polyuria, glandular affections, mucous diarrhœa; influenza); Epilobium––Willow herb––(chronic diarrhœa with tenesmus and mucous discharges; ptyalism, dysphagia; wasting of body and much debility; cholera infantum); Kali hyd (in hard chancre); Mercur acet (Congestion with stiffness, dryness and heat of parts affected. Eyes inflamed, burn and itch. Lack of moisture. Throat dry, talking difficult. Pressure in lower sternum; chancre in urethra; tenia capitis favosa margin of ulcers painful): Mercurius auratus (psoriasis and syphilitic catarrh; brain tumors; lues of nose and bones; ozæna; swelling of testicles); Mercurius bromatus (secondary syphilitic skin affection); Mercurius nitrosus-Nitrate of Mercury––(especially in postular conjunctivitis and keratitis; gonorrhœa and mucous patches, with sticking pains; syphilides); Mercurius phosphoricus (nervous diseases from syphilis; exostoses); Mercurius precipitatus ruber (suffocative attacks at night on lying down while on the point of falling asleep, obliged to jump up suddenly which relieves; gonorrhœa; urethra felt as a hard string; chancroid; phagedenic ulcer and bubo; pemphigus, mucous patches, eczema with rhagades and fissures, barber's itch; blepharitis, internally and externally; leaden heaviness in occiput, with otorrhœa); Mercurius tannicus (syphilides in patients with gastro-intestinal diseases, or, if very sensitive, to ordinary mercurial preparations); Erythrinus- South American Red Mullet Fish––(in pityriasis rubra and syphilis; red rash on chest; pityriasis); Lolium temulentum (in trembling of hands and legs); Mercur cum kali (inveterate colds, acute facial paralysis). Henchera-Alum root––(Gastro- enteritis nausea, vomiting of bile and frothy mucus; stools watery, profuse, slimy, tenesmus, never-get-done feeling. Dose, 2 to 10 drops of tincture). Compare: Mez; Phos; Syph; Kali mur; Aethiops.

Antidote: Hep; Aur; Mez. Complementary: Badiaga.

Second to thirtieth potency.

Mercurius

General features: The pathogenesis of Mercury is found in the provings of Merc. viv. and Merc. sol., two slightly different preparations, but not different enough to make any distinction in practice.

Mercury is used in testing the temperature, and a Merc. constitution is just as changeable and sensitive to heat and cold. The patient is worse from the extremes of temperature, worse from both heat and cold. Both the symptoms and the patient are worse in a warm atmosphere, worse in the open air, and worse in the cold. The complaints of Mercury when sufficiently acute to send him to bed are worse from the warmth of the bed, so that he is forced to uncover; but after he uncovers and cools off he gets worse again, so that he has difficulty in keeping comfortable. This applies to the pains, the fever, ulcers and eruptions and the patient himself.

He is an offensive patient. We speak of mercurial odors. The breath especially is very foetid, and it can be detected on entering the room; it permeates the whole room. The perspiration is offensive; it has a strong, sweetish, penetrating odor. Offensiveness runs all through; offensive urine, stool and sweat; the odors from the nose and mouth are offensive. When Merc. is used in large doses and the patient is salivated he gives off these odors.

One who has once smelt a salivated patient will remember the mercurial odor. I remember when I was a student, almost every room had the mercurial odor. Mercury was given till the gums were touched and salivation was produced. That odor is often an index to the use of Merc. He is worse at night. The bone pains, joint affections and inflammatory conditions are all worse at night and somewhat relieved during the day. Bone pains are universal, but especially where the flesh is thin over the bones. Periosteal pains, boring pains, worse at night and from warmth of the bed.

The glands are inflamed, and swollen; the parotids, sub-linguals, lymphatic glands of the neck, groin and axilla are all affected; the mammae swell and there is inflammation and swelling of the liver. It is pre-eminently a glandular remedy. Induration is also a general; inflamed parts indurate. If the skin is inflamed it is hard. Inflamed glands are hard.

There is induration with ulceration. A tendency to ulcerate runs through the remedy. Ulcers are found everywhere, in the throat, nose, mouth, and on the lower limbs. Ulcers sting and burn and have a lardaceous base, an ashy-white appearance looking as if spread over with a coating of lard. It looks like a diphtheritic exudate, and Merc. has diphtheritic exudations on inflamed surfaces.

Ulcers in the throat have this appearance. The mucous membrane sometimes inflames without ulceration, but with exudation, and hence it is useful in diphtheria. It has the same condition in ulcers; when the system is run down they exude a grey lardy or ashy deposit. Chancres take on that form, a whitish cheesy deposit on the base. When you realize that the complaints of Merc. are worse at night, and think of the bone pains, periosteal inflammations, etc., it is not surprising that Merc. sometimes cures syphilis. It is wonderful that the allopath hit upon it for this disease, and he cures or suppresses enough cases by similarity to justify its continued use. When given suitably it cures.

Another marked feature is the tendency to the formation of pus. With inflammation there is burning and stinging and the rapid formation of pus and the part is aggravated by both warmth and cold. Abscesses burn and sting; inflammation of joints is attended with pus formation; in inflammation of the pleura the cavity fills up with pus. The discharges of pus are yellow-green. The Merc. gonorrheal discharge is thick greenish-yellow, with stinging and burning in the urethra.

Rheumatic inflammation of joints and catarrhal inflammation of mucous membrane are features running through the remedy, and these are attended with sweat, and an astonishing feature is that the sweat does not relieve, and there is even an aggravation while sweating.

Rheumatism in old syphilitic, gonorrhoeal and gouty patients. It is similar enough to relate to some cases of psora, syphilis and sycosis. It partakes of the nature of all three miasms. After a prover has taken Merc. a long time he emaciates. This is seen in old mercury takers and in syphilitics who have been mercurialized. It is a great remedy in this condition-steady emaciation with trembling, worse at night and from the warmth of the bed, great restlessness, can't find peace in any position. These miserable wretches, who are breaking down, are great sufferers, whether psoric, syphilitic or sycotic. A strange feature is repeated swelling and abscess formation without any heat. An abscess or swelling in a joint forms, and he sweats from head to foot, is worse at night, loses flesh, trembles and is weak, but there is no heat while the abscess goes on. Abscesses form when the life force is so low that there is no tendency to repair; a slow and prolonged pus formation, no irritability in the abscess, no tendency to granulate, it opens and keeps on discharging and seems dead. Merc. will warm it up, stop the sweat and favor granulation.

The superficial ulceration is inclined to spread and become phagedenic; it is not deep but grows larger. These open ulcers are especially seen in old syphilitics; lardaceous base; not much irritability, they are even numb, and if pus is discharged it is greenish-yellow; false granulations appear. Merc. cor. is a greater remedy for the superficial, eating, phagedenic ulcer.

At times Merc. takes on a gangrenous condition. This may be seen anywhere, but especially on the lips, cheeks and gums. Cancrum oris. Gangrenous chancre, foetid and black; a sphacelus forms in the chancre and the part sloughs off. All these conditions are aggravated by beat.

A patient with a typical Merc. abscess rebels at times against the poultice, for it makes the trouble worse.

Trembling runs through the remedy, quivering all over. It has been used with benefit in paralysis agitans. Tremor of the hands so that he cannot lift anything or eat or write. Merc. is a great remedy in children with epileptiform fits, twitching and disorderly motions. It will help children to grow out of these in coordinate angular movements of the hands and feet. Jerking, twitching and trembling. The motions of the tongue are disorderly and the child cannot talk. Convulsions. Involuntary motions which can be momentarily controlled by volition. The restlessness is extreme.

The trembling, weakness, sweat, foetor, suppuration and ulceration, the aggravation at night and from heat and cold, give the earlier impressions of the remedy.

Mind: The mental symptoms, which still more deeply show the nature of the medicine, are rich. A marked feature running all through is hastiness; a hurried, restless, anxious, impulsive disposition. Coming in spells, in cold cloudy weather, or damp weather, the mind will not work, it is slow and sluggish and he is forgetful. This is noticed in persons who are tending toward imbecility. He cannot answer questions right off, looks and thinks, and finally grasps it. Imbecility and softening of the brain are strong features. He becomes foolish. Delirium in acute complaints. From his feelings he thinks he must be losing his reason. Desire to kill persons contradicting her. Impulse to kill or commit suicide; sudden anger with impulse to do violence. She has the impulse to commit suicide or violent things, and she is fearful that she will lose her reason and carry the impulses out. Impulsive insanity, then, is a feature, but imbecility is more common than insanity. These impulses are leading features. The patient will not tell you about his impulses, but they relate to deep evils of the will, they fairly drive him to do something. Given a Merc. patient, and he has impulses that he tries to control, no matter what, Merc. will do something for him. During menses, great anxiety, great sadness. Anxious and restless as if some evil impended, worse at night, with sweat.

Al these symptoms are common in old syphilitics, broken down after mercurial treatment and sulphur baths, at the springs, with their bone pains, glandular troubles, sweating, catarrhs and ulcerations everywhere.

Head: Merc. is suitable to rheumatic troubles of the scalp, and neuralgias and brain trouble when there are burning, stinging pains and pains affected by the weather, and when there are head troubles that have come on from suppressed discharges, such as suppressed otorrhoea after scarlet fever, or when there are head troubles in scarlet fever.

Think of Merc. if you are called to a child with sweating of the head, dilated pupils, rolling of the head, and aggravation at night, who has had scarlet fever or a suppressed ear discharge. Merc. cures lingering febrile conditions analogous to the typhoid state, but caused by suppressed ear discharge. I have cured cases that were due to packing the ear with borax, iodoform, etc., the patient having first a remittent and later a continued fever.

This would go on for five or six weeks and be relieved only when the discharge returned after a dose of Merc. I remember a case of this type. It was called cerebro-spinal meningitis; the head was drawn back and twisted and held to one side.

It began as an otitis media with discharge which was suppressed. Two or three doctors were called and could do nothing. In the night I went to the bedside and got the history and symptoms of Merc. Merc. re-established the discharge in twenty-four hours, the torticolis passed away, the fever subsided and the child made an excellent recovery. I can recall many such cases. There is a tension about the scalp as if it were bandaged. Nervous girls have headache over the nose and around the eyes as if tied with a tape, or as if a tight hat were pressing on the head. Pressing, tearing pain in the eyes. Burning pains in the temples ameliorated by sitting up and moving about, worse at night.

Periosteal pains worse in cold, damp weather, in rheumatic and gouty constitutions, with sensitiveness in the eyes and ears, sore throat and glandular swellings. Headaches in old mercurialized syphilitics; they become barometers; sensitive to the weather. The catarrhal headaches are very troublesome; headache in those suffering from chronic catarrh with thick discharge.

The thick discharge becomes watery and the pain in the forehead, face and ears very distressing. These headaches are violent. Chronic rheumatic headache from the suppression of a discharge from any part, or from foot sweat suppressed; alternation of foot sweat and headache. When the foot sweat is gone he has pain and stiffness in the joints.

Silicea has that also. Sil. and Merc. do not follow each other well, when well selected; but if crude Mercury has been taken for a long time, Silica, like Nitric acid, is a good remedy to eliminate it when the symptoms agree.

With all headaches there is much heat in the head. Bursting headaches, fullness of the brain, and. constriction like a band. Vise-like pressure. He is sensitive to the air when he has headache. This is true of Merc. all through. He is relieved in the room, but worse in a warm or cold room, and violently worse from a draught. He wants to be covered but is worse from heat. The hoop-like sensation is worse at night.

Merc. is a wonderful remedy to ward off acute hydrocephalus after measles and scarlatina; the child rolls the head and moans, and the head sweats. It is closely related to Apis, which is also a great remedy after scarlet fever to ward off or cure hydrocephalus. Exostoses in old syphilitics. Lacerating, tearing pains in the pericranium. The whole external head is painful to touch. The scalp is tense and sore. Foetid, oily sweat on the head. Children have moist eczema, an excoriating, offensive eruption.

Eyes: Merc. is a wonderful eye remedy, especially for "colds."

Every cold settles in the eye in gouty and rheumatic patients. Catarrh of the eyes worse from looking into the fire or rather from sitting close to the fire; the radiated heat causes smarting. Eyelids forcibly drawn together as if long deprived of sleep. Fog or mist before the eye. Merc. cures iritis in syphilitics. The rule now-a-days is to use a mydriatic in iritis to prevent adhesions. I have treated many cases and I have no desire to dilate the pupil. I believe it is unnecessary. The homoeopathic remedy will stop the iritis speedily so that no adhesions will form, and if they have begun the remedy will remove them. Pains tearing and burning around the eyes, in temples, etc. Tension of the scalp as if it were a tight fitting cap, or tension as from a tape.

Ulceration and inflammation of the cornea. Vascular appearance of the cornea; inflammation, especially confined to the cornea, sometimes pustular, sometimes diffused. There is copious lachrymation with all eye symptoms, and the tears excoriate, causing a red line down the cheeks. Greenish yellow, or a green discharge. Lids spasmodically closed. Great photophobia. In inflammatory conditions of all the tissues of the eye lids, conjunctiva and deeper structures. Colds settle in the eye like Dulc.

Sometimes you will see a little fine growth on the iris, growing across the pupil and attached by a pedicle. It is really a syphilitic condylomata. Merc. cures it in a few days. Inflammation of the retina and choroid and of the optic nerve. All sorts of disturbed vision. It is useful in purulent ophthalmia, with swollen lids. Two kinds of constitution need it, the syphilitic and the rheumatic or gouty. He can not open the eyes; they are spasmodically closed, and there is great tumefaction.

Ears: Ear troubles. Horribly stinking greenish discharge. Green, thick, acrid pus from the ears like the discharge from the nose and other parts. Stinking otorrhoea. In otitis media with ruptured drum, Merc. is a frequently required remedy. In Spring after a long, cold Winter, the cold, damp weather causes many cases of otorrhoea; it is almost endemic in large cities. The ear drum heals like any other place if the patient is put in good condition by the remedy. It not well treated a hole will be left. Ears inflamed, with cramp-like pains.

Merc has stinging pain like Apis. All routinists will give Apis for stinging pains, and yet it often is Merc. that the patient needs. Purulent, offensive otorrhoea. Enlargement of the parotids and cervical glands with all inflammations of the ears. Parotids sore and enlarged, neck stiff, and head sometimes drawn back., Furuncles in external canal. Fungous excrescences and polypi. The nose troubles would take a long time to describe.

Old syphilitics, with nasal bones affected, thick, greenish, yellow, acrid, stinking discharge. Nosebleed and bloody discharge from the nose. Coryza acrid, watery, with pressure through the bones of the face, worse from heat or cold, worse at night; sensitive to every draught; must get up and walk the floor. It has coryza with much sneezing with an opposite state, ameliorated lying, not at all during the night while lying in bed, only in the daytime while up and about.

The inhalation of hot air feels good to the nose, but the heat aggravates the body. Incessant sneezing. Bleeding, scurfy, red nostrils. Old catarrhal smell in the nose. Rawness, burning and swelling. Inside of the nostrils smarting and burning. Aching, tearing and pressure in the bones. Bones of the face painful, feel as if pressed outward, and be wants to press, but it is painful.

Merc. is not deep enough to cure the whole constitution in psoric cases that are constantly taking cold. It cures the cold at once, but implants its own nature and the patient catches cold oftener. It should not be given often, not oftener than twice in a winter. Kali iod, is better for the same burning in the face, running coryza, and aggravation from heat and warmth of the bed, and it will cure the coryza in a night when apparently Merc. is indicated. it is also an antidote to Merc. Don't give many doses of Merc. in psoric cases; look for a deeper medicine.

Face: It has syphilitic eruptions and neuralgias of the face with or without catarrh. It is a great medicine for mumps; it is a routine remedy for this condition, which shows that it must be frequently indicated. It cures where the symptoms agree.

Scorbutic gums in those who have been salivated. Rigg's disease; purulent discharge from around the teeth. Toothache; every tooth aches, especially in old gouty and mercurialized patients. Looseness of the teeth. Red, soft gums. Teeth black and dirty. Black teeth and early decay of the teeth in syphilitic children, like Staph. Copious salivation.

Gums painful to touch. Pulsation in the gums and roots. Gums have a blue red margin, or purple color, and are spongy and, bleed easily. Gums settle away, and the teeth feel long, and are elongated. Teeth sore and painful so that he cannot masticate. Abscesses of the gums and roots of the teeth.

The taste, tongue and mouth furnish important and distinctive symptoms. As the tongue is projected it is seen to be flabby, has a mealy surface, and is often pale. The imprint of the teeth is observed all round the edge of the tongue. The tongue is swollen as if spongy, and presses in around the teeth and thus gets the imprint of the teeth. Inflammation, ulceration and swelling of the tongue are strong features. Old gouty constitutions have swollen tongue; the tongue will swell in the night and he will waken up with a mouthful. The taste is perverted, nothing tastes right. The tongue is coated yellow or white as chalk in a layer. Offensive mouth; putrid odors from the mouth especially the mercurial odor of the salivated patient. The tongue becomes clumsy; difficulty in talking; his speech is hardly intelligible. Awkwardness of the tongue as in persons intoxicated. Ulcers flat; eating ulcers; holes are eaten through the cheek. Eating away of the soft palate and the bone of the bard palate is often eaten away.

Purulent formation in the antrum of Highmore and fistulae from the mouth to the antrum. Fluoric acid and Silicea are more frequently indicated in these fistulae, especially if the bone is involved. Copious flow of foetid saliva. Sore mouth of children and nursing mothers; little aphthous patches with the mercurial odor and flabby, spongy appearance of the mucous membrane and tongue. General diffused inflammation of the mouth. The whole mucous membrane is sensitive and painful, burning, stinging and smarting; dryness with or without aphthous patches. Thrush of children. Scorbutic gums.

Throat: Sore throat. It is a remedy for inflammation of the throat, with spongy appearance, general diffused tumefaction swelling of the parotids, fullness and stiffness of the neck. Lardaceous base in ulcers; flat ulcers, spreading ulcers. Great dryness in the throat. The swelling impairs the motion of all the ' muscles that take part in swallowing.

Swallowing is attended with difficulty, pain and paralytic weakness, and the effort to swallow forces the bolus up into the nose, and liquids come out through the nostrils. The mercurial odor is a strong feature, but Merc. often cures when that odor is not perceptible; it has such an affinity for the throat. it has chronic throat troubles and syphilitic ulcers and patches. The inflammation extends upwards and downwards, red and pale patches, the red looking as if they would suppurate or ulcerate. The red spots become quite purple, but the more purple they are the more they are like Lach. Tonsils dark red with stinging pains. Quinsy, after pus has formed. It is useful in diphtheria, and most cases are diffused, extensive patches or patches here and there, with spongy appearance, but no ulceration. Tumefaction; and the exudations are upon a tumefied base. Stiff neck. Erysipelatous inflammation of the throat. Dark, sloughing, eating, corroding ulcers in the throat.

Stomach: He has aversion to meat, wine, brandy, coffee, greasy food, butter.

Milk disagrees, and comes up sour. Sweets disagree. He is turned against his beer. The stomach is chronically disordered; eructations, regurgitations, heartburn, etc. Sour stomach; it is foul. He has nausea with vomiting and regurgitation of food. In such a stomach food is like a load. Bad taste; bitter mouth; be tastes the food; it comes up sour.

With all this the saliva constantly runs from the mouth. It does not improve as digestion goes on. The half-digested substances are vomited. It is like the state in persons who have destroyed their stomach from crossing liquors, beer, wine and whisky.

Liver: The liver furnishes much trouble. Our forefathers for years took blue mass every Spring to regulate the liver. They physicked themselves with it and tapped their liver every Spring with it, and as a result they had worse livers than they would have had if the doctors had stayed at home. Constipation, bilious habits and disordered stomach.

The fullness in the region of the stomach, coming in spells, worse in cold, damp weather and warm, damp weather, worse in the Spring, jaundiced condition, disordered stomach, the aggravation at night and from the warmth of the bed, nightly feverishness and foul mouth, will give you the Merc. state.

Stitches in the liver. Liver symptoms worse lying on the right side. Many complaints of Merc. are aggravated by lying on the right side. The lung symptoms and cough, liver, stomach and bowel symptoms are all worse while lying on the right side.

Abdomen: In the abdomen we find colic, rumbling, distension, aches and pains, stinging and burning.

It has a great variety of stools, of diarrhoea and constipation. It has a well-defined dysenteric condition. Slimy, bloody stools with much straining, he feels as if he could never finish, even when no more is passing, a "never-getdone" feeling.

This is the very opposite of Nux and Rhus in dysentery. These are relieved if a little stool is passed, but Merc. and Sulph. will sit and strain, and all the salts of Merc. have the same state. Merc. cor. has a more violent attack, with violent urging to stool and to urinate, and intense suffering, with burning in the parts and the passage of pure blood.

Merc., Ipec. and Acon. are frequently indicated in epidemic dysentery that comes in hot weather, and Ipec., Dulc. and Merc. are frequently indicated in the dysentery of cold weather. You should go to the bedside of a case of dysentery with the repertory or go home and send medicine. Your first prescription should cure in epidemic dysentery, and if you work cautiously you will cure every case. It is a very simple condition to cure, but a very bad thing to get mixed up. Do not give Arsenic just because it conforms to the dysenteric condition, for if it does not cure it will mix up the case. Hesitate about giving Ars. in dysentery until you are perfectly sure it is indicated.

A few days ago I saw a patient who could not lie down because, of pain in both hypochondria; he had incessant vomiting, inflammatory rheumatism of the ankles, hands, arms and shoulders, he had purpuric spots on the arms and legs, he had inflammation of the stomach, and was a perfect museum of diseases. He had had Phos. and Ars. and many remedies very high, all supposed to be well selected but Cadmium sulph. put him to sleep in fifteen minutes.

The point was that he wanted to keep perfectly still, and hence it was unlike Ars., although all the other symptoms were like Ars.

That is a strong feature of Cadmium sulph; he wants to keep as still as Colch. and Bry. For many years I have used it for such cases. I saw another case of cancer with coffee-ground vomit, and Cadmium sulph. stopped her vomiting, and she ate quite well until she died six weeks later. The doctor in charge had given her Ars. and Phos. and Morphine till she could take no more.

Urines: The urine burns and smarts.

Frequent urging to urinate, dribbling a little; bloody urine, great burning. Haemorrhage from the urethra. Itching worse from the presence of urine. Gonorrhoea which has existed for some time; discharge thick, greenish-yellow, and offensive. Smarting and burning in the urethra when urinating. Loss of sexual power.

Genitals: Lascivious excitement with painful erections.

Ulcers on the prepuce and glans, making it suitable in chancre and chancroid. Flat ulcers; ulcers with lardaceous base. Inflammation of the inner surface of the prepuce. Balanitis, offensive pus. In chronic balanitis when pus forms behind the glans and under the foreskin, gonorrheal or psoric, consult jacaranda caroba.

The woman has much tribulation. Burning, stinging in ovaries. Screaming from pain. Stinging, tearing, cutting pains in the ovaries, patient covered with sweat. Copious, excoriating leucorrhoea, parts raw, sore, inflamed and itching.

Stinging, itching and boring pains in the uterus. Pains in the uterus and ovaries at the menstrual period. Milk in the breast 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 Merc. Menstrual flow light red, pale, acrid, clotted, and profuse or scanty. The menses are sometimes suppressed. Women who have been in the habit of taking mercury for biliousness remain sterile. (Coffee drinkers often remain sterile also and you must stop their coffee.)

Amenorrhoea with ebullitions. Chancres on the female genitals. Aged women have denuded genitals, rawness, soreness and false granulations, which are always bleeding. Burning, throbbing and itching in the vagina. Itching of the genitals from the contact of the urine; it must be washed off.

In children, boys or girls, the urine burns after urinating and they are always carrying the hands to the genitals. Little girls have acrid leucorrhoea causing burning and itching and much trouble. Phlegmonous inflammation of the genitals. Boils and abscesses at the menstrual period; little elongated abscesses along tho margin of the mucous membrane and skin, painful, aggravated by walking, forming during the flow and breaking after the period. This with itching, causes great suffering.

Morning sickness. A woman, while pregnant, has oedematous swelling of the genitals. Diffused inflammation, soreness and fullness of the genitals and pelvis, causing difficulty in walking, and she must take to bed.

In pelvic cellulitis in the early months of pregnancy Merc. is an important remedy. Repeated miscarriages from sheer weakness Merc. is a wonderful strengthener when properly used. Prolonged lochia. Milk scanty and spoiled. Merc. is one of the best palliatives in cancer of the uterus and mammae. It will restrain and sometimes cure epithelioma. I knew one case cured by the Proto-iodide, an ulcerated, indurated lump in the breast, as large as a goose egg with knots in the axilla, blueness of the part, and no hope.

The stooth attenuation, given as often as the pains were very severe, took it away and she remained well. The effect observed on the nose is not all of the Merc. coryza.

Respiratory: Most Merc cases begin in the nose and travel down the throat, creating rawness and scraping of the larynx, and rawness and soreness in the chest; laryngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis. Loss of voice, complete aphonia. The course of the Merc. cold is downwards, even going on to pneumonia, with sweat, restlessness and aggravation from the warmth of the bed. Of course many of the colds remain in the nose. There are various conditions in the chest. Coughs; colds that remain in the chest, lack of reaction and tardy recovery. The colds finally settle in the bronchial tubes; the chest feels as if it would burst and the cough is worse lying on the right side. I look back over many cases of patients who took cold from exposure and now look sickly and sallow, with a dreadful cough and rattling on the chest; every change of the weather gives them a new cold, and they cannot lie on the right side; their tendency is to go into mucous phthisis or quick consumption.

The cough is worse in the night air. There are many pains in the chest. He has a rheumatic constitution, is always sweating, worse while sweating and from the extremes of heat and cold. Stitching stabbing, rheumatic pains in the chest with night sweats. Bloody, thick green expectoration. Suppuration of the lung, great quantities of pus form.

Tremendous orgasms, bubbling and flushes of heat in the chest. With many complaints there is sore throat and rheumatism and stiffness of the neck; stiff neck with swollen glands and goitre. Stiff neck with every cold; stiffness of the side and back of the neck. Induration and soreness of the cervical glands along with other complaints.

Limbs: Merc. 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 affection 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.

Tremulous condition of the extremities, like paralysis agitans. Trembling of the hands with great weakness. Paralysis of the lower limbs, and twitching, jerking and quivering of the paralyzed parts. Arg. n., Phos., Stram., Secale and Merc. have twitching of the muscles of the paralyzed limb.

Soreness between the thighs and genitals. Ulcers on the legs; abscesses. Oedematous swelling of the feet. Cold perspiration. Copious sweat during sleep. Pain and sweat come on when comfortable in bed; bone pains. He covers up because he feels cold, but when he becomes warm the pains are aggravated.

Fever: Merc. is full of fever. Very seldom, however, has it a true, idiopathic, continued fever. It stands very low for continued fever alone, but it is especially indicated in surgical fevers, at first remittent, but later continued, such as come on from the suppression of discharges.

The Merc. patient about to go into a chill is chilly even when the chill has not yet come on; sensitive to the moving air in a warm room; violently sensitive to a draught. Cold hands and feet. The sweat is profuse and offensive. The complaints in general are worse while he sweats, and the more he sweats the worse he is. He sweats copiously and his greatest sufferings are in the sweat. Merc. does not have a clear intermittent.

Between the paroxysms be has liver disturbances, diarrhoea, fever. In surgical fevers, bilious fevers, worm fever in children, and remittent fevers there is much aching in the bones, great sensitiveness to the air, aggravation at night in bed when the fever runs highest, mercurial breath and sallow skin. The fever does not go so high. and the skin is not so hot as in Bell. The loaded tongue and the bilious fevers fade out after Merc.

It is useful in hectic fever in the last stages of consumption, and in exhausting diseases with hectics, and in cancer when there is the aching, foul sweat, etc. It acts wonderfully in catarrhal fever, grippe, etc., and when colds extend to the chest and there are the copious discharges everywhere. It is suitable in quasi-typhoids that have come out of remittents, symptomatic typhoids, when the patient is icteric, low, prostrated, tremulous, with quivering muscles, great exhaustion and continued fever.

Skin: There are many skin symptoms; scurfy eruptions, vesicular eruptions, eruptions discharging pus.

Vesicles burn and smart, with excoriating discharges, especially on the head. Much itching of the skin, violent, in all parts of the body, as from fleas, especially when warm in bed at night. Copper-colored eruptions as. in syphilis, and mucous patches. The scurfy eruptions are especially marked.

Ulcers on parts where the skin and flesh are thin over the bones. Offensive forms of eczema. Most eruptions are moist with copious oozing. It cures shingles.

The skin is sallow. Excoriating wherever two parts come together. Rawness between the thighs and between the scrotum and thighs. Eruptions in such places. it has fissures at commissures, at the corners of the mouth and eyes; rawness and bleeding of the perineum rendering walking difficult.

This furnishes a basis for the Salts of Mercury.

The salts of mercury: After studying Merc., corrosive mercury, the proto-iodide and the biniodide, we may from some specific symptoms in the case say that we prefer one of the salts of Mercury.

When we go to rheumatic and gouty cases with the aggravation from sweat, aggravation from the warmth of the bed, the mercurial odor, etc., we can commonly say that one of the Mercurius will cure this case.