Introduction
Including M. vivus (quick silver itself in finely divided from as in homoeopathic trituration so named, “blue pill,” mercurial ointment, and “grey powder,” also as inhaled in mines or factories); M. solubilis (a preparation of Hahnemann’s for which see Brit. Hom. Pharmacopoeia); M. dulcis, mercurous chloride, HgCl (calomel); and M.acetatus, mercurous acetate, HgC2H3O2.
Provings
1. HAHNEMANN, Mat. Medorrhinum Pura., vol. 1 of original, vol. ii of translation. Contains 1264 symptoms from M. solubilis, and a few from M. acetatus and dulcis, supplied by self and 8 associates.
2. Dr. MORRISSON, 7:45 p. m., Oct. 25th 1874, opened a stoppered bottle that contained some remnants of a 4x trit. of M. vivus prepared in 1868. (It had probably remained unopened for 3 – 4 years.) Noticing a peculiar odour, he inhaled strongly. Within 20 m. he had frontal headache, with fulness, soon passing to occiput, with vertigo; oppression of breathing upwards from diaphragm; constriction and dryness of fauces; irritation of nasal mucous membrane, as from catarrh; continuous aching beneath right scapula periosteal aching down 1., then right forearm, then in right elbow, then down spine, with varying intensity. Subsequently, continued oppression of breathing; long – continued severe interscapular aching, also in mid – dorsal region to right of spine; return of periosteal pain in 1., then right forearm. 9:15, continuous aching beneath lower angles of scapulae, severe. 10, interscapular achings continue; aching in flexor muscles of left forearm, in right inguinal region, and at apex of heart, extending upward to base; slight aching in a sound tooth. On retiring to bed, quickened pulse. 26th. – On waking, and subsequently, periosteal aching in outer side of left arm, changing to wrist and forearm, also on left tibia; aching at heart as before, and above left temple. 11 a. m., right subscapular aching, becoming also interscapular, lasting 2 hours; acute aching in left wrist and dorsum of hand, succeeded by subacute aching over hepatic region. 6 p. m., aching in 2 sound teeth. Later, returns of aching in humps. 27th. – On waking, right subscapular aching extending over hepatic region; bursting frontal headache, lasting several m. (Monthly Hom. Rev., XIX, 34.)
3. Dr. J. B -, who was triturating morphia to the Ix at this time experienced some similar symptoms, and others also; but as he also felt the somnolent effects of the morphia, the latter are not pure enough to be recorded here. (Ibid.)
4. A young woman took 1/6 dr. of 5th dil. 4 times a d. After 5 – 6 day chilliness while at stool, ceasing after the evacuation; discharge of clotted blood mixed with the faeces, without any straining; dry sore throat and wheezing at chest; peculiar sour – smelling sweat; her fingers became all shriveled, and a cold damp bedewed her feet. (ROBINSON, Brit. Journ. of Hom., xxiv,517.)
5. In a healthy man who had never had any eruption, after taking 2 gr. or Mercurius sol. a tetter, beginning on the forearm and chest, gradually overspread the whole body, only sparing the face and the posterior aspect of the extremities. At first little red, pinhead – sized stops appeared here and there, enlarging at the periphery in a circular manner, gradually coalesced and covered large surfaces. The colour, at first bright red, became subsequently deep red or bluish red, darker at the edge, brighter in the middle. With increasing size the center showed sound skin, while the border extended in a circle. These places were slightly elevated, rough, and dry, and covered with little white scales, which were continually being rubbed off by the clothing, and reforming, so that after undressing at night the floor seemed as if covered with meal. In the axilla, bend of elbow, groin, and hollow of the knee they were most abundant, constantly burning, and painful; and when the pimples formed there was a little fever, the affected portions of the skin being hot, swollen, red and extremely sensitive to the touch of the clothing, impeding the use of the arms, and the sleep wanting or very much disturbed. Itching upon taking of the clothes and at the contact of cool air, ceasing in the warmth of the bed. After touching, rubbing, washing, or taking wine they burned excessively. The axillary and inguinal glands swollen and painful. In some places, e.g. in the groin, little superficial moist ulcers formed from the tetter, which after some day became covered with yellowish scabs, and healed up. The tettery eruption lasted from the middle of January to the beginning of April. (KNORRE, A. h. Z., xix,285.)
6. Three persons [no particulars given] got daily doses of a grain or two of M. solubilis 3x. All three got red patches covered with vesicles on different parts of body and limbs. These patches itched and burned violently. In one case the eruption, which was on the inner side of the right thigh, assumed the form called by Alibert herpes squamosa madidans (ANDRIEU, Four, de la Soc. Gall., viii,143.)
7. Dr. C. WESSELHOEFT made 20 provings on students, male and female, with M. solubilis in various potencies. As in several the results were negative, and in the remainder were either incongruous one with another, or were nothing more than appeared when the provers were taking saccharum lactis only, Dr. Wesselhoeft does not consider that they ought to appear in text – books of Material Medica; and we content ourselves accordingly with simple reference to them here. (Trans. Amer. Inst, of Hom. for 1886 and 1888.)
7. When calomel is given to a healthy man in moderate doses, green liquid stools is produced, which, after doses, are replaced by brown passages. Simon analysed the fifth stool after a large dose. The passage was fluid, perfectly green, had no faecal odour, exhibited a mild acid reaction, and showed, under the microscope, great number of mucous corpuscles and epithelium cells. Ether extracted from the solid residue (obtained by evaporation) a considerable amount of fat, which had an acid reaction, contained cholesterin and was coloured by biliverdin. All the other substances, which were separated from the stool by water and alcohol, were more or less coloured by bile – pigment. Bilirubin, with bilifellinic acid and biliverdin, were found in large quantity; but no trace of mercury. Michea examined chemically the faeces under four different conditions. First, the spontaneous dejections of 6 healthy individuals; no bile was detected. Second, green stools of 3 persons suffering from gastro – intestinal derangement; bile – pigment was found in one case only, and in that could not be detected after persistent vomiting had ceased. Third, calomel having been given to 8 healthy person, 5 men and 3 women, bile was readily demonstrated in the green passages produced in all of the subjects. Fourth, saline and resinous purgatives were given to 5 persons, but no bile could be detected in the liquid stools. In some persons calomel produces not only purging, but also vomiting of bile, which is scarcely at all altered. From the facts which have just been passed in review, the conclusion seem inevitable that mercurial purgatives given to healthy persons cause the escape of large quantities of bile from the alimentary canal. [“Mercury, like the metals in general, is excreted by the liver, and manifests a tendency to accumulate in this organ. Like these also it doubtless acts as a stimulant to the hepatic cells, and increases their products. Just as an altered salivary or pancreatic fluid is produced by the action of M., so an altered or pathological bile is the result of the stimulation of the hepatic cells by this metal. That its use increases the physiological and normal product of the liver seems an assumption hardly warranted by the facts which have now been accumulated. That M. (pil. hydrarg., calomel, hydr. c. creta), in purgative doses, increases the flow of bile into the intestines – is a cholagogue – cannot be successfully disputed; but it is a cholagogue in the sense that control – oil and the resinous purgative are: by irritation of the mucous membrane of the duodenum it causes a reflex contraction of the gall – bladder and hepatic ducts, and an outflow of bile is the result. The pressure of alimentary matters in the duodenum suffices to increase the production and discharge of bile; purgatives, for the time being, somewhat more energetically produce the same result. A purgative dose of blue – pill or calomel may therefore cause bilious evacuations, but other purgatives may accomplish the same.” (BARTHOLOW, op. cit.)] H.C. Wood, op, cit)
8. Radzicjewski found, on analysis of the stools after giving calomel, a large proportion of leucine, tyrosine, and indole (pancreatic secretion), which he did not find after other purgatives, (PHILLIPS, op, cut).
Poisonings
Nos. 1 – 5. Effects of single large doses. Nos. 6 – 29. Acute mercurialism. Nos 30 – 50. Chronic mercurialism.
1. A physician took by way of experiment a dose of calomel such as is used for purging. After 2 hours he showed symptoms of poisoning, then came on dyspnoea, inflammation of lips and tongue, and he died in great agony in 3 hours (HELLWEG, Obs. phys. med. path. Aug. Vind. 1680. obs. 157, p. 414 – in Wibmer.)
Hughes was a great writer and a scholar. He actively cooperated with Dr. T.F. Allen to compile his 'Encyclopedia' and rendered immeasurable aid to Dr. Dudgeon in translating Hahnemann's 'Materia Medica Pura' into English. In 1889 he was appointed an Editor of the 'British Homoeopathic Journal' and continued in that capacity until his demise. In 1876, Dr. Hughes was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Organization of the International Congress of Homoeopathy Physicians in Philadelphia. He also presided over the International Congress in London.