Mercurius corrosivus



6a. SARAH WILD, aet. 49, sanguine – melancholic temperament, took, with her four children, nearly 2 dr. sublimate, about 7 a. m., Dec. 26th, 186. In her the following symptoms occurred: Great thirst, violent pain in praecordia, pulse small, tremulous, rapid; great heat and extreme soreness in pharynx, with dysphagia; in swallowing a little liquid the raw feeling becomes very severe. Incessant and violent vomiting of blood and matter the colour of coffee – grounds; repeated and very offensive stools. After 18 hours, change of the pain to the umbilical region for 8 hours, thence to the lumbar region till death. Entire lack of pulse 12 hours after the poisoning; even the heart beat in an undulatory, tremulous manner. Brain apparently very much affected. Pupils scarcely sensitive to the strongest light; tongue clean. No urine. Sensible to the last moment. After great suffering death ensued 31 hours after poisoning. 6b. Autopsy. – Face frightfully disfigured, skin of back and sides purple. Mesentery and peritoneum highly inflamed, considerable effusion in abdominal cavity. Gall – bladder very full and large. Liver covered with pale livid spots the size of a sixpence. Bladder contracted to size of a walnut; uterus inflammed, but not larger than in women who have borne several children. Stomach not much distended, but very livid along the greater curvature, with a portion of the omentum adherent, and containing, a large mass of dark grumous fluid. At the cardiac portion a circular black place 3 in. in diameter, involving all the tunics and easily penetrated with the finger; internal surface very much inflamed, the rugae a deep carmine, the remainder scarlet. (VALENTINE, Edinb. Medorrhinum and Surg. Journ., xiv, 468.)

7. SARAH, daughter of the preceding, aet. 3. began to purge violently 3 hours after the poisoning. Discharge of large masses of bilious matter by vomiting and stool. Pulse small, uncountable; extreme thirst, persistent ischuria. Distressing pains till 6 p. m., then sudden quiet and death 12 hours after the poisoning. Autopsy. – Skin dark crimson colour, nearly purple. Omentum and intestines highly inflamed; kidneys not so much so. Mesentery full of red blood. Bladder firmly contracted. Marked exudation of bile on the concave surface of the liver; gall – bladder nearly full of bile. Stomach deep scarlet within, from cardia to pylorus, with a black circular place in the region of the former, about the size of the half a crown, its edges intended and involving nearly the whole thickness of the stomach, which was not very full of a milky fluid. (Ibid.)

8. WILLIAM, aet. 11, vomited profusely, at times easily and again with pains, especially in the region of the scrobiculus and navel; dysphagia. After 12 hours, coffee – ground coloured vomit of clotted blood and violent purging of coagulated lymph, clots of blood, and a delicate transparent membrane. Great thirst, deep lethargy, pulse small, trembling, and weak; very scanty urine. To the last moment sensible. No radial pulse 12 hours before death, which occurred 24 hours after the poisoning. Autopsy. – External appearance as in 7. Eyes more sunken, dark colour of the back, peritoneum very much inflamed. Intestines extremely inflamed, partially livid; one third of the liver almost colourless, gall – bladder very much distended; large serous effusion in the abdominal cavity. Bladder firmly pressed down on the pubic bone, the size of a walnut. Stomach greatly distended and filled with a black grumous mass; the cardiac portion, far more than in the two preceding cases, destroyed; a black circular spot 3 in. in diameter, whence a general inflammation extended over the whole internal coat. Deep scarlet, almost crimson, redness, especially of the rugae; the greater curvature yellowish, livid, and very soft externally. (Ibid.)

9. GEORGE, aet. 8, vomited violently and incessantly a sticky frothy mucus; great pain in pharynx, complete dysphagia, great restlessness, violent pain in scorbiculus, pulse rapid and weak, no urine. Within 6 hours repeated urging to stool, with discharge of great circular pieces of coagulated lymph. 27th. – Very bad n., complained greatly of severe pains about the naval; vomiting less severe, extremities cold, intense thirst, tongue red and burning, coma, pupils insensible, pulse weak and small. Stool livid, grumous, and offensive, abdomen very painful to the slightest touch. Urine scanty. 28th. – Complete stupor, pulse barely perceptible, frequent vomiting of a blue slime, like dissolved blue pill; great restlessness, moderate stool, dirty hard, containing a worm. 29th. – Death at 5 a. m., about 90 hours after the poisoning. Autopsy. – 7 hours after death. Quiet aspect. Eyes open, no discoloration of front part of body, no special distension of abdomen; subsequently carmine redness of shoulders, back, and hips. After sawing through the skull the calvarium was raised with difficulty, and only after cutting through the dura mater, on account of its very extensive and strong adhesions. All the vessels of the dura and pia matter, one sinus lateralis and one sinus posterior, strongly injected with red blood, as also the medullary portion of cerebrum and cerebellum, and most of the choroid plexus. No unusual quantity of fluid or perceptible disorganization in either of the ventricles. Lungs redder than usual at that age. About 2 oz. of watery exudation in the pericardium, and about the same quantity in the pleural cavity; heart firm and of natural appearance. Peritoneum extremely vascular. Omentum almost gone; its remainder, along with the intestines, injected with bright red blood. Gall – bladder nearly full of bile. Liver natural in its appearance, but it peritoneal covering, like that of the mesentery, strongly injected. Bladder shrivelled, very small and empty; kidneys inflamed. In the stomach a pint of bluish material, and the following lesions: – In the cardiac portion, a black circular place, about 1/2 in. in diameter, whence, as from a central point, a uniform bright redness spread over the whole inner coat. The very large and numerous rugae more inflamed than the other parts; the texture of all the coats completely destroyed, only the peritoneal coat remaining upon washing away the disorganised parts; the whole larger curvature had externally the same appearance. (Ibid.)

10. MARTHA, aet. 14, swallowed only a little of the poison, spitting the greater part out. Vomiting as with the others, bus less. Immediate pain in scrobiculus, no dysphagia, pulse small and irregular. No urine or stool. 27th. – Restless n., pupils dilated, insensible; pulse uncountable, toward midnight sopor. 28th – Sopor till noon. Ischuria, pulse changeable and weak, pupils still insensible, contractions; of the corrugator supercilia, with partial squinting; some appetite. 29th. – Quiet night; copious discharge of urine, general improvement. Steady improvement and recovery complete Jan. 3rd. (Ibid.)

11. Early in the m. of Jan. 15th, 1815, a healthy woman about 30 years old, having recently been delivered of her fifth child, drank, by mistake of her nurse, a solution containing 30 gr. of sublimate. While drinking, she noticed a very violent burning in the stomach, and inquiry led to a discovery of the mistake at once. In a few m. the physician arriving found her sitting in bed, her finger in her mouth to excite vomiting, whereby a quantity of fluid was ejected. She complained of intolerable pain in the oesophagus and upper part of stomach, gradually moving downwards. (Emetic of ipec.) In a few m. she became faint. Two large spoonfuls of strong liver of sulphur solution induced violent vomiting. The remedy was repeated in the intervals of vomiting, which was assisted by warm water and chamomile tea, with some salt absinth. 2 or 3 hours after the poisoning cramps set in, at first in the toes and feet, then in the hands and fingers, and subsequently in the arms and legs. Severe cramp in the right breast drawing toward the back, just below the scapula; breast greatly contracted, secretion of milk suppressed. She appeared greatly exhausted. A little later serious fainting fits, recurring at short intervals. Repeated complaint of burning, deep in the stomach, the more relieved the more she took liver of sulphur, so that afterward she made no more complaint of burning. 1 or 2 spoonfuls of mucilage given toward evening were vomited. The first n. passed quietly, yet the woman seemed very much exhausted. 16th. – The entire day almost like the previous night; free from pain, fainting or cramps, and occasional sleep. The stomach refused everything. The second n. disturbed by frightful dreams, distressing thoughts. 17th. – Early in m., formication as if asleep. About 4 or 5 a. m., complaint of pain in the scrobiculus; borborygmi perceptible to hand upon abdomen. Warm cloths and ether soon removed the pain. During day she took frequently some negus, oatmeal gruel, and toast, which were retained. At evening very urgent tenesmus, with discharge of mucus and blood only, relieved by two of the usual clysters. Thenceforth all went better. When she attempted to eat animal food, a week or so later, her teeth seemed loose and dull. About this time pieces of dead epithelium, like boiled potato skins, were discharged from the mouth and throat. A large piece of the gum came away from the socket of a tooth drawn a short time before; also a piece, the size of a pea, came from the side of the tongue. Tongue, gums, and throat continued tender during this time. No special constitutional change was left. The right breast remained in the contracted condition mentioned, the milk appearing several days later in it than in the other when she again became a mother in 1818. (Edinb. Medorrhinum Journ., xvi.)

Richard Hughes
Dr. Richard Hughes (1836-1902) was born in London, England. He received the title of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), in 1857 and L.R.C.P. (Edin.) in 1860. The title of M.D. was conferred upon him by the American College a few years later.

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.