General Action
The marked features of Mercury are: (1) Destruction of tissue, as shown in ulceration of mucous surfaces, periosteal inflammation; destruction of bone, attacking especially long bones. (2) Increased secretions, mucus, sweat, glandular secretions. (3) Chorea-like spasms (which in cases of poisoning seem to take the place of tissue changes). (4) Gastro- intestinal inflammations, even true dysentery; acute inflammation of the kidneys and liver. (5) Mercury does not seem to attack the flat bones, has never produced iritis; the periosteal pains are very marked, and the symptoms are always. (<)night.
Generalities
Foul odors from the whole body. Emaciation, followed by dropsical swellings. General aggravation from cold, damp weather and at night. Trembling of the tongue and of the extremities. Pains appear in the evening on going to bed; seem to be seated in the bones. Extreme weakness and anemia.
Mind
Mental restlessness; hurried talking. wretch and sad; irritable. Thinks he is losing his reason and will die; has numerous illusions. Is weary of life; is mistrustful; thinks every one is his enemy. Slow in answering question. Memory weak.
Head
Dull pain like a tension, encircling the head above the eyes and ears. Tearing burning pains in the head at night. Pressing headache. A feeling as if a band were tied about the head. Most eruption on the scalp, with loss of hair, soreness, ulceration, etc.
Eyes
Inflammation of the margins of the lids, which are swollen, often ulcerated. General inflammation, with intolerance of light; mucous discharge which excoriates the lids. Vision dim, with involuntary closing of the eyes: intolerance of firelight. Floating black spots.
Clinical. Various external inflammations of the conjunctiva and cornea, catarrhal, with tendency to ulceration of cornea and lids, and also episcleritis. All aggravated at night and by the heat of a fire. Does not affect the iris, and is rarely useful in inflammation of that membrane. Valuable in inflammation of the retina when aggravated by firelight and worse at night.
Ears
Bloody, offensive discharge, excoriating; even with tearing pains. Shooting pains in the ears, which feel swollen and stopped. Various disturbances of hearing.
Clinical. Inflammation of the external canal, eczematous or suppurative; discharges offensive excoriating. Furuncles of the canal. Catarrh of the tympanum and Eustachian tube.
Nose
Inflammation, with sneezing and acrid discharges. Offensive odor from the nose. Pain in the nasal bones, which are sore. Nasal discharge of mucus, excoriating, sometimes offensive. Nose-bleed during sleep at night.
Face
Earthy colored and puffy. Pale bloated and sallow.
Contractions of the masseter muscles, so that speaking and eating is difficult, Periostitis of the jaw, progressing to necrosis. Inflammation of the roots of the teeth, which ulcerate and fall out. Inflammation extends to the alveolar processes.
Mouth
Lips swollen, ulcerated, especially in the corners. Teeth decay, become painful and loose and fall out. Inflammation and ulceration in the roots of the teeth, with violent pain at night. The gums recede from the teeth and are ulcerated. Violent, jerking toothache at night, involving the whole face, with chilliness, salivation, etc. Gums bleed easily, or are spongy and unhealthy. Tongue red and swollen, showing the imprint of the teeth; coated white or sometimes with red edges; even black and dry. Tongue covered, with ulcers, bleeding, with a thick yellow coating. Tongue trembling. Stammering. Speech difficult on account of trembling of tongue. Salivation, with swelling of the glands. The orifices of the salivary ducts inflamed and ulcerated and all the salivary glands become inflamed and sore. Aphthae in the mouth; mucous membrane bluish- red and spongy. Mucous discharged fetid. General stomatitis, with tendency to ulceration. Saliva greatly increased, of a sweetish taste and bad odor. General sweet taste, occasionally salt or putrid.
Throat
Suppuration of the tonsils, with stinging pain on swallowing. Dryness, with pain on swallowing, but is constantly obliged to swallow the profuse saliva. Spreading ulcers in the throat, with shooting pains in the enlarged glands and salivation.
Stomach
Unnatural hunger; or aversion to all food. Unquenchable thirst. Thirst for cold drinks. Pain in the stomach; a sensation of dragging downward after eating. Hiccough and regurgitation of water or food.
Abdomen
Numerous pains in the region of the liver. (<)lying upon it, with thirst, bitter taste, loss of appetite, chilliness, yellow skin. Flatulent distention of abdomen, with numerous pains. Intestines feel sore, (<)lying on right side. Inguinal glands swollen and inflamed, with shooting pains. Boring pains in the right groin.
Clinical. In addition to hepatitis, it is valuable in catarrhal enteritis, with numerous pains, mostly sharp, preceding evacuations of mucus and blood. Colitis, profuse mucus evacuations. Abdominal symptoms, aggravated at night and lying on right side.
Rectum and Stool
Constant, ineffectual urging, with tenesmus in rectum; (<) night. Stools of mucus, bloody, or green mucus, sour odor, causing soreness in the anus, followed by protrusion and straining. Stools whitish-gray.
Clinical. Stools usually contain mucus, often bloody, always with more or less tenesmus. Dysentery, with fever, perspiration; aggravation at night; tenesmus and burning pain, even with prolapsus. Whitish-gray stools, sometimes constipated, with symptoms of inflamed liver.
Urinary Organs
Constant urging, with scanty evacuation. Burning in the urethra on beginning to urinate. Micturition frequent at night, even involuntary. Inflammation of the kidneys with albuminuria. Urethral discharge, greenish, (<)night. Burning in the urethra, even when not urinating. Urine usually dark, scanty, bloody and albuminous, depositing a sediment.
Clinical. Nephritis. Pain in the back, burning and tenesmus in the bladder; easy perspiration, nocturnal aggravation. Cystitis. Urethritis.
Sexual Organs, Male
Inflammation of prepuce, with swelling. Development of vesicular eruption which ulcerates and has an offensive discharge; Ulcers bleed, spread rapidly, painful at night. Coldness of genitals evening and night. Sexual power decreased. Seminal emissions at night bloody.
Sexual Organs, Female
Menses profuse. with abdominal pains. Leucorrhoea greenish, corrosive, biting, burning, (<) evening and night.
Respiratory Organs
Cough dry, short, fatiguing, from tickling beneath upper part of sternum, (<)talking. Expectoration easy; salt or bitter tenacious mucus. Cough causes pressing pains in the head and chest. Shortness of breath on ascending stairs, with suffocation.
Chest
Shooting pains in the chest, extending through to the back, (<) coughing. Sensation of burning or constriction in the chest, (<)night.
Neck and Back
Cervical glands swollen and inflamed, hard, with shooting pains, Bruised pain in the back, (<)open air. Shooting pains in the sacrum on breathing. Tearing pains in the coccyx, (>)pressing on abdomen.
Extremities
Nocturnal pains in upper and lower extremities. Dropsical swellings, especially of the lower extremities. Tremblings of the hands so that he could not use them.
Skin
Yellow skin, at times with biting and itching, especially on arm. Tendency to ulceration in folds. Eruptions of sores, with tendency to ulceration, bleeding, excoriating discharge, itching(<)night. Scratching followed by burning.
Sleep
Falls asleep very late, with tossing about, lassitude and anxiety.
Fever
Paroxysms, (<) evening and night; chilliness as if dashed with cold water, so that he cannot get warm even by the stove. Febrile stage not marked; very profuse perspiration, skin almost constantly moist, especially at night and on slight exertion; sweat offensive, oily, staining the clothes yellow.
Born in 1837in Westminster, Vermont. . He was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy
Dr. Allen compiled the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica over the course of 10 years.
In 1881 Allen published A Critical Revision of the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.