“How, then, are we to explain the destructive power of mercury over syphilis? We can explain it no more than we can explain the protective power of quinine over malaria. If, however, the patient be once attacked by syphilis, mercury will not antidote or remove it any more than quinine will remove marsh malaria, indeed, not as much. Mercury more thoroughly protects the system against syphilis and more completely fails to cure it than quinine in marsh malaria.
“Some of the most pitiable cases seen in out hospitals are those who have first become afflicted with syphilis and then become saturated with mercury; the bones that syphilis did not destroy are destroyed by mercury, the tissues not affected by syphilis are affected by mercury, and his last end is worse than his former.
“Speaking of iritis, I must say that I do not now remember a single case of iritis in all my experience presenting symptoms or being benefited by any preparation of mercury that did not contain iodine.”
Mercurius viv. is prepared for our use by trituration, at least up to the 3d. Hahnemann’s preparation of soluble mercury-
Mercurius solubilis Hahnemanni-or Mercurius sol., as it is usually called, is made by dissolving metallic mercury in nitric acrid and then precipitating it by caustic ammonia. It is probable that there is no essential difference in the effects of Mercurius viv. and Mercurius sol., and they are to be spoken of and used indiscriminately. The preparation Mercurius viv. is to be preferred, as it requires less care and labor to make it, is more stable and perfectly pure; and as Hahnemann abandoned the use of Mercurius sol., preferring in all cases to administer metallic mercury, or Merc, viv., it would be as well for us to do so.
All the affections for which Mercurius viv. is useful are worse at night and are accompanied by profuse secretions, especially of saliva and perspiration (185).
The saliva is profuse (1630, distasteful and of bad odor, and the patients, instead of being relieved by perspiration, are, on the contrary, made worse by it (185).
Mentally, there is weakness of memory (133), anxiety and depression of spirits, “a fear that they will not get well “(Allen’s lecture), or a feeling of apprehension, as if he had committed a crime (53), with general irritability, but Allen tells us to place but little weight on the symptom “hurried talking,” as found in heavy type in the Handbook, as it is seldom seen when Mercurius viv. is the remedy.
There is headache that is worse at night and with a sensation as it the brain were constricted by a band (105) or as if the head were in a vise. The scalp is tender to the touch (91) and the hair falls out, either as the results of the constrictive headaches, or “after seborrhoeic affections” (Dearborn).
In the eye Mercurius viv. is of value in many inflammatory conditions, with general aggravation at night and from firelight. In catarrhal and scrofulous ophthalmias (76) as well as in ophthalmia neonatorum we have muco-purulent discharges, which are excoriating, with soreness and burning of the lids. In ulceration of the cornea (77) we find a good deal of vascularity, the ulcers spread rapidly and there is danger of sloughing.
There is pronounced aggravation from heat and from light, with especial intolerance of artificial light or the glare of the fire. This aggravation from firelight (74) has led to the successful use of the remedy in disease of the optic nerve and retina, especially when caused by working in the glare of a bright fire, as in foundry-men, puddlers, etc.
In the ear, Mercurius viv. is useful in inflammatory conditions, boils (640, suppurations and ulcerations, with severe pains, worse at night. The discharge is offensive (63), purulent and bloody, and excoriating; and excoriating discharges are found everywhere under this remedy.
It is of value in acute and chronic catarrh of the middle ear, involving the Eustachian tube, with deafness 963), enlarged glands and may be sore throat, and it is of especial value for chronic catarrh of the ear and deafness following measles (63).
In the nose we find the same tendency to ulceration an destructive inflammations, with soreness of the bones when touched (142. The odor from the nose is offensive and the discharge excoriating and Mercurius viv. is of value in ozaena (148) with these symptoms. It is frequently indicated in acute fluent coryzas (37), with a thin, mucous flow that excoriates the nostrils (37) and perhaps with increased discharge at night.
It is to be thought of for neuralgia of the face, the result of taking cold, with tearing pains, worse at night, and associated with salivation.
As we have already said, the secretions are increased in Mercurius viv., and especially noticeable is the increased of saliva (163) and it is a valuable remedy of the salivation of pregnancy (155), with soapy, slimy and stringy saliva. It aphthous stomatitis (140) we have superficial spreading ulcers and offensive ptyalism. It is a remedy useful for inflammation of the salivary glands, including the parotids, with swelling, soreness and perhaps suppuration, and very free secretions.
The merc. viv. tongue is swollen, flabby or oedematous, and shows the imprint of the teeth as scallops along the edges (192). Besides its use in gastric, intestinal and hepatic conditions with the characteristic tongue, it has proved of value in glossitis, with severe pain and aggravation from any food or drink.
The taste may be sweet, but it is usually metallic (186), coppery, or as if one had been holding a penny in the mouth.
The gums are unhealthy, pale and spongy, bleeding easily from the slightest touch (84). The gums recede from the teeth (840 and there is an offensive odor from the mouth. It is of value for the condition of receding gums followed by decay of the teeth, which turn black (186), become loose (187) and fall out.
The toothache is worse at night and from the warmth of the bed (187), with a tearing, pulsating pain. The teeth are sore to the touch and feel to long (187), and there is an increased flow of saliva. It is of value for dental periostitis, with formation of pus and soreness, looseness and elongation of the teeth. Abscesses at the roots of the teeth are often aborted by the use of this remedy (186).
Various salts of mercury are of value in affections of the throat, each in its own sphere. Mercurius viv. is useful in an ordinary catarrhal or inflammatory sore throat that grows worse towards evening; it is frequently given for follicular tonsillitis, but another preparation of mercury seems to work better than the metal in this condition, and the same is true in reference to diphtheria.
Usually in Mercurius viv. when ever there is any throat trouble, there is pain or sticking as from a splinter (190) on swallowing, and an inclination to swallow every time one’s attention is called to the subject to see if it still hurts. (A differentiation that is frequently noticed between this and other preparations of mercury is that in Mercurius viv. the pain is not severe and on asking if it hurts of swallow, or which side of the throat is affected, the patient will swallow before answering; in the other salts that you might use, the aggravation is pronounced and no unnecessary experiment is resorted to.) In all the mercuries one cause for the frequent desire to swallow is the increased flow of saliva.
The ulcers calling for Mercurius viv., wherever found, are superficial, not deep,. and tend to spread rapidly.
In the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract, external soreness (12) and inability to lie on the r. side are prominent symptoms. It is of value of enlarged and inflamed liver, acute or chronic, with jaundice (122), pain and soreness, aggravation at night and from lying on the r. side (8). It is useful for ascites (11) due to induration of the liver (127), for peritonitis and appendicitis.
In catarrhal enteritis and other intestinal conditions of inflammation and ulceration, the stools nearly always contain mucus; they are green (59), scanty and excoriating, preceded perhaps by chilliness, and followed by burning at anus (61) and more or less tenesmus (61). With the diarrhoea we have in addition the nocturnal aggravation, the salivation and easy perspiration, and the flabby tongue.
In dysentery it is indicated when there is slight fever but easy perspiration, and discharge of mucus and some blood; there may be prolapse of the rectum (160).
The straining at stool in this remedy, the tenesmus, the never get-feeling is between that of Mercurius dulc. which has little or none, and Mercurius corr., where it is very severe.
In the bladder Mercurius viv. is of value for cystitis, with discharge of mucus. There is frequent desire and great urgency but little is passed, with burning during (196) and especially after urinating (197). It is also to be thought of in gonorrhoea, with greenish mucous discharge and burning worse “between the urinary acts” (Carleton).
We have already spoken of mercury producing a parenchymatous nephritis, and it is of value in this condition (124), even when due to pregnancy, when in addition to albumin, blood and casts in the urine, w have nocturnal aggravation, the swollen, flabby tongue, and the profuse salivation and sweat, but, as Allen says, “for the love of your fellow man, do not hasten to give mercury because you have made a diagnosis of croupous nephritis” (lecture). The protest was undoubtedly made because Mercurius viv. or Mercurius corr. have been used so frequently as routine remedies in croupous or parenchymatous nephritis.
