Mercurius vivus

CATARRH.

ACUTE NASAL CATARRH.

Mercurius. With this remedy there are creeping chills; worse in the evening and night, even in bed. The nose discharges thin water with sneezing and lachrymation and sore throat, which stings and pricks, with a constant inclination to swallow saliva which accumulates in abundance, accompanied with a bad smell from the mouth. There may be fever and later on profuse sweat, which however does not relieve.

BRONCHITIS.

ACUTE BRONCHITIS.

Mercurius. The whole mucous membrane catarrhal, but, unlike Bryonia, there is great thirst with moist mouth, salivation, tongue flabby, showing prints of the teeth upon it, and offensive breath. The fever is still high and there is profuse sweat, which does not relieve. The more the sweat the more the suffering.

PNEUMONIA.

Mercurius, Chelidonium and Kali carb. are a trio that go well in company. These remedies all suit cases of pneumonia with bilious complication.

Mercurius, if there are with the oppressed breathing stitches in right chest through from scapulæ; cough, first dry, afterward attended with bloody expectoration, great tenderness in region of stomach, and, especially, liver; mouth and tongue moist, but tongue large, flabby, showing imprint of the teeth, great thirst and profuse sweat without relief, worse at night and when lying on right side.

PLEURITIS.

Mercurius may follow well after, or even be preferred, if in syphilitic or rheumatic subjects we have the pain persisting after the fever is somewhat reduced, the pain continues notwithstanding copious sweats which do not relieve; thirst with moist tongue, which is enlarged, flabby and shows imprint of teeth, gums also swollen and an offensive smell from the mouth. It is especially useful when with the cough there are stitching pains through to the back in region of lower right lung. But if you do not have the Mercurial mouth and the point is in the same locality running through to the back, or it may be in the left side, and the cough is worse at 3 A. M., Kali carbonica will outrank Mercury and is complementary to Bryonia.

PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS.

Mercurius, in the first place, if the miasm syphilis, either recent or remote, is an element in the case. The most common mode of attack is in a pleuropneumonia, of right side, with sharp stitching pains through lower right chest to back; bilious symptoms such as pain and tenderness in the right hypochondria, < lying on right side, vomiting, jaundice, etc., etc. The peculiar and characteristic mouth symptoms, moist, slimy, sticky, without thirst, swollen, flabby tongue with indented edges, offensive smell, etc., but most leading of all, the sticky, profuse sweat without relief. Here no remedy can substitute it and, properly exhibited, most wonderful and gratifying results follow.

In my observation Mercurius does not do very much for tuberculous subjects after this stage, except as I said before, unless syphilis is in the case, but

COUGH.

Character—Racking cough, in the evening or at night.

Aggravations—Night air; dampness.

Concomitants—Creeping chilliness in evening. Chill with heat of face. Fluent coryza, in epidemic form. Sore throat, with salivation, bad breath, flabby tongue with indented edges; all this followed by bronchitic inflammation or pneumonic or pleuro-pneumonic trouble, with pains in lower right chest to back; can’t lie on right side; heat and profuse sweat which does not relieve.

Bryonia has often been used for pneumonic or pleuritic affections when Mercury would have done better, but there are marked differences. Bryonia is better lying on the affected side. Merc. <, especially if it is on the right side or with liver complication. Bryonia mouth is dry with thirst. Mercury is moist and slimy with equal thirst. Sweat relieves with Bryonia, and aggravates with Mercury, etc. Some alternate these two remedies, but it is better to differentiate and give them singly. Mercury is seldom of much use in chronic respiratory affections, but in acute stands equally with Aconite, Belladonna and Bryonia, and its indications are well pronounced.