Mercurius vivus
By Adolph von Lippe — Text Book of Materia Medica
Mind and Disposition
Anxiety, apprehension and restlessness, especially in the evening and at night, with fear of losing one's mind and understanding.
Disgust of life.
Great indifference to every thing.
Irritable, quarrelsome mood.
Continuous moaning and groaning.
Peevish, taciturn, and auspicious.
Hurried speech.
Desire to flee, with nightly anxiety and apprehensions.
Bad effects from fright, leaving one in a state of great anxiety and worse at night.
Home-sickness with nightly anxiety and perspiration.
Delirium; mental derangement of drunkards.
Head
Fainting after sweetish rising in the throat, followed by sleep.
Vertigo when lying on the back, with headache, nausea everything becomes black before the eyes.
Weakness of memory, forgets every thing.
Vertigo as if one were on a swing.
Dull and stupid feeling, with dizziness.
Vertigo on raising the head after stooping.
Burning in the head, especially in the left temple, worse at night when lying in bed, better on sitting up.
Compressive headache, the head feels as if it were in a vice with nausea; worse in the open air, from sleeping, eating and drinking; better in the room.
Inflammation of the brain with burning and pulsation in the forehead, with the sensation as if the head were in a hoop; worse at night, better after riding.
Sensation of subcutaneous ulceration in the whole head; worse at night when becoming warm in bed; better after rising, and while sitting still in a warm room.
Tearing in one (the left) side of the head and temple, extending from the neck, with insupportable heat and perspiration, worse at night and in the heat of the bed, relieved towards morning and while lying quiet.
Tension over the forehead as from a tape or hoop, worse at night in bed; better after rising and from laying the hand on it.
Headache as if the head would burst with fulness of the brain.
Congestion of blood to the head with heat in it.
Hydrocephalus.
Sensation of tension of the scalp.
The scalp is painful to the touch; worse when scratching, which is followed by bleeding.
Tearing and stinging in the bones of the skull.
Stitches through the heart.
Itching on the hairy scalp, and forehead, and temples; worse from scratching, when it bleeds and becomes erysipelatous.
Dry, stinging, burning, fetid eruption like yellow crusts, on the forepart of the head and temples, when scratching inflammation and erysipelas.
Exostoses on the hairy scalp, with sensation of subcutaneous ulceration on touching them, most painful at night in bed.
Open fontanelles with dirty color of the face, restless sleep, and sour-smelling night-sweat.
Falling off of the hair, mostly on the sides of the head and on the temple; with humid eruptions on the head or after clammy perspirations of the head; with itching at night in bed; worse from scratching; with burning; with great tendency to perspiration.
Great chilliness with contractive, tearing pain of the scalp, extending from the forehead to the neck.
Fetid, sour-smelling, oily perspiration on the head and on the icy-cold forehead, with burning in the skin; worse at night in bed, better after rising.
Eyes
Pain under the eyelids, as from a cutting body.
Stitches in the eyes.
Itching and heat in the eyes.
Inflammation of the eyes, with redness of the white of the eye, and great painfulness when looking into the bright light.
Violent lachrymation in the evening.
Blear-eyedness.
Pustules on the conjunctiva.
Ulcers on the cornea.
Scurfs around the eyes.
Swelling of the eyelids, they are covered on the edges with scurfs and ulcers.
The eyes are dim and without lustre.
Violent contraction of the eyelids, it is difficult to open them.
Periodical vanishing of sight.
Aversion to light and to look into the fire.
Mistiness before the eyes; amaurotic dimness before the left eye.
Black spots, flies, sparks and mistiness before the eyes.
Twitching of the lids.
Ears
Inflammation of the internal and external ear (Otalgia), with stinging and tearing pain.
Soreness of the ears.
Fungous excrescences in the ear.
Discharge of pus from the ear with ulceration of the external ear.
Inflammatory swelling of the (right) parotid gland with stinging.
Pulsative roaring in the ears.
Hardness of hearing, all sounds vibrate violently in the ear, the ears feel obstructed, but open when swallowing or blowing the nose; or the obstruction is caused by an enlargement of the tonsils.
Buzzing, roaring, and ringing in the ears.
Nose
Red, shining swelling of the nose with itching.
Greenish fetid pus is discharged from the nose.
Swelling of the nasal bones.
Blackish nose.
Scurfy nostrils, bleeding when cleansed.
Bleeding of the nose during sleep or when coughing.
Profuse fluent coryza with profuse discharge of watery corrosive mucus.
Face
Pale, yellow, earthy color of the face with dull eyes without lustre.
Heat and redness of the cheeks.
Swelling of one (right) side of the face with heat and toothache.
Yellow, dirty scurf in the face with discharge of fetid moisture, itching, bleeding after scratching.
Crusta lactea.
Tearing in the face.
Lips rough, black, dry, painful to the touch.
Cracks and rhagades in the lips and corners of the mouth.
Burning pimples with yellow crusts on the lips.
Pimples and eruptions on the chin.
Lock-jaw with stinging pains and hard swelling of the sub-maxillary glands.
Mouth and Throat
Almost complete immovability of the jaw, scarcely permitting one to open the mouth, with violent pain and inflammatory swelling of the lower jaw.
Caries of the jaw.
Looseness of the teeth, which are painful when touched by the tongue -they fall out.
Toothache aggravated from heat and cold (air), from eating, in the evening and at night, the heat of the bed makes it insupportable.
The nightly pulsating toothache extends to the ear.
Stitches in the teeth.
Itching, burning and redness of the gums.
Spongy, easily bleeding gums.
The gums recede from the teeth, they are painful to the touch, burning at night, and swollen.
The upper border of the gums looks indented, the indentations being white and ulcerated.
The swollen gums have white, elevated, ulcerated, pointed edges.
Bleeding of the gums when touching them ever so little.
Fetid smell from the mouth.
Inflammatory swelling of the inner mouth.
Burning ulcers on the inside of the cheeks.
Aphthæ of children: stomacace.
Ulceration of salivary glands.
Ptyalism, the saliva is often fetid and tenacious.
Tongue moist, soft, covered with mucus.
Tongue dry, hard, coated black.
Inflammation, swelling, induration and suppuration of the tongue.
Tongue swollen, soft, flabby, the edges become indented by the impression of the teeth.
Quick and stuttering speech.
Complete loss of speech and voice.
Accumulation of much tough mucus in the mouth.
Ranula.
Pain when swallowing as if a foreign body were swallowed down.
Burning in the throat as if from a hot vapor ascending from the stomach, with dryness in the throat when swallowing, and continuous desire to swallow, with accumulations of water in the mouth.
Redness and pain of the throat: erysipelatous inflammation of all the soft parts of the mouth and throat.
Inflammation and redness of the palate.
Angina especially with stinging pains aggravated by empty deglutition at night and in the cold air.
Continuous painful dryness of the throat; the mouth being full of water.
The fluid which is swallowed comes up through the nose.
Sticking pain in the tonsils when swallowing.
Ptyalism attends the sore throat.
Syphilitic ulcers in the mouth and throat.
Bitter sweetish or putrid taste in the mouth.
Saltish taste on the lips.
The bread tastes sweet.
Stomach and Abdomen
Canine hunger, even after eating.
Excessive hunger, but does not relish any thing he eats.
Has no appetite for dry food, likes liquid food.
Violent burning thirst, especially for beer and cold drinks, day and night.
Rising of air or acrid, bitter, putrid eructations.
Regurgitation of the ingesta, vomiting of food.
Nausea with sweet taste in the throat, vertigo, headache and heat.
At night restlessness with bitter, bilious vomiting.
Pressure in the stomach; it hangs down heavily, even after very light, easily digestible food.
Burning pain in the pit of the stomach.
Painfulness of the region of the stomach especially to the touch.
Great weakness of digestion with continuous hunger.
The stomach feels replete and constricted.
Swelling and induration of the liver.
The region of the liver is painfully sensitive to contact.
Inflammation of the liver with stinging pains.
Distention of the abdomen with pressure and tension and painfulness to contact.
Cutting and pinching in the abdomen, especially after taking cold.
Cutting and tearing in the abdomen at night.
Stabbing in the abdomen as from knives.
Colic which only passes off in a recumbent position.
The intestines feel bruised if he lies on the right side.
Sensation of emptiness in the abdomen.
Colic, caused by the cool evening air, with diarrhœa.
Shaking sensation of the bowels on walking, they feel relaxed.
Inflammation of the peritoneum and of the intestines.
Inflammation, swelling and suppuration of the inguinal glands.
Bubœs.
Stool and Anus
Frequent ineffectual pressing to stool with tenesmus, worse at night.
Constipation, stool tenacious or crumbling, can only be discharged after violent straining.
Feces of small shape.
Stools undigested, black, tenacious (pitch-like) yellowish, white-gray, green, mucus, blood and mucus, undigested, smelling-sour, excoriating the anus.
Chilliness between the diarrhœic stools.
During a diarrhœic stool nausea and eructations.
Discharges of bloody mucus accompanied by colic and tenesmus -dysentery.
Discharge of blood before, during and after a stool, if it is even hard.
Burning pain in the anus with a loose stool.
Discharge of mucus from the rectum.
After the stool prolapsus ani, or when pressing and straining to stool.
Discharge of ascarides and lumbrici.
Diarrhœa preceded by colic from cool evening air.
Rectum black, discharging blood.
Urinary Organs
Frequent, violent desire to urinate, with scanty discharge in feeble stream.
Irresistible, sudden desire to urinate.
Involuntary emission of urine.
The quantity of urine emitted is larger than the quantity of fluid drank.
Urine dark-red, soon becoming turbid and fetid.
Urine smells sour and pungent.
The urine looks as if mixed with blood, with white flakes or as if containing pus; scanty, fiery red.
Hæmorrhage from the urethra.
Burning and stinging in the urethra.
Thick greenish (or yellow) (gonorrhœic) discharge from the urethra, more at night.
Sexual Organs
Men. Perspiration on the genitals when walking.
Soreness between the genitals and thighs.
Swelling of the lymphatic vessels along the penis.
Painful inflammation and swelling of the glans and prepuce.
Ulcers on the glans with cheesy bottom. (Chancres).
Chancre ulcers on the prepuce and glans.
Hard swelling of the testicles with shining redness.
Lascivious excitement with painful nightly erections.
Nightly emissions of semen mixed with blood.
Women. Menstruation too profuse, with anxiety and colic.
Suppressed menstruation.
Congestion of blood to the uterus.
Sterility with too profuse menstruation; easy conception.
Swelling, heat and shining redness of the labia.
Inflammation of the ovaries and uterus.
Prolapsus vaginæ.
Fluor albus, purulent and acrid.
Hard swelling and suppuration of the mammæ with sore pains, ulcerated nipples.
The infant rejects the milk.
Respiratory Organs
Hoarseness with burning and tickling in the larynx.
Catarrh with cough, hoarseness, fluent coryza and sore throat.
Cough with hoarseness from tickling in the larynx.
Violent, racking dry cough, especially at night, as if it would burst the head and chest sometimes with vomiturition.
Bloody expectoration.
Spasmodic cough (hooping cough); two paroxysms follow one another rapidly, from tickling in the larynx and the upper part of the chest, at night, without cough during the day, with expectoration of acrid yellowish mucus, which is sometimes mixed with coagulated blood, tasting putrid or salty.
The cough is aggravated in the night air, at night and when lying on the left side.
Dyspnœa (sensation of spasmodic contraction when coughing or sneezing).
Burning in the chest, extending to the throat.
Soreness and burning in the chest.
Stitches in the chest (right side, through from the shoulder-blade); inflammation of the lungs.
Sensation of dryness in the chest.
Palpitation of the heart.
Suppuration of the lungs after hæmorrhages.
Back and Neck
Bruised sensation of the shoulder-blades, back and small of the back.
Stinging pains in the small of the back, with the sensation of weakness.
Erysipelatous inflammation, extending from the back like a girdle around the abdomen (Zona).
Rheumatic stiffness and swelling of the neck.
Inflammation and swelling of the glands of the neck, with pressing pains and stitches.
Extremities
Rheumatic pains in the shoulders and upper arms.
Twitching of the arms and fingers.
Red hot (arthritic) swelling from the elbow to the wrist.
Burning, scaly herpes on the forearms and hands.
Eruption like moist itch on the hands, with violent nightly itching.
Painful stiffness of the right wrist-joint.
Contraction of the fingers.
Painful and bleeding rhagades on the hands.
Swelling of the finger-joints.
Exfoliation of the finger-nails.
Lower. Tearing in the hip-joint and knee, worse at night or with pulsating pain, the suppuration beginning.
Rheumatic pains in the leers with stinging, especially in the hip-joint, femur and knee, worse at night, the affected parts feel cold.
Dropsical swelling of the legs.
Cold sweat on the feet.
Painful swelling of the metatarsal bones.
Generalities
Great debility and weakness, with trembling and ebullitions from the least exertion.
Congestions to the head, chest and abdomen.
Rheumatic and arthritic pains, tearing and stinging, especially in the limbs and joints, worse at night, with profuse perspiration which gives no relief.
Stinging pains.
Contractions of some parts.
Inflammations ending in exudations and suppurations.
Rheumatic and catarrhal inflammations, with great tendency to perspiration.
Sleep
Great sleepiness during the day.
Sleeplessness at night on account of anxiety, ebullitions and congestions.
Perspiration during sleep.
Fever
Pulse irregular, generally full and fast, with violent beating in the arteries, at times weak, slow and tremulous.
Ebullitions with trembling from slight exertions.
Chilliness early in the morning when rising, but more so in the evening after lying down, as if cold water had been thrown over him, and not relieved by the heat of the stove.
Chilliness at night with frequent micturition.
Chilliness between the diarrhœic stools.
Internal chilliness with heat of the face.
Heat while in bed; as soon as one rises chilliness.
Heat after midnight with violent thirst for cold drinks.
Heat with anxiety and constriction of the chest, alternating with chilliness.
Perspiration, towards morning, with thirst and palpitation of the heart; from the least exertion, even when eating.
Perspiration in the evening before going to sleep.
Very debilitating night-sweats.
Perspiration has an offensive smell, or smells sour, and in cold, oily, clammy, and burns the skin.
The perspiration gives no relief, and accompanies all ailments.
Intermittent fever. Chilliness in the evening in bed, afterwards heat with violent thirst.
Chilliness and heat without thirst, towards morning thirst; during the perspiration, palpitation of the heart and nausea, the perspiration smells, fetid, or sour.
Skin
Swelling and inflammation of the bones, with pains at night. (Rachitis). (Caries).
Skin dirty yellow, rough and dry. (Jaundice).
Itching over the whole body, especially at night in bed, when getting warm.
Ulcers corroding and easily bleeding.
Itch-bleeding easily.
Itching eruptions, burning after scratching.
Herpes, burning when touched, humid with large scales on the edges.
Syphilitic ulcers and herpes.
Erysipelatous inflammation of external parts.
Suppurations.
Conditions
Aggravation in the evening and at night; from the heat of the bed, before failing asleep, from the candle-light during perspiration, when exercising.
Amelioration in the morning, when at rest, when lying down.