Mercurius corrosivus

by C.M. Boger — General Analysis

ACRIDITY, excoriations, etc.
BLACK, dark, etc.
EPIGASTRIUM
HEAT, burning, etc.
HEMORRHAGE, bloody discharges
ILEO-COECAL REGION
LYING, bent or doubled up, Amel.
LYING, on side, Agg.
MOUTH and THROAT
NASO-PHARYNX, posterior nares
PHAGEDENA, slough, etc.
PRESSING OR BEARING DOWN, straining, tenesmus, etc.
SALTINESS, taste, smell, fishy odors, etc.
SEASON, Autumn
SWALLOWING, Agg.; painful, etc.
URINARY ORGANS

Mercurius corrosivus across the other classic books

Mercurius corrosivus appears in 12 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.

Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.
“Corrosive sublimate. (HgCl2.) Diseases of men, syphilitic; ulcers, with corroding, acrid pus; Bright's disease. Dysentery and summer complaints of intestinal canal, occurring from May to November. Tenesmus: of rectum, not > by stool (< by stool, Nux); incessant, persistent; stool hot, scanty, bloody, slimy, offensive…”
Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.
“Mercuric chloride, Hgcl. Hydrargyrum bichloratum corrosivum; Mercurius sublimatus corrosivus; Bichloride of Mercury; Corrosive sublimate (oxymuriate of mercury). Preparation for use , Triturations or solutions. Authorities. 3 to 10, provings from Dr. Buchner's Monograph supplement to All. Zeit. f. Hom ., Augsburg…”
Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.
“Corrosive Sublimate This salt leads all other remedies in tenesmus of the rectum, which is incessant, and is not relieved by the stool. The tenesmus often involves the bladder as well. Bright's disease. Gonorrhœa; second stage, with continuous tenesmus. Destroys the secreting portions of the kidneys. This process is…”
Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.
“RECTUM. Bladder. Eyes. THROAT: Uvula. Fauces. Palate. Kidneys. Bones (Flat). AFTER: URINATING. STOOL. Swallowing. Night. Cold. Autumn. Hot days; cool nights. Acids. Violent effects. Burning, internal; throat, stomach, rectum, neck of bladder, kidneys, etc. Inflammation, with swelling and constriction. Constriction of…”
Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.
“sublimatus. Corrosive sublimate. Mercuric chloride. HgCl 2 . Trituration. Solution. Antrum of / Highmore, affections of / Aphthæ / Appendicitis / Bones, affections of / Bright's disease / Cancrum oris / Chancre / Diarrhœa / Dysentery / Eczema / Enteric fever / Eyes, affections of / Gums, affections of / Intestines…”
Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.
“Bichloride of Mercury ; Corrosive Sublimate. Hg CL. Provings by Buchner upon himself, Forstner, Gerster, Held, Nusser and Pemerl (Allg. Zeit. für Hom., 1849) ; Robinson (B. J. of Hom., vol. 25, p. 324) ; Haight (U. S. J. of Hom., vol. 1, p. 7) ; Brewer (Med. Inv., vol. 7, p. 160) ; and Berridge (Am. J. H. M. M., vol…”
Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.
“Merc. cor. has more excoriation and burning, more activity and excitement . Merc. is slower and more sluggish. Merc. cor. is violent and active in its movements, it takes hold and runs its course with greater activity. So with a mercury base we have often to prefer this salt. In the eye symptoms there is more…”
Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.
“Tearing in the periosteum, as from intermittent fever with sensation of heat about the head. Chilliness from the least motion with cutting in the abdomen and tenesmus. Swelling of the upper lip. Salivation of salty taste a very valuable indication for the sublimatus. Dysentery is more favorably effected by the…”
Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.
“Anxiety, preventing sleep. Weakness of the intellect; he stares at persons who talk to him, and does not understand them. Vertigo, with coldness, cold perspiration; with deafness, when stooping. Heaviness of the head. Stitches in the forehead. Swelling of the head and neck. Burning and dryness of the eyes…”
Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.
“Common name: corrosive sublimate. Its action is very similar to that of Mercurius Sol., only much intensified (R.). Syphilitic diseases of men (Fluor-Ac., Kali-B., Kali-I., Nit-Ac.) (A.). Tearing in the periosteum, as from intermittent fever, with sensation of heat about the head. Salivation of salty taste-a very…”
Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.
“Most persistent and terrible tenesmus before, during and after stool; stool scanty, mucus tinged with blood. Tenesmus of the bladder and rectum at the same time; urine passed in drops with much pain. Throat intensely inflamed, swollen, burning, with swollen gums, which bleed easily. While we are on the subject of…”

Mercurius corrosivus in Kent's Repertory

Kent's Repertory lists Mercurius corrosivus in 1,253 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in EXTREMITIES (129), STOMACH (108), MOUTH (89), THROAT (78), GENERALITIES (75).

BACK - CURVATURE of spine - lies on back with knees drawn up
FACE - EVERTED lips - swollen
MALE GENITALIA - HEAT - Penis - glans
THROAT - PAIN - burning - Oesophagus - pressure,on
THROAT - PAIN - burning - pressure,on
MALE GENITALIA - ULCERS - spreading
THROAT - SPASMS,spasmodic constriction,convulsion,etc. - swallowing,on - compelling him to retch
THROAT - SWALLOW,constant disposition to - eating amel.
THROAT - SWALLOW,constant disposition to - spasm in throat,from
MALE GENITALIA - SENSITIVENESS - Penis - glans
MOUTH - GANGRENOUS - Gums
THROAT - ULCERS - Uvula - spreading
FEVER - STOOPING
MOUTH - DISCOLORATION - Gums - purple
URETHRA - ITCHING - gonorrhoea,with
THROAT - PAIN - rawness - Oesophagus
THROAT - SWALLOW,constant disposition to - choking,from
THROAT - ULCERS - spreading
URETHRA - ULCERATION - meatus
CHEST - SWELLING - Mammae - nipples

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Mercurius corrosivus across the other classic books

Mercurius corrosivus appears in 12 of the 13 classic books on Similia. Each was written to do a different job — here is what each adds on this remedy, with the opening of its entry.

Allen HC — The keynotes that separate this remedy from its nearest neighbours.

“Corrosive sublimate. (HgCl2.) Diseases of men, syphilitic; ulcers, with corroding, acrid pus; Bright's disease. Dysentery and summer complaints of intestinal canal, occurring from May to November. Tenesmus: of rectum, not > by stool (< by stool, Nux); incessant, persistent; stool hot, scanty, bloody, slimy, offensive…”

Allen TF — The raw proving record — symptoms as the provers reported them, unedited.

“Mercuric chloride, Hgcl. Hydrargyrum bichloratum corrosivum; Mercurius sublimatus corrosivus; Bichloride of Mercury; Corrosive sublimate (oxymuriate of mercury). Preparation for use , Triturations or solutions. Authorities. 3 to 10, provings from Dr. Buchner's Monograph supplement to All. Zeit. f. Hom ., Augsburg…”

Boericke — The quick clinical read — keynotes, modalities and the conditions it is actually prescribed in.

“Corrosive Sublimate This salt leads all other remedies in tenesmus of the rectum, which is incessant, and is not relieved by the stool. The tenesmus often involves the bladder as well. Bright's disease. Gonorrhœa; second stage, with continuous tenesmus. Destroys the secreting portions of the kidneys. This process is…”

Boger (Syn) — Generals and modalities in a short analytical portrait rather than a symptom list.

“RECTUM. Bladder. Eyes. THROAT: Uvula. Fauces. Palate. Kidneys. Bones (Flat). AFTER: URINATING. STOOL. Swallowing. Night. Cold. Autumn. Hot days; cool nights. Acids. Violent effects. Burning, internal; throat, stomach, rectum, neck of bladder, kidneys, etc. Inflammation, with swelling and constriction. Constriction of…”

Clarke — The widest entry — sources, provings, clinical uses, relationships and antidotes in one place.

“sublimatus. Corrosive sublimate. Mercuric chloride. HgCl 2 . Trituration. Solution. Antrum of / Highmore, affections of / Aphthæ / Appendicitis / Bones, affections of / Bright's disease / Cancrum oris / Chancre / Diarrhœa / Dysentery / Eczema / Enteric fever / Eyes, affections of / Gums, affections of / Intestines…”

Hering — Graded symptoms, each weighted by how often provers and practice confirmed it.

“Bichloride of Mercury ; Corrosive Sublimate. Hg CL. Provings by Buchner upon himself, Forstner, Gerster, Held, Nusser and Pemerl (Allg. Zeit. für Hom., 1849) ; Robinson (B. J. of Hom., vol. 25, p. 324) ; Haight (U. S. J. of Hom., vol. 1, p. 7) ; Brewer (Med. Inv., vol. 7, p. 160) ; and Berridge (Am. J. H. M. M., vol…”

Kent — The mental and general picture — who the patient is, before what the remedy cures.

“Merc. cor. has more excoriation and burning, more activity and excitement . Merc. is slower and more sluggish. Merc. cor. is violent and active in its movements, it takes hold and runs its course with greater activity. So with a mercury base we have often to prefer this salt. In the eye symptoms there is more…”

Lippe (KN) — Only the symptoms Lippe considered reliable enough to prescribe on.

“Tearing in the periosteum, as from intermittent fever with sensation of heat about the head. Chilliness from the least motion with cutting in the abdomen and tenesmus. Swelling of the upper lip. Salivation of salty taste a very valuable indication for the sublimatus. Dysentery is more favorably effected by the…”

Lippe (MM) — The strict Hahnemannian reading — the symptom picture without clinical interpretation.

“Anxiety, preventing sleep. Weakness of the intellect; he stares at persons who talk to him, and does not understand them. Vertigo, with coldness, cold perspiration; with deafness, when stooping. Heaviness of the head. Stitches in the forehead. Swelling of the head and neck. Burning and dryness of the eyes…”

Lippe (Red) — Keynotes with the most-trusted ones marked as red-line symptoms.

“Common name: corrosive sublimate. Its action is very similar to that of Mercurius Sol., only much intensified (R.). Syphilitic diseases of men (Fluor-Ac., Kali-B., Kali-I., Nit-Ac.) (A.). Tearing in the periosteum, as from intermittent fever, with sensation of heat about the head. Salivation of salty taste-a very…”

Nash — The comparisons — the remedy set beside the ones it is most often confused with.

“Most persistent and terrible tenesmus before, during and after stool; stool scanty, mucus tinged with blood. Tenesmus of the bladder and rectum at the same time; urine passed in drops with much pain. Throat intensely inflamed, swollen, burning, with swollen gums, which bleed easily. While we are on the subject of…”