by James Tyler Kent — Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica
Given a Merc. base and diphtheria, when the membrane is greenish and inclined to spread through the nose and involve a large surface, the Cyanide of Mercury is needed.
It has exudation more marked than any other form of Mercury .
Malignant forms of diphtheria, rapidly forming, and with phagedenic ulceration.
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Mercurius cyanatus appears in 10 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.
“Cyanide of Mercury. (Hg(CN2).) Malignant diphtheria with intense redness of fauces and great difficulty of swallowing; pseudo-membranous formation extends all over fauces and down throat; putrid, gangrenous diphtheria, with phagedenic ulceration; membranous croup. Great weakness; extreme prostration ; cannot stand up…”
“Cyanide of mercury, Hg(Cn)2. Preparation for use , Solutions. Authorities. Excitement, at night (second day), 2. Night sleepless; great excitement and incessant talking; is angry with the attendant, and raved furiously (first and third day), 2. Vertigo. Vertigo, 3. Vertigo, on sitting up, with loud ringing in the…”
“Cyanide of Mercury Acute infections, pneumonia, nephritis. Its action is similar to that of the toxines of infections diseases. Great and rapid prostration, tendency toward hæmorrhages, from the different orifices, of dark fluid blood, cyanosis, rapid respiration and heart action, albuminuria and twitching and jerking…”
“COLLAPSE, sudden prostration, etc. MOUTH and THROAT RELAXATION (Comp. Inactive.)”
“MOUTH. THROAT. Larynx. Glands. Capillaries. Nerves. Swallowing. Speaking. Early , rapid and extreme prostration; with tremor, coldness and cyanosis. Putridity. Rapid, local destruction. .................... Cutting pains in throat or larynx. Much thick, or grayish membrane in throat. Septic diphtheria; of soft parts…”
“Bicyanide of Mercury. Mercuric Cyanide. Hg (CN) 2 . Solution. Trituration. Diphtheria / Dysentery / Enteric fever / Hæmorrhages / Kerato-iritis syphilitica / Phlebitis / Throat, sore / Varicosis The history of this remedy is a romantic one. When Dr. Alexander Villers was an infant he had diphtheria. Known remedies had…”
“Cyanide of Mercury. Hg (CN 2 ). Of this form of Mercury no regular proving has been made ; the symptoms are toxicological and clinical. CLINICAL AUTHORITIES. Keratoiritis syphilitica , Nunez, Norton's Ophth. Therap. ; Ulceration of tonsils , Richards, Raue's Rec., 1872, p. 100 ; Follicular tonsillitis , (2 cases)…”
“Common name: cyanide of mercury. It seems to spread its action all over the buccal cavity (N.). Is of great value in that much dreaded disease-diphtheria (N.). MALIGNANT DIPHTHERIA, WITH INTENSE REDNESS OF FAUCES AND GREAT DIFFICULTY OF SWALLOWING (A.). Diphtheria of the larynx and nose (Br.). Pseudo-membranous…”
“Dr. Beck, of Monthey, in Switzerland (I think it was), first brought this remedy to notice as of great value in that much-dreaded disease, diphtheria. Von Villiers claimed to have had astonishing success with it in Germany, losing only two per cent. (if I remember correctly) of the cases treated with it. He…”
Kent's Repertory lists Mercurius cyanatus in 114 rubrics. These are the ones where it carries the highest grade — the symptoms Kent treated as most characteristic. Most of them sit in THROAT (27), MOUTH (19), GENERALITIES (17), FACE (9), NOSE (6).
