MERCURIUS PRECIPITATUS RUBER.
By Timothy F. Allen — The Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica
Hydrargyrum oxydatum rubrum.
Mercurous oxide, Hgo. Red oxide of mercury or red precipitate.
Preparation for use , Triturations.
Authorities.
1 , Hahnemann, R. A. M. L., 1; 2 , Bartholin, Epist. Men., 1657, from Wibmer, effects of external application; 3 , Langius, op. omnia., I, from Wibmer, external application; 4 , Hoffmann, Med. Rat. Syst., II, from Wibmer, internal administrations; 5 , Ploucquet, Comment. Med., 1787, from Wibmer, internal use; 6 , Devergie, from Orfila, a young girl took a large dose; 7 , Eislet, Œst. Jahrb., 1833 (Frank's Mag., 1, 771), proving on self, took, 1/6, 1/4, 1, and afterwards 2 grains, morning and evening; 7 a , same, subsequently took 3 grains, night and morning, increasing by 1 grain till he took 6 grains at a dose; 8 , Brown, poisoning of a girl, aged sixteen, by 30 grains, Assoc. Med. J., October 27, 1854; 9 , Prince, poisoning of a woman, by 2 scruples, Lancet, Nov. 1859; 10 , same, effects of over 2 drachms; 11 , Vogler, Busch, and Outerport, Neu Zeit., 1845, from Roth, M. M.; 12 , Schwarz, Hufel. J., 1822, from Roth; 13 , Keibel, Hufel. J., 1825, from Roth; 14 , Romanus, Petersh. Abhandl., 1825, from Roth.
MIND
- Apprehension, 4.
EYE
- Fierce, intent look (third day), 12.
- Chemosis (fifth day), 12.
- (This proving caused a marked improvement, followed by cure of blepharitis, which had lasted for many years), 7a.
FACE
- Remarkable redness of the face and eyes (third day), 12.
- Dropsical condition of face, 10.
- Cheeks and lips enormously swollen, 10.
MOUTH
- Gums.
- Inflamed gums, 12.
- Tongue.
- Tongue enormously swollen, and protruding for about an inch, 10. [10.]
- Two holes in the tongue, 12.
- General Mouth.
- The inside of the mouth is coated with a substance like decayed cheese, 12.
- Ulcers on te buccal mucous membrane, 11.
- The whole of the anterior portion of the mucous membrane of the cheeks, gums, and under surface of the tongue sloughed away, and four teeth were lost during the operation of syringing. As the parts healed, the jaws became completely closed, owing to the loss of substance and contraction of the cicatrices, so that all nourishment had to be drawn thought the teeth. The tongue also became reduced, and firmly adherent to the floor of the mouth and cheeks. The later adhesions were afterwards divided by incision, but all power of protruding the organ is lost, 10.
- Very powerful mercurial fetor of mouth, 10.
- Burning in mouth and throat; the pains in the mouth prevent sleep (fourth day), 12.
- Burning pain on the inner surface of the lip, the mucous membrane of which was much swollen and covered with mercurial ulcers, 7a.
- Much sore (second day); very sore; flakes of epithelium separated (third day), 8.
- A remarkable itching sensation over the whole mouth, without salivation, 7a.
- Saliva.
- Salivation, 3 ; (fifth day), 8. [20.]
- Slight salivation, 9.
- Profuse salivation, 11.
- Most violent salivation. Blood and saliva of the most fetid odor flowed constantly from mouth, and this state of things continued for a month, in spite of treatment, 10.
THROAT
STOMACH
- Thirst.
- Unquenchable thirst, 12, 14.
- Nausea and Vomiting.
- Nausea, 7, 11, 12.
- Vomiting, 5, 6, 12 ; (after fifteen minutes), took place five times in three hours, 8.
- Vomiting, with cutting in the abdomen, 13.
- Violent vomiting, 4, 11. [30.]
- Obstinate vomiting, ending in throwing up bloody mucus, 14.
- Blood brought up by vomiting, 10.
- Two vomitings of blackish blood (third day), 12.
- Bloody vomiting, followed by diarrhœa, 12.
- Very abundant bloody vomiting, followed by syncope, 12.
- Stomach.
- Pains in the stomach and in the entire abdomen, 12.
- Pain at pit of stomach (after two hours and a quarter), 8.
- Violent pains in the stomach, 6.
- Most agonizing pain in stomach, with burning heat and nausea, 10 ; (after half an hour), 9.
- Burning in the stomach, 7.
ABDOMEN. [40.]
- Occasional pain in left hypochondrium (third day), 8.
- The abdomen is distended and painful to contact, 12.
- Abdomen hard, retracted, 6.
- Pains over the whole abdomen, 6.
- Agonizing abdominal pains, 12.
- Griping colic, 4.
- Painful colic, 7.
- Violent colic, 5, 11.
- Agonizing colic, 14.
- Extreme sensitiveness of the abdomen, lasting some the after the attack, 6.
RECTUM. [50.]
- Constant urging to stool, 13.
- Constant urging to stool, which gradually became worse, and spread over the whole intestinal canal, with a constant sensation in the anus as of a glowing hot iron moving up and down, 7.
- Most excessive tenesmus, with scanty discharge of blood, with cutting-burning pains, 7.
STOOL
- Excessive diarrhœa, 4.
- Very violent diarrhœa, 6.
- Bloody diarrhœa, 11.
- Frequent purging, 1.
- Frequent stools, consisting mainly of blood, accompanied by violent cramps, 10.
- Involuntary greenish and offensive stools, 14.
RESPIRATORY ORGANS
- The larynx is inflamed and swollen even on its outside, 12.
- Offensive breath, 7a.
- (Paroxysms of suffocation at night on lying down and while falling asleep; he was obliged to jump up suddenly, when it always disappeared), 1.
CHEST
- Oppression of the chest, 12.
HEART AND PULSE
EXTREMITIES IN GENERAL
- Involuntary spasmodic contraction of the extremities continued for some time, 6.
INFERIOR EXTREMITIES
- Painful cramps in the lower extremities, 6.
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
FEVER
SUPPLEMENT: MERCURIUS PRECIPITATUS RUBER. Authority.
15 , F. S. Smyth, Brit. Med. Journ., 1878 (2), p. 101, poisoning of a woman æt. twenty years.
- Lying upon the bed in a state of stupor, with a weak, irregular, scarcely perceptible pulse; pupils dilated, but sensible to light; the surface of the body cold and clammy to the touch, and a copious discharge running from the mouth. Had vomited, and her bowels were very loose, and she complained of great pain across the abdomen. Later she complained of cramps in the lower limbs, and severe pain in the abdomen, 15.