Mercurius Sulphuricus. (Turpethum.)
By Constantine Hering — The Guiding Symptoms of our Materia Medica
Sulphate of Mercury. Turpeth Mineral. Hg SO 4 .
Introduced by Hering, proved by himself, 3d trit. (MSS), Neidhard (App. N. A. J. H., p. 281), Raymond, Dake (N. A. J. H., vol. 3, p. 180), Berridge, Croker (N. Hom. Rev., vol. 14, p. 108).
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Hydrothorax , Lippe, Miller (Montreal).
MIND [1]
Low spirited, with chilliness and yawning.
Ill humor after eating.
SENSORIUM [2]
Giddiness while standing, after headache ; confusion in head.
Fulness in head, with occasional stitches.
INNER HEAD [3]
Dull pain in forehead.
Pain in head under coronal suture, on waking in morning, during forenoon confined to right frontal region ; pains dull, extending deep into brain, < when exercising.
Sharp pain in right parietal protuberance ; darting pains in other parts of head.
Soreness all through head, after breakfast and on moving about.
OUTER HEAD [4]
Violent itching of hairy scalp.
SIGHT AND EYES [5]
Oppression over eyes, continuing for several hours.
Eyes < from sunlight.
SMELL AND NOSE [7]
Sneezing : in sunshine ; with fluent coryza.
Swelling and soreness of tip of nose.
Itching of nose.
UPPER FACE [8]
Pale, anxious countenance.
Burning in ears and face, after a chill.
LOWER FACE [9]
Swelling of parotid gland.
TEETH AND GUMS [10]
Gums and palate dark bluish color ; ulcerated margins.
TASTE, SPEECH, TONGUE [11]
Taste : pasty, insipid ; bad after rising ; brassy, metallic.
Tongue : tinged down middle greenish yellow ; furred, moist, swollen ; covered with dry black fur ; coated heavily white, yellowish at root ; enlarged papillæ stand up like red points, with flat taste.
Burning, smarting, stinging on tip of tongue (l. side in evening).
Soreness on tip of tongue.
Dryness of tongue and throat.
INNER MOUTH [12]
Mouth clammy and full of mucus in morning.
Dryness in mouth and fauces.
Burning sensation in mouth and throat.
Soreness in mouth and throat ; salivation.
Tongue and inside of mouth red, inflamed, feeling raw.
Lips, gums, fauces, mouth and tongue swollen ; look dry and black.
PALATE AND THROAT [13]
In throat : pain ; sense of heat and constriction ; burning ; scalding.
HICCOUGH, BELCHING, NAUSEA AND VOMITING [16]
Constant sickness ; vomiting of ingesta.
Violent yellow vomiting, every ten minutes.
Vomiting and diarrhœa.
SCROBICULUM AND STOMACH [17]
Pain in epigastrium and abdomen ; weight ; stomach tender to pressure.
Stomach so irritable nothing remains on it an instant.
Digestion impeded ; after supper, distressing feeling all night, that unless stomach was relieved a fit would ensue ; vomiting with relief.
Acidity of stomach.
ABDOMEN AND LOINS [19]
Coldness or burning in abdomen.
Awoke at 1 A. M. with severe pains along duodenum and down into umbilical region.
Much griped.
After drinking coffee, pain in abdomen as if diarrhœa would set in.
Soreness in inguinal glands.
STOOLS AND RECTUM [20]
Brown loose stools.
Stools loose, watery, causing severe burning and soreness of anus.
Very profuse watery evacuations (relieving dyspnœa). θ Hydrothorax.
Watery stools pouring from him and burning anus, like boiling water.
Diarrhœa early in morning ; stools burst out in a hot stream of yellow water.
Violent purging ; rice water motions, some yellow.
After diarrheic stools sensation of fulness as from congestion to legs, especially feet ; they feel numb when standing.
Hard, scanty and delayed stools.
URINARY ORGANS [21]
Urine : increased in quantity ; desire not as frequent as usual ; great urging, with inability to void usual quantity, late in afternoon ; scanty and scalding, but clear ; dark, becoming turbid, with a scum on it.
MALE SEXUAL ORGANS [22]
Involuntary emissions and lascivious dreams.
Gonorrhœa or syphilis, with intense congestion to parts.
Swelling of testicles.
VOICE AND LARYNX. TRACHEA AND BRONCHIA [25]
Heat and roughness in larynx, hoarseness.
Increased expectoration of mucus from larynx and trachea.
RESPIRATION [26]
Pain in chest prevents him from breathing.
Great dyspnœa ; has to sit ; cannot lie down ; breathing quick and short. θ Hydrothorax.
Dyspnœa in children ; hydrothorax.
Dyspnœa and chest symptoms, < in afternoon.
Mercurial fetor of breath.
INNER CHEST AND LUNGS [28]
Pressure on chest.
Burning in chest.
Pain in right side of chest, extending to scapula, can scarcely breathe, < from 4 to 5 P. M.
Hydrothorax ; dyspnœa, breathing quick and short, has to sit, cannot lie down ; swollen extremities ; stools loose, watery, causing severe burning and soreness of anus ; burning in chest. [Obs. "When it acts well it produces a profuse, watery diarrhœa with great relief to patient. It is as important as Arsen . in hydrothorax." --Lippe.].
Dropsy of chest, especially if occurring from heart or liver disease.
HEART, PULSE AND CIRCULATION [29]
Pulse : 90, tremulous ; 130, tremulous and irregular ; slow and small ; regular, but small and weak ; reduced, with flat taste.
UPPER LIMBS [32]
Stiffness in arms.
Violent beating in left arm, commencing above elbow in course of brachial nerve and extending along radial nerve to wrist, followed by pain similar to that produced by a blow upon arm below insertion of deltoid muscle ; pain affected principally radial side of forearm, thumb, index finger, at 8.30 A. M.
Numbness of forearm and hand, also of right hand.
Shooting pains in wrists and along metacarpal bones.
Hands icy cold, with blue nails.
LOWER LIMBS [33]
Pain and lameness of knees, noticed particularly when walking.
Œdematous swelling of legs.
Ulcers on ankles.
Aching in calf of right leg.
Numbness in hollow of right foot.
Foot sweat, with soreness at ends of nails.
After four weeks, pains that remain are in limbs, especially legs, causing a weak, wearied feeling and pain and stiffness in right knee, especially when stepping down a step ; for a few days a bloated, hot feeling in feet, like rheumatic gout, and for two days a slight swelling and painfulness on inner side of left ankle, as if a boil was likely to form there ; a tendency for feet to become inflamed, as if likely to become blistered by boots, when walking, it seems at soles, especially outer toes ; it is rather of a burning character ; for two days the tarso-metatarsal joint of right big toe seemed inclined to inflame, as if rheumatic gout would set in.
LIMBS IN GENERAL [34]
Tormented by pain and cramps in limbs at night.
REST. POSITION. MOTION [35]
Has to sit, cannot lie down : great dyspnœa.
Standing : giddiness ; feet feel numb.
Stepping down a step : pain and stiffness in right knee.
Moving about : soreness all through head.
Exercising : pains extending deep into brain.
Walking : pain and lameness of knees.
NERVES [36]
Debility, with sleepiness.
Sense of considerable weakness.
Uneasiness, late in afternoon.
Restlessness.
Pains all over, especially in lower part of back and limbs.
SLEEP [37]
Frequent yawning.
Restless night, with dreams and delirium.
Wakefulness after midnight ; dreams.
Dreams : of traveling amid perplexities ; lascivious ; vivid, of fires, exerting himself to extinguish them ; viewing a person hung and another cut up, seeing blood and mangled remains.
Awakes with headache in morning.
TIME [38]
Morning : pain in head on waking ; mouth clammy and foul ; diarrhœa early.
At 8.30 A. M. : violent pain in left arm.
During forenoon : pain confined to right frontal region.
At 1 A. M. : awoke with severe pain along duodenum and down into umbilical region.
Afternoon : great urging, with inability to void usual quantity of urine ; dyspnœa and chest symptoms ; uneasiness, chills.
Evening : pain on side of tip of tongue.
Night : distressing feeling in stomach ; pain and cramps in limbs ; restless, with dreams and delirium ; excessive sweat.
After midnight : wakefulness ; dreams.
FEVER [40]
Creeping chills ascending back ; when they reached neck a general shudder ensued.
Chilliness running up back, with yawning and depression of spirits, followed by dull pain in forehead, burning in face and ears and slight fever.
Chilliness, restlessness and heaviness in upper part of abdomen, frequent yawning and diminished secretion of urine (in afternoon).
Chills : with nausea, from 10 A. M. to 2 P. M. ; late in afternoon ; from 12 M. to 1.30 P. M. ; every other day.
Skin cold and clammy.
Whole body feels cold externally.
Icy coldness of hands and blueness of nails.
Burning heat of face and ears after a chill.
Painful burning over whole body, especially in face, but not on feet, with violent thirst.
Excessive sweat at night.
ATTACKS, PERIODICITY [41]
Every ten minutes : violent yellow vomiting.
From 4 to 5 P. M. : burning in chest, extending to scapula.
From 12 M. to 1.30 P. M. : chills.
From 10 A. M. to 2 P. M. : chills, with nausea.
For several hours : oppression over eyes.
Every other day : chills.
For two days : a slight swelling and painfulness on inner side of left ankle ; tarso-metatarsal joint of big toe seemed inclined to inflame.
For a few days : a bloated, hot feeling in feet.
LOCALITY AND DIRECTION [42]
Right : pain in frontal region ; sharp pain in parietal protuberance ; numbness of hand ; aching in calf of leg ; numbness in hollow of foot ; pain and stiffness in knee ; big toe as if rheumatic gout would set in.
Left : side of tip of tongue pains ; violent beating in arm ; pain and swelling of inner side of ankle.
SENSATIONS [43]
Most pains feel as if a dull stick pressed on parts and was moving in diverse curved lines, feels as if this pain was in bones.
As if diarrhœa would set in ; as if stools were boiling water ; as if a boil was likely to form on ankle ; as if feet were likely to become blistered by boots ; as if rheumatic gout would set in in foot ; all over, especially in lower part of back and limbs.
Pain : in head under coronal suture ; in throat ; in epigastrium and abdomen ; in chest ; in left arm ; in knees ; in right knee ; on inner side of left ankle ; in limbs.
Severe pain : along duodenum and down into umbilical region.
Sharp pain : in right parietal protuberance.
Violent beating : in left arm.
Darting pains : in parts of head.
Shooting pains : in wrists and metacarpal bones.
Occasional stitches : in head.
Aching : in calf of right leg.
Cramps : in limbs.
Dull pain : in forehead.
Painful burning : over whole body.
Heat : in throat ; in larynx.
Burning, smarting, stinging : on tip of tongue.
Burning : in ears and face ; of mouth and throat ; in abdomen ; of anus ; in chest ; in feet.
Soreness : all through head ; of tip of nose ; on tip of tongue ; in mouth and throat ; in inguinal glands ; of anus ; at end of nails.
Raw feeling : of tongue and inside of mouth.
Distressing feeling : in stomach.
Constriction : in throat.
Oppression : over eyes.
Dryness : of tongue and throat ; in mouth and fauces.
Confusion : in head.
Fulness : in head ; in feet and legs.
Pressure : on chest.
Lameness : of knees.
Stiffness : in arms ; in right knee.
Numb feeling : in legs and feet ; of forearm and hand ; in hollow of right foot.
Coldness : in abdomen.
Itching : of hairy scalp ; of nose.
TISSUES [44]
Induration of glands.
Rheumatic pains.
TOUCH. PASSIVE MOTION. INJURIES [45]
Pressure : stomach tender.
SKIN [46]
Psoriasis ; lepra.
RELATIONS [48]
Antidoted by Hepar .
Compare : Sulphur , with which Merc. sul has many symptoms in common, more even than with Cinnb., Arsen . and Digit . in hydrothorax, especially occurring in heart or renal disease.