There are two preparations of mercury used in homeopathy which are practically identical in their action. One of these is Mercurius vivus, the element itself, and the other is Mercurius solubilis Hahnemanni. Both these substances have been proven and no essential or important differences in their effects can be noted.

Mercurius causes the following reactions in those who take it; a stomatitis is usually the first symptom to make its appearance. The tongue and gums become sore, the individual is salivated and the breath is offensive. During the course of chronic poisoning, there is ulceration of mucous surfaces. The teeth become loose and may fall out. Diarrhea and skin symptoms are of common occurrence. Women are apt to suffer with amenorrhea, and ultimately the mercurial cachexia shows itself by anemia, weakness and restlessness.

Mercury affects the central nervous system by the production of what is known as "mercurial erethism," which is an abnormal irritability which may be associated with muscular weakness, delirium and hallucinations. Finally the mercurial tremor appears in the hands, arms and legs. There is a striking similarity between this tremor and the symptoms of paralysis agitans.

The ulceration produced by Mercurius appears in the eye, nose and intestinal tract. These ulcers may penetrate to the bones, causing a periostitis.

All the effects of Mercurius are worse at night and from heat.

If the entire group of symptoms produced by mercury be examined, the following are the ones which are especially prominent and important, since they are the counterpart of similar symptoms occurring as the result of disease:

1. The aggravation from heat and at night.

2. Bad odor to the breath and perspiration.

3. The flabby, coated tongue, taking "the imprint of the teeth."

4. The straining at stool, or the "never get done feeling."

5. A profuse, oily, offensive sweat, occurring during the course of a fever and the appearance of which does not relieve the sufferings of the patient.

6. The salivation.

7. The tremor and the tendency of Mercurius to form pus. "Only substances causing positive chemotaxis and cell necrosis will cause suppuration. Although bacterial infection is the usual cause of suppuration it may be produced by other substances among which are silver and mercury." [ Wells - Chemical Pathology.]

Mercurius causes many of the pathological and symptomatic expressions which are characteristic of syphilis. This is especially true of the ulcerations, bone pains, and the nightly aggravation.

Summing up the effects of Mercurius, it may be stated in brief, that it is used in the homeopathic treatment of the following diseases because of the close similarity of its symptoms to these conditions: syphilis, diarrhea, dysentery, paralysis agitans, low types of fever with the kind of perspiration previously mentioned; sore throat, and in any disease characterized, broadly speaking, by ulceration, odor to the discharges, and by any of the other effects of the drug previously mentioned.

It finds use in ulcerative conditions of a superficial character, and because of the ability of Mercurius to produce pus, it is a medicine for gonorrhea and soft chancres.

Old catarrhs are sometimes benefited by its use, and it affects the liver, producing soreness and an inability to lie on the right side.

Therapeutics

Mercurius: This remedy should be thought of when the patient has a fetid breath and a broad flabby tongue which shows the imprint of the teeth. There is sensitiveness to cold air; the patient perspires easily, but is not relieved thereby. The complaints are aggravated at night, from the warmth of the bed and in cold, damp, rainy weather.

If diarrhea is present, it is attended with a "never-get-done" sensation. If the throat is sore, there is soreness and swelling of the glands externally. The right side of the body is most frequently affected.

This remedy should be remembered in torpidity of the liver, when the secretion of the bile is deficient. The bowels are constipated, the stools are light colored and offensive, there is loss of appetite and great depression of spirits. The patient is languid and melancholy. There are constrictive and compressive headaches. The conjunctiva is yellow.

Mercury should be studied in hepatitis when there are sharp, violent stitches in the hepatic region, which retard breathing and eructations. The abdomen is distended with gas and the patient cannot lie on the right side. It is a most important remedy in disease of the respiratory tract, when the symptoms are aggravated at night, and during damp cold weather. The gums are spongy and may bleed easily, there is salivation, the tongue has a yellow coating; the breath is fetid; the salivary glands are enlarged. The stools are watery or mucosanguineous in character; a hectic condition is often present; the cough may be dry and attended with burning and roughness down the sternum, or there is a copious secretion of mucous or mucopurulent sputum, with exhausting night sweats.

It should be thought of in dysentery when the stools are bloody and slimy in character and are attended with colic, fainting and a continual tenesmus, the "never-get-done" sensation. It is also of service in cases of simple diarrhea, when practically the same symptoms are present.

It is curative in stomatitis and ulcers of the lips, tongue and cheeks, when accompanied with a profuse salivation. The edges of the ulcers are irregular and undefined and have an unhealthy lardaceous base surrounded with a dark halo.

It is beneficial in inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea; this may be ulcerative, phlyctenular or catarrhal in character. The dread of light is intense, lachrymation is profuse, biting and excoriating; all these symptoms are worse at night. This is one of our most important remedies in the management of syphilis. The indications for its use may appear early in the primary stages of this disease; but it is during the secondary stage that it is of most service and its use must be persisted in as long as active symptoms are present.

It is also of benefit in syphilitic iritis when the pains are worse at night, and the general symptoms of the remedy are present. It is of service in nasal catarrh when there are sneezing and a fluent, acrid, corroding discharge. The nostrils are swollen, raw and ulcerated. The pains are worse at night and in damp weather.

It is useful in the treatment of leucor-rhea when this is acrid and burning in character and is attended with itching and rawness of the parts.

Characteristic Symptoms Of Mercurius

1. Gums painful to the touch, swollen, spongy, receding from the teeth, edges whitish, bleeding, fetid odor from the mouth.

2. Moist tongue, with intense thirst.

3. Tongue swollen and flabby; showing impress of the teeth on the margins; movement difficult.

4. Teeth feel loose, fall out, or become black and carious.

5. During every menstrual period, anxiety, red tongue with dark spots and burning, salty taste; sickly color of the gums; teeth set on edge.

6. Leucorrhea always worse at night, itching, burning, smarting, corroding, with rawness.

7. Itching of genitals, made worse from contact of urine remaining on parts.

8. Round spots shining through the skin, of a coppery-red color. Syphilis.

9. Flat painless ulcers, pale, covered with phlegm-like pus; on the scalp, skin of penis, etc.

10. Ulceration very superficial and widespread.

11. Ulcers having an impure lardaceous surface, with inflamed elevated, everted edges, like raw meat, readily bleeding.

12. Colic, burning and tenesmus, before, during and after stools, chilliness between the stools.

13. Worse when lying on the right side, particularly the pain in the region of the liver, and the bruised sensation in the intestines.

14. Boring pains in the exostoses at night.

15. Cold, clammy, night sweats which drive him out of bed.

16. Sweating with all complaints, but the sweat affords no relief.

17. Sensitiveness to both heat and cold.