This section is from the book "A Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology", by David M. R. Culbreth. Also available from Amazon: Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology.
Preps.: 1. Unguentum Hydrargyri Oxidi Flam. Ointment of Yellow Mercuric Oxide. (Syn., Ung. Hydrarg. Oxid. Flaw; Fr. Pommade d'Oxyde jaune de Mercure; Ger. Gelbe Queck-silberoxydsalbe.) Manufacture: 10 p. c. Triturate until smooth mixture yellow mercuric oxide 10 Gm. with water 10 Gm., add hydrous wool fat 40 Gm., in divided portions, and incorporate thoroughly with petrolatum 40 Gm.; avoid metallic utensils and containers. 2. Oleatum Hydrargyri. Oleate of Mercury. (Syn., Oleat. Hydrarg., Hydrargyrum Oleicum - Oleinicum - Elainicum; Br. Hydrargyrum Oleatum, Oleated Mercury, Mercuric Oleate; Fr. Oleate mercurique (de Mercure); Ger. Oelsaures Quecksilber, Quecksilberoleat, Mercurioleat.) Manufacture: Mix in a tared dish yellow mercuric oxide 25 Gm. with alcohol 20 Ml. (Cc), add oleic acid 75 Gm., warm to 50° C. (122° F.), stir constantly for 5 minutes, continue heat, stirring frequently, until alcohol expelled and yellow mercuric oxide dissolved, add oleic acid q. s. 100 Gm.; avoid contact with metallic utensils. Should be kept dark, in tightly-closed containers, and not dispensed if globules of mercury are visible at the bottom of container. This may well be substituted for mercurial ointment, as it is absorbed more readily; for inflamed joints, indurations following abscesses, sycosis, tineae, psoriasis, eczema, hereditary syphilis. Prep.: Unguentum Hydrargyri, 2 p. c. 5. Hydrargyri Salicylas. Mercuric Salicylate. (Syn., Hydrarg. Salicyl., Mercuric Subsalicylate; Fr. Salicylate mercurique; Ger. Hydrargyrum salicylicum, Mercurisalicylsaure.)
Manufacture: Dissolve corrosive mercuric chloride (27) in water (600), add it to a 4 p. c. sodium hydroxide solution (85) mixed with water (200), wash precipitate (oxide), digest it with water (little) + salicylic acid (15) on water-bath until mixture pure white. It is a white, slightly yellowish or pinkish powder; odorless; tasteless; soluble in solutions of fixed alkalies or their carbonates, warm solutions of alkali halides forming double salts; nearly insoluble in water, alcohol; contains 54-59.5 p. c. of mercury. Tests: 1. Heat 1 Gm. with hydrochloric acid (10 Ml. (Cc.)) - salicylic acid separates on cooling; copper foil added to solution - becomes coated immediately with metallic mercury; another portion + ferric chloride T. S. - violet color. 2. Incinerate .5 Gm. - residue .2 p. c. Impurities: Foreign mercury compounds, free salicylic acid. Should be kept dark, in well-closed containers. Dose, gr. 1/6-l (.01-.06 Gm.), 2-3 times daily; hypodermi-cally with equal quantity of potassium carbonate in distilled water.
Unoff. Preps.: Liquor Hydrargyri Perchloridi (Br.), .1 p. c, dose, 3ss-l (2-4 Ml. (Cc.)). Lotio (Hydrargyri) Flava, .3 Gm., boiling water 3.5, sol. calcium hydroxide q. s. 100. Unguentum Hydrargyri Oleati (Br.), 25 p. c.
Properties and Uses. - Corrosive Sublimate - like many mercury compounds, is tonic, alterative, diuretic, antiseptic, disinfectant, irritant poison; seldom purges, and this can always be prevented by combining it with opium; large doses cause vomiting, griping pain in bowels, diarrhoea, small, irregular pulse; good in advanced syphilis, chronic skin affections and rheumatism, condylomata, engorged glands, diphtheria, pneumonia (injections). Externally - pseudomembranous laryngitis, fetid bronchitis, phthisis, skin diseases (psoriasis, acne, freckles, prurigo pudendi, pityriasis), ophthalmia, granular conjunctivitis, rhus-poisoning, malignant pustule, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, dysentery, cholera, hydrocele, wounds, ulcers, arthritis, parasites (pediculi pubis, etc.), vascular tumors. With lime water have yellow wash (lotio flava, aqua phagedaenica flava), 3/10 p. c, used for ill-conditioned sores, ulcers, etc. Ammoniated Mercury - is a less active irritant than some other salts; it is poisonous, and owing to careless manufacture (permitting exposure to light) often contains corrosive mercuric chloride; it is not given internally, and the ointment is of most service in ophthalmia and skin diseases. Red Iodide - is a powerful irritant poison; scrofula, constitutional syphilis, rheumatic pains. Externally - stimulant to indolent syphilitic and scrofulous ulcers, glandular swellings, lupus, goitre, enlarged spleen or liver, granular eyelids, bronchitis, disinfectant; may be applied in solution with potassium iodide (1 in 50), or ointment (1-4 in 20). Donovan's Solution - is given as an alterative in psoriasis, impetigo, porrigo, lepra, pityriasis, lupus, venereal eruptions, chronic rheumatism, night-pains. Yellow Oxide - externally as stimulant escharotic in powder or ointments; chancres, indolent ulcers, corneal ulcers. Salicylate - claimed to be borne best with least influence on alimentary tract, most effective in syphilis, without salivation.
Poisoning: Toxic doses of corrosive sublimate (red iodide, etc.) resemble those of arsenic in effect - have strong metallic taste, frequent bloody evacuations, tenesmus, feeling of constriction in throat, burning in oesophagus and stomach, swollen lips and tongue, quick, irregular pulse, cold extremities, intense abdominal pains, vomiting, labored respiration, suppressed urine, syncope, salivation, insensibility, convulsions, death. Give egg-white, beaten up with water (1 egg for every
4 grains), follow at once with emetic to remove, hence avoid re-solution of albuminous mercuric compound, demulcents, milk, flour-paste, meat-broth, opiates, potassium iodide, stimulants, heat.
Hydrargyri Chloridum Mite. Mild Mercurous Chloride, HgCl. - (Syn., Hydrarg. Chlor. Mit., Mercurous Chloride, Calomel, Proto-chloride of Mercury, Subchloride of Mercury, Hydrargyri Chloridum, Hydrargyrum Chloratum (Muriaticum) Dulce, Mercurius Dulcis, Calomelas, Chloruretum (Chloretum) Hydrargyrosum; Br. Hydrargyri Subchloridum; Fr. Protochlorure (Sous-muriate) de Mercure, Mercure doux; Ger. Hydrargyrum chloratum, Quecksilberchlorur, Kalomel.)
Manufacture: Rub mercury (7) with mercuric sulphate (10) to form mercurous sulphate, sublime this with sodium chloride (5), conducting the vapors into a chamber admitting steam simultaneously for dissolving and removing the small amount of mercuric chloride always formed - Hg. + 2H2SO4 = HgS04 + SO2 + 2H2O; HgSO4 + Hg = Hg2SO4; Hg2SO4 + 2NaCl = 2HgCl + Na2SO4. It is a white, impalpable powder, yellowish-white when triturated with strong pressure, showing only small, isolated crystals under magnifying power of 100 diameters; odorless, tasteless, permanent; insoluble in water, alcohol, ether, cold dilute acids; strongly heated volatilizes without fusion or evolution of brown vapors, leaving residue .1 p. c; contains 99.6 p. c. of the salt. Tests: 1. Contact with calcium hydroxide T. S. solutions of alkali hydroxides, or ammonia water - blackens. 2. Heat with equal weight of dried sodium carbonate in glass tube - sublimate of metallic mercury, which dissolved in nitric acid, + silver nitrate T. S. - white, curdy precipitate, insoluble in nitric acid. Impurities: Mercuric chloride, ammoniated mercury. Should be kept dark, in well-closed containers. Dose, gr. 1-15 (.06-1 Gm.); laxative gr. 2 (.13 Gm.), alterative gr. 1 (.06 Gm.). Children require more in proportion, thus two to three years old give gr. 2-3 (.13 - .2 Gm.), and this dose often fails, when it should be followed by castor oil. Better results are obtained by giving small and often-repeated doses, thus gr. 1/10 (.006 Gm.) hourly in tablet or powder with sugar or sodium bicarbonate (1 in 10) will usually act freely by time the tenth dose is taken.
 
Continue to: