Mercurius Cyanatus merc-cy.

Boger's Synoptic Key — Materia Medica

C. M. Boger · Boger's Synoptic Key — Materia Medica · A Synoptic Key of the Materia Medica, 1915 — the Materia Medica half

Region

MOUTH. THROAT. Larynx. Glands. Capillaries. Nerves.

Worse

Swallowing. Speaking.

General

Early, rapid and extreme prostration; with tremor, coldness and cyanosis. Putridity. Rapid, local destruction.

Particulars

Cutting pains in throat or larynx. Much thick, or grayish membrane in throat. Septic diphtheria; of soft parts; has prophylactic value. Enlarged tonsils. Early and complete anorexia. Croupy cough. Cough causes suffocation. Weak heart. Sweatiness.

Related

Related: Lach.

Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica

H. C. Allen · Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Medi-T HTML text; edition not stated by the mirror (first edition 1898, Allen d. 1909)

Keynote

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 from weakness. When it corresponds to the genus epidemicus, like every other remedy, is effective as a prophylactic.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Cyanide of Mercury

General

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 of muscles. Typhoid pneumonia.

Livid states from great struggling, where suffocation is imminent and paralysis of lung threatening; great sweat.

Affects most prominently the buccal cavity. This, together with marked prostration, gives it a place in the treatment of diphtheria, where it has achieved unquestioned great results. Malignant types, with prostration. Coldness and nausea. Syphilitic ulcers when perforation threatens.

Head

Great excitement, fits of passion; fury; talkativeness. Atrocious headache. Eyes sunken; face pale.

Mouth

Covered with ulcerations. Tongue pale. Free salivation. Fetor of breath. Pain and swelling of salivary glands. Astringent taste. Ulcerations of mouth have a gray membrane.

Throat

Feels raw and sore. Mucous membranes broken down, ulcerated. Looks raw in spots, especially in public speakers. Hoarseness, and talking is painful. Necrotic destruction of soft parts of palate and fauces. Intense redness of fauces. Swallowing very difficult. Dark blood from nose. Diphtheria of the larynx and nose (Kali bich).

Stomach

Nausea, vomiting, bilious, bloody; hiccough; abdomen painful, tender to pressure.

Rectum

Intolerable pain. Redness around anus. Frequent hæmorrhage; stools with tenesmus. Discharge of fetid liquid with gangrenous odor. Black stools.

Urinary

Amber color, painful, albuminous, scanty. Nephritis with great debility and chilliness. Suppression of urine.

Skin

Moisture, with icy coldness.

Dose

Sixth to thirtieth potency. Aggravation is apt to occur from potencies below the sixth.

Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics

E. B. Nash · Leaders in Homoeopathic Therapeutics · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Nash d. 1917; public domain)

Leaders

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 recommended the 30th potency, but others have used the 6th and claim equally good results. There are, so far as I can find, no very marked characteristic symptoms by which to choose it. It seems to spread its action all over the buccal cavity. Dr. T. F. Allen published a good cure with it, and then claimed that he chose this preparation of Mercury on account of the remarkable prostration, which he attributed to the cyanogen element in it. This looks reasonable. But I think we must investigate further to bring out its true characteristics. There is a chronic condition of the throat in which I have found it very efficacious. It is in the so-called cases of public speakers. The throat feels raw and sore, and examination reveals a broken down appearance of the mucous membrane bordering on ulceration. It is nor granulated, but looks raw in spots, as if denuded of membrane. I have helped this kind of throat, so that the patient wanted me to remember what it was I gave him so that I could repeat the prescription if the trouble returned. I forgot to state that it hurt the patient to speak, and there was also hoarseness. This is all I know of this remedy, but I believe it well worth proving and study.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

John Henry Clarke · A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica · 1st edition (1900-02, three volumes); homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML digitization

General

Bicyanide of Mercury. Mercuric Cyanide. Hg (CN) 2 . Solution. Trituration.

Clinical

Diphtheria . Dysentery. Enteric fever . Hæmorrhages. Kerato-iritis syphilitica. Phlebitis. Throat, sore . Varicosis.

Characteristics

The history of this remedy is a romantic one. When Dr. Alexander Villers was an infant he had diphtheria. Known remedies had failed to arrest the disease, and his father, Dr. Dominic von Villers, was in despair. Taking counsel with his friend, Dr. Beck (of Monthey in Switzerland), the latter was struck with the likeness of the case to the effects of Merc. cy . in some poisoning cases, reports of which he had just been reading. He suggested the remedy A small quantity of the salt was procured and an attenuation rapidly made and administered. Improvement soon set in, and recovery happily followed. The patient, saved by Merc. cy ., lived to do most brilliant work with the same remedy when practising in St. Petersburg, and Merc. cy . has taken a sure place at the head of remedies for this affection. The local symptoms are very clearly defined, and among the general symptoms profound prostration, coldness, and cyanosis are leading indications. Villers had better results with the 30th than with any lower attenuation. Merc. cy . is also a very efficient prophylactic in diphtheria. In the sensational New York poisoning case of February, 1899, Mr. Henry C. Barnett, the victim, was treated for diphtheria by his doctors before the cause of the illness was discovered. Beck ( Rev. Hom. Fran ., xii. 153) mentions among the leading symptoms: extreme feebleness, trembling, syncope. Icy coldness; general coldness with nausea. Diphtheritic membrane in throat, mouth, and at anus. Nash reports as particularly indicating it a chronic sore throat of public speakers, with rawness in spots and a broken-down appearance, as if about to ulcerate, and this additional condition ─ "it hurts the patient to speak." Hæmorrhages occur, dark and persistent. Swallowing is impossible or = severe cutting pains. Thought of food = retching. There are varicose veins with great tenderness on left leg. Symptoms are < after eating.

Relations

Compare: Ar. tri., Caust., Hep., K. bi., Phyt., Echin., Lach., Gels.

Mind

Excitement, anger, raved furiously at attendant. ─ Excessive ill-humour after eating a little too much.

Head

Vertigo with singing in ears, < sitting up. ─ Very severe, tearing headache, esp. forepart, < night.

Eyes

Eyes: sunken; fixed; injected; pupils dilated. ─ (Syphilitic kerato-iritis; much inflammation; severe nocturnal pains.)

Ears

Ringing in ear.

Nose

Profuse epistaxis several times a day for two weeks.

Face

Face: flushed; cyanotic; pale and wan.

Mouth

Teeth painful; gums swollen, covered with white adherent layers, under which is found a violet border. ─ Tongue: pale with a yellowish streak on base; swollen with red edges; grey, metallic-looking coat; eight blisters on l. margin and on soft palate, opening and becoming irregular ulcers; afterwards on r. margin. ─ Lips, tongue, and inside cheeks dotted with greyish-white ulceration. ─ Large grey leathery ulcer in mouth. ─ Inflammation of whole buccal cavity; salivation; fetid breath; great pain on swallowing. ─ Taste: bitter; disagreeable; styptic; metallic.

Throat

Great redness of fauces with difficulty of swallowing. ─ White opalescent coating, like mucous patches on faucial pillars and tonsils. ─ Roughness of throat, difficult swallowing. ─ Follicular tonsillitis, < r. ─ (Chronic sore throat of public speakers; raw, sore, broken-down appearance, raw in spots; it hurts to speak. ─ Nash.). ─ Diphtheria; profound prostration. ─ Uvula œdematous.

Stomach

Aversion to food. ─ Intense thirst, but drinks are speedily vomited. ─ Burning thirst, vomits but not ingesta; cannot endure soups or hot drinks, which always seem too salt. ─ Incessant hiccough. ─ Violent retching from merely thinking of sugared water. ─ Milk > . ─ Epigastrium sensitive to pressure.

Abdomen

Abdomen soft, not painful on pressure. ─ Excessive colic < by every evacuation.

Stool and Anus

Round anus: small piles; pains (and in rectum) when sitting; sensitive light red swelling; diphtheritic deposit. ─ Frequent urging to stool with tenesmus. ─ Frequent diarrhœa preceded by severe colic. ─ Offensive, green, slimy stools. ─ Bloody stools. ─ Scanty stools. ─ Obstinate constipation (later effect).

Urinary Organs

Micturition painful. ─ Urine: albuminous; amber yellow; retained; completely suppressed.

Male Sexual Organs

Semi-erection of penis (persisting even after death). ─ Dark blue colour of scrotum and penis (persisting after death).

Respiratory Organs

Slight cough. ─ Hoarseness; talking = pain in throat.

Heart

Violent and abrupt beating of heart. ─ Strong palpitation.

Limbs

Slight spasms of extremities.

Upper Limbs

Severe pain in l. calf; the veins of the part form two hard cords meeting above popliteal space, very painful to slightest touch; leg swells when standing. ─ (Inflammation of articular cartilages of r. wrist, with œdema of forearm.)

Generalities

Great weakness; cannot stand up. ─ Repeated fainting. ─ Great debility during diarrhœa; at last he fell to the ground in a swoon.

Skin

Skin moist and cold. ─ Scarlatina.

Sleep

Drowsiness with easy waking.

Fever

Icy coldness. ─ Great sensitiveness to cold. ─ Extremities very cold; in evening. ─ Skin moist and cold.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

Constantine Hering · The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica · 1879–91

General

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), Strong, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc. Pa., 1882, pp. 169, 170 ; Diphtheritis (several hundred cases reported), Von Villers, B. J. H., vol. 34, p. 147 ; Diphtheria , Kuechler, Raue's Rec., 1870, p. 151 ; Beck, Raue's Rec., 1873, p. 8 ; Roguin, Raue's Rec., 1873, p. 86 ; Von Villers, Raue's Rec., 1875, p. 86 ; Grubenmann, Raue's Path. and Therap., p. 304 ; Ockford, Times Retros., vol. 3, p. 79 ; Jousset, B. J. H., vol. 29, p. 176 ; Trager, B. J. H., vol. 34, p. 169 ; Hirsch, Œhme's Therap., p. 53 ; Richards, Œhme's Therap., p. 57 ; Villers, Œhme's Therap., p. 55 ; Ganz, Œhme's Therap., p. 57 ; (50 cases) Martin, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc. Pa., 1878, p. 320 ; Burt, Trans. Hom. Med. Soc. Pa., 1878, p. 321 ; Allen, Hom. Phys., vol. 5, p. 164 ; Billig, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 110, pp. 34, 45 ; Hansen, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 113, p. 37.

Mind

Excessive ill humor, after eating a little too much.

Sight and eyes

Keratoiritis syphilitica ; much inflammation and severe nocturnal pains.

Teeth and gums

Gums swollen and covered with a white, adherent layer, under which is found a violet border.

Taste, speech, tongue

Tongue pale, with a yellowish streak on base ; swollen, with red edges.

Inner mouth

Lips, tongue and inside of cheeks dotted with ulcerations and covered with a greyish white coating.
Inflammation of whole buccal cavity ; salivation, fetid breath, great pain on swallowing.

Palate and throat

Great redness of fauces, with difficulty of swallowing.
Ulcerations of middle of palatine arch, with inverted edges, uneven and callous, whole palate, columns of velum and tonsils swollen and of a pale color ; breath of a repulsive odor. θ Chronic laryngitis.
Suffering since morning with severe sore throat ; feels very weak ; pulse 120 ; skin hot and dry ; deglutition painful ; frequent pains darting from throat to ear and head ; tonsils greatly inflamed and enlarged ; next day much ulcerated ; ulcers deep and many of them filled with greenish yellow pus.
Tonsils red and swollen ; right tonsil < ; whitish spots on r. tonsil and one or two on left ; sick at stomach, eyes heavy, headache. θ Follicular tonsillitis.
Left tonsil swollen, with a few whitish spots thereon ; high fever ; thirst ; headache ; later both tonsils swollen and of a dusky red color. θ Follicular tonsillitis.
A white, opaline layer forms on columns of velum palati and tonsils ; on inside of right cheek a round ulcer with greyish base, borders as if cut out and surrounded by great redness.
Pseudo-membranous formation extends all over fauces and down throat.
Diphtheria maligna, with phagedenic ulceration.
Diphtheria ; excessive deposit of a tough, whitish grey membrane, often extends over whole throat and even over roof of mouth ; aphthæ on tongue and lips, with a thick, yellowish white scab, very painful, forming ulcers, salivation quite marked ; almost total loss of speech ; solids are swallowed better than liquids, which escape through nose ; membrane often extends into nose.
Great chilliness, with dry heat of skin ; severe cutting pains when attempting to swallow ; heaviness in head ; constricting pains between scapulæ ; prostration ; loss of appetite ; thirst ; restless sleep ; anxiety on swallowing on account of pain ; offensive odor from mouth ; submaxillary gland swollen and sensitive ; œdema of soft palate ; white membrane on tonsils ; tongue dry, white in centre ; pulse 130, full ; delirium at night. θ Diphtheria.
High fever, with pains in throat, particularly when swallowing ; soft palate very red ; right tonsil swollen ; small spot on right tonsil as large as pea, covered with a coating looking like a small ulcer, giving tonsil an appearance as if about to suppurate as in an ordinary case of tonsillitis ; next day, however, submaxillary glands became swollen and on third day false membrane appeared on posterior wall of pharynx, on right side. θ Diphtheria.
Exudate white, yellow, or any shade between ; adynamic fever ; collapse at commencement of disease. θ Diphtheria.
Entire mucous membrane of mouth and fauces dark red and considerably swollen ; on left side of velum a deep, diphtheritic ulcer, with sharp cut edges, surrounded by ring of exudate ; on mucous membrane many very small exudate patches ; tip of tongue dark red ; papillæ filiformes much swollen ; middle and back part of tongue covered with dirty yellow coating ; swallowing exceedingly difficult ; face has an apathetic, anxious expression ; on upper half of body a profuse, viscous perspiration, which is cold on forehead and cheek ; radial pulse on right arm scarcely perceptible, on left threadlike, 140 ; extreme prostration ; no appetite. θ Diphtheria.
Boy, æt. 4, lives in a cellar tenement ; one brother and sister have just died of diphtheritis ; tonsil, velum palati and fauces much swollen, dark red and thickly covered with exudate ; great difficulty in swallowing ; hoarse voice ; rough, dry cough, with anxiety ; skin hot and dry ; pulse 130, small ; great weakness, apathy, emaciation. θ Diphtheria.
A man in last stages of consumption ; extreme emaciation and weakness, so that he can hardly speak ; for last six days diphtheritis ; skin like parchment, dry ; extremities cool ; liquid stools ; entire mouth and fauces covered with one mass of soft, greyish green exudate, of which some portions can be easily removed, leaving an easily bleeding surface ; after 24 hours swallowing > ; feels better and looks better ; mouth and fauces almost free from exudate ; usual tuberculous expectoration, which had stopped for several days, commenced again ; one day later mouth and fauces perfectly healthy ; strength gaining ; died of tuberculosis ten days later.
Girl, æt. 7, blonde, well built, never sick ; had been coughing for a week ; for four days had sore throat, expectorating, after violent efforts, glairy mucus ; for three days suffocative paroxysms woke her during night, with barking cough ; child sitting up ; muscles of face contracted ; face cyanosed ; skin burning ; eyes injected and staring ; voice extinguished ; laryngo-tracheal whistling ; nasal cavities obstructed by false membranes ; submaxillary glands engorged ; saliva flows constantly from open mouth ; tonsils, velum palati, etc., covered with false membranes, has refused all food for twenty-four hours. (Complementary Hepar and Phosphor.).
Child lay on its back, with hanging under jaw and half-closed eyes ; sopor, but when spoken to easily roused ; mouth and fauces completely covered with whitish grey exudate ; dry lips bleed a little on opening mouth ; nose stopped up ; swallowing impossible ; can utter only a few croaking sounds ; emaciation and flabbiness of muscles ; extreme weakness ; skin hot and dry ; pulse excessively weak and so fast that it cannot be counted ; urine scant and dark, without sediment ; no stool for two days. θ Diphtheria.
Tongue dark red and almost black ; very offensive breath ; saliva thin and fetid ; profuse epistaxis ; glands swollen and cellular tissue of neck infiltrated ; excessive weakness. θ Diphtheria.
Swelling of parotid glands and tonsils ; exudate has appearance of honey comb, dirty in color. θ Diphtheria. [Obs. "If remedy is given in stage of invasion (of diphtheria), i. e, before exudate is deposited, it will not appear at all ; as a prophylactic it is equally effective ; paralysis and other after diseases have not been observed after use of this drug. Several physicians have never seen any result from it, because they gave the 2d and 3d trit. or dil., which is much too strong, or rather, not sufficiently developed". --Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 88, p. 92.]

Eating and drinking

After eating too much, ill humor.

Stools and rectum

Malignant or putrid dysentery.

Urinary organs

Bright's disease.

Rest. position. motion

Attempting to swallow : severe cutting pains.
Child lay on its back, with hanging under jaw and half closed eyes.
Cannot stand up from great weakness.

Nerves

Great weakness, cannot stand up ; prostration extreme.

Time

Since morning : suffering with severe sore throat.
Night : delirium ; suffocative paroxysms woke her.

Attacks, periodicity

Nightly : pains in eyes.
First day small spots on right tonsil ; second day submaxillary glands swollen, on third day false membrane appeared.
For two days : no stool.
For last six days diphtheritis ; after twenty-four hours swallowing > ; expectoration which had stopped commenced again ; one day later mouth and fauces perfectly healthy.

Locality and direction

Right : tonsil red and swollen ; whitish spot on tonsil ; inside of cheek round ulcer ; false membrane on side ; radial pulse scarcely perceptible.
Left : one or two spots on tonsil ; tonsil swollen ; on side of velum a deep diphtheritic ulcer ; threadlike pulse.

Sensations

Border of ulcer as if cut out ; tonsil looks as if about to suppurate.
Pain : in head ; in throat.
Severe pains : in eyes at night.
Great pain : on swallowing.
Cutting pains : when attempting to swallow.
Darting pains : from throat to ear and head.
Soreness : of throat.
Constricting pains : between scapulæ.
Heaviness : in head.

Skin

Skin moist and cold.
Diphtheritic scarlatina ; swelling of glands around throat ; great redness of fauces, with difficulty of swallowing ; complete suppression of urine ; great sensation of coldness ; extreme prostration and frequent fainting.

Stage of life, constitution

Girl, æt. 3, sickly, scrofulous, of a scrofulous mother and an old syphilitic father ; diphtheria.
Boy, æt. 4, weak constitution, subject to catarrhal affections of chest ; diphtheria.
Girl, æt. 4, fair, rosy complexion, blue eyes ; diphtheria.
Girl, æt. 4 ; diphtheria.
Boy, æt. 4, lives in a bad cellar tenement, brother and sister died of diphtheritis ; diphtheria.
Girl, æt. 7 ; diphtheria.
Girl, æt. 7, blonde, well built, never sick ; diphtheria.
Boy, æt. 7 ; diphtheria.
Girl, æt. 9 ; follicular tonsillitis.
Boy, æt. 10, for several years enlargement of tonsils ; diphtheria.
Boy, suffering several years ; ulceration of tonsils.
Girl, æt. 11, had had several attacks of diphtheria (?) ; follicular tonsillitis.
Girl, æt. 12, large, strong, sanguine temperament, never had convulsions ; diarrhœa.
Girl, æt. 15 ; diphtheria.
Woman, æt. 24 ; diphtheria.
Woman, married ; ulceration of tonsils.
Man, in last stages of consumption ; diphtheria (died of tuberculosis).

Relations

Compare : Arum triph., Caustic., Hepar, Kali bich., Kali caust., Phytol., Mur. ac., Laches .

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica

James Tyler Kent · Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Séror HTML text (Kent d. 1916; public domain)

Lecture

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.