Mercurialis merl.

Homœopathic Materia Medica

William Boericke · Homœopathic Materia Medica · 9th edition

Common name

Dog's Mercury

General

Great exhaustion and drowsiness. Tumor at ensiform appendix, very sensitive. Affections of the muscular fibers of stomach, intestines, bladder.

Head

Vertigo on going down stairs. Head confused. Pain as from a band tightly across forehead. Nostrils sore, conscious of nose, feels as if she had two noses.

Mouth

Great dryness of mouth and throat, tongue feels heavy and dry, numb. Burning blisters of tongue, lips and cheeks. Ulcers on palate, tonsils and back of pharynx. Dryness of throat.

Female

Amenorrhœa, scanty menses, accompanied with orgasms. Pains and swelling of breasts. Dysmenorrhœa.

Relationship

Compare: Borax; Croton; Euphorb.

Dose

Third potency.

Text Book of Materia Medica

Adolph Lippe · Text Book of Materia Medica · homeoint.org / Médi-T HTML text (Lippe d. 1888; public domain)

Head

Giddiness on descending the stairs. Head confused as if inflated. The scalp feels tense and numb, is moved with difficulty. Burning on the vertex.

Eyes

Eyelids feel heavy and dry, it is difficult to move them. Weakness of the upper eyelids. Trembling of the upper eyelids. Dilated pupils with great sensitiveness of the eyes to the light.

Nose

The breath from the nose is cold. Crawling and burning of the nose.

Face

Feeling of coldness in the face. Feeling of tension in the face and head. Great redness of the cheeks. Lips dry and parched, with increased thirst.

Mouth and Throat

Dryness of the mouth, it is difficult to move the tongue and impedes chewing. Burning in the mouth and tongue, tongue feels heavy and dry, numb, insensible, with loss of taste. Burning, stitching blisters on the tongue, inside of the lips and cheeks ; they form very painful spreading ulcers. Burning dryness in the throat.

Stomach and Abdomen

Chilly feeling or burning in the stomach.

Fever

Cold over the whole body, with hot flush in the face ; must be warmly covered, then sleeps and perspires. Cold over the whole body, emanating from the right side, particularly from the right arm, shuddering, great debility, sleepiness. Goose-flesh on the cold right arm, extending over the whole body ; after midnight an offensive perspiration on both sides, particularly on the arms. On going to bed in the evening chill, during the night and towards morning heat with intense thirst ; perspiration in the morning.

The Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica

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

General

Dog Mercury. Euphorbiaceæ.
A plant indigenous to Europe, where it grows in shaded, mountainous forests, on stony, moist ground.
The tincture is prepared from the fresh plant in flower.
Introduced and carefully proved, upon fifteen provers, by Hesse, published in Stapf's Archives, 1844, reprinted by Trinks in 1847, extracted by Possart in 1851. Suggestions were published by Russell and Duncan, but not a cure was heard of until 1860, when Coxe, Jr., reported a case of tumor, MSS. In 1875 Berridge reported cures of headaches corroborating symptoms of Hesse.
CLINICAL AUTHORITIES.
- Headache (two cases), Berridge, Raue's Rec., 1872, pp. 214, 215 ; Hyperæmia of conjunctiva ; Conjunctivitis trachomatosa with pannus ; Asthenopia, Norton's Ophthal. Therap., p. 113 ; Tumor in epigastrium , Coxe, MSS. ; Intermittent fever , Price, Med. Inv., vol. 2, p. 322.

Sensorium

Head confused as if inflated.
Near fainting, with dysmenorrhœa ; dulness and stupefying sensation.
Vertigo : on going down stairs ; after walking some time ; succeeding headache, as if intoxicated, and obliging her when stooping to hold on to something to prevent falling ; towards left when sitting, standing or even lying, feeling as if body would fall to that side.

Inner head

Tension and heaviness of head, with sensation of heat.
Heaviness in head, as if pressed down by a weight.
Heat in head : with dysmenorrhœa ; with vertigo.
Tearing in left temple.
Shooting in left forehead and temple, < on coming indoors ; only by day, till last night, when it prevented sleep ; vertigo on stooping, as if she did not know where she was ; the shooting goes obliquely downwards and somewhat backwards ; vomits food as soon as eaten. θ Headache.
Aching in forehead, > by cold and pressure ; aching in nape ; numbness of occiput and vertex ; weakness of arms and legs, as if she would fall to left, without vertigo ; after a blow upon head. θ Headache.
Violent headache and fainting weakness, with dysmenorrhœa.

Outer head

Burning on vertex.
Scalp feels tense and numb, is moved with difficulty.
Numbness of occiput and vertex after a blow on head.

Sight and eyes

Dilated pupils with great sensitiveness of eyes to light.
Blinking of eyes, in open air and sunlight ; snow makes her blind.
Pain in eyes reading and writing, letters run together.
Dryness of eyes.
Hyperemia of conjunctiva after using eyes, with heaviness of lids.
Conjunctivitis trachomatosa with pannus ; pannus slight ; felt very sleepy ; lachrymation and blurring of vision in morning.
Asthenopia ; sensation of dryness in eyes and heaviness of lids ; sensation as of a mist before eyes in morning ; burning pain in left eye, < in evening and after using.
Twitching of upper lids, especially of left eye.
On waking at night unable to open lids immediately ; they seemed paralyzed and could not be opened until she rubbed them.
Weakness of upper lids, so that at times she could not completely raise them.
Lids heavy and dry.
Watery eyes.

Hearing and ears

Ears as if stopped up.
Pressing and tearing in ears ; earache.

Smell and nose

Breath from nose first hot, then cold.
Crawling and burning of nose.

Upper face

Feeling of tension in face and head.
Face feels cold, later warm and puffed.
Dark red cheeks.

Lower face

Lips very dry and parched, with increased thirst.

Teeth and gums

Tearing toothache.

Taste, speech, tongue

Tongue : feels paralyzed, heavy and thick ; numb, insensible, as if unable to taste.
Burning and smarting on tongue.
Sticking burning on tongue, as from a blister.
Tongue painful if it touches palate, as if there were blisters on it.

Inner mouth

Great dryness of mouth ; want of saliva so great that a piece of sugar does not dissolve.
Burning in mouth and tongue.

Palate and throat

Burning dryness in throat.
Ulcers on palate, tonsils and back wall of pharynx.

Appetite, thirst. desires, aversions

Increased thirst, with dry lips and mouth.

Eating and drinking

While eating, great dryness in mouth.
After eating : bread and butter, biting burning on tongue ; increasing nausea ; vomiting.

Hiccough, belching, nausea and vomiting

Nausea and heartburn, with bitter taste.
Belching relieves complaints of stomach and abdomen.
Vomits food as soon as eaten. θ Headache.

Scrobiculum and stomach

Chilly feeling in stomach, followed by warmth and sweat.
Tumor inside of pit of stomach, size of hen's egg, sensitive to pressure, cannot bear clothing.

Abdomen and loins

Abdominal pulsation.

Stools and rectum

Urging or burning in anus, with aching in small of back.
Crawling in anus and bearing down in sacrum.

Female sexual organs

Menses shorter, with abdominal cramps ; too late.
Dysmenorrhœa.

Pregnancy. parturition. lactation

Mamma swollen and sore to touch, a few days before retarded catamenia.

Respiration

Breathing : difficult, with dysmenorrhœa ; with chilliness.

Inner chest and lungs

Violent orgasm and heat in chest, with dysmenorrhœa.

Heart, pulse and circulation

Confused undulating sensation in cardiac region, with fulness and feeling of anxiety in left chest.
Oppressive contraction in cardiac region.
Peculiarly undulating and throbbing motion in cardiac region, in precordia and upper part of abdomen.
Remarkable rolling and throbbing, with trembling and undulating in all bloodvessels, without heat.
Repeated palpitation of heart, with oppression after having stooped, or as if heart was tightly laced.
Orgasm in region of heart.
Pulse frequent and full.

Neck and back

Aching in nape. θ Headache.
Flashes of heat in back.

Upper limbs

Veins of hands distended. θ Ague.

Lower limbs

Painful ache in knees.

Limbs in general

Tearing pains in limbs, with weariness.
Weakness of arms and legs as if she would fall to left, without vertigo. θ Headache.
Heaviness in limbs, with dysmenorrhœa.

Rest. position. motion

Lying, sitting or standing : vertigo towards left.
Stooping : must hold on to something to prevent falling ; oppression of heart.
Walking : vertigo.
Going down stairs : vertigo.

Nerves

Trembling, with dysmenorrhœa.
As if she would fall, without vertigo.

Time

Only by day, for a week, then all night preventing sleep : headache.
More coldness and chilliness in evening ; heat < at night and in morning.
In evening sight more affected, in morning eyes.
Morning : lachrymation and blurring of vision ; as of a mist before eyes ; perspiration.
Evening : burning pain in left eye ; on going to bed, chill.
At 9 P. M. : chill in stomach.
Night : headache ; on waking, unable to open eyes ; heat with thirst.
After midnight : offensive perspiration on both sides.

Temperature and weather

Indoors : shooting in forehead and temple.
In open air : blinking of eyes.
Cold : aching in forehead >.

Fever

Chill in stomach at 9 P. M., which extends to right arm, right side of chest, abdomen and right hip, with difficulty of breathing.
Cold over whole body, emanating from right side, particularly from right arm ; shuddering, great debility, sleepiness.
Gooseflesh on cold right arm, extending over whole body ; after midnight offensive perspiration on both sides, particularly on arms.
Cold over whole body, with hot flush in face ; must be warmly covered, then sleeps and perspires.
On going to bed in evening, chill ; during night and towards morning heat, with intense thirst ; perspiration in morning.
Heat, with distended veins on hands.
Heat in whole body, anxious sweat breaks out from time to time, with dysmenorrhœa.
Perspiration over whole body, from 3 A. M. till towards morning, after good sleep.
Chill, beginning in right arm and right side of chest (had taken quantities of quinine). θ Intermittent fever.

Attacks, periodicity

From 3 A. M. till towards morning : perspiration over whole body.

Locality and direction

Right : chill from stomach to side of chest and hip ; coldness over whole body emanating from side, particularly arm ; gooseflesh ; chill beginning in arm and side of chest.
Left : vertigo towards that side ; tearing in temple ; shooting in forehead and temple ; burning pain in eye ; twitching of upper lid ; anxiety in chest.
Obliquely downwards and upwards : shooting in head.

Sensations

Head confused as if inflated ; as if intoxicated ; as if body would fall to left side ; as if head was pressed down by a weight ; as if she did not know where she was ; as of a mist before eyes ; ears as if stopped up ; burning as from a blister on tongue ; as if heart was tightly laced.
Pain : in eyes ; in ear.
Violent pain : in head.
Tearing : in left temple ; in ears ; in teeth ; in limbs.
Shooting : in left forehead and temple.
Aching : in forehead ; in nape ; in small of back ; in knees.
Cramps : in abdomen.
Bearing down : in sacrum.
Rheumatic pains : in head and limbs.
Burning pain : in left eye.
Sticking burning : on tongue.
Biting burning : on tongue.
Smarting : on tongue.
Burning : on vertex ; of nose ; on tongue ; in mouth ; in anus.
Burning dryness : in throat.
Heat : in head ; in chest ; in hands ; in whole body.
Flashes of heat : in back.
Painfulness : of tongue.
Pressing : in ears.
Oppressive contraction : in cardiac region.
Twitching : of upper lids.
Remarkable rolling and throbbing, with trembling and undulating : in all bloodvessels.
Confused, undulating sensation : in cardiac region.
Anxiety : in left chest.
Tension : in head ; in scalp ; in face.
Heaviness : in head ; of lids ; of tongue ; in limbs.
Fulness : in left chest.
Dulness : in head.
Stupefying sensation : in head.
Numbness : of occiput and vertex ; in scalp.
Weakness : of arms and legs ; of upper lids.
Dryness : of eyes ; of lips ; of mouth.
Crawling : of nose ; in anus.
Chilly feeling : in stomach.
Cold feeling : in face.

Tissues

Rheumatic affections, acute, subacute or chronic, particularly when pericardium or heart are sympathetically affected ; rheumatic affection of muscular coats of stomach, of intestinal canal and bladder ; rheumatic pains in head and limbs, accompanied by disturbance of vision or with a melancholic or hypochondriacal mood.

Touch. passive motion. injuries

Forehead, temple and upper part of face and stomach sensitive to touch.
Touch : mamma sore.
Pressure : aching in forehead > ; tumor in pit of stomach sensitive.
Rubbing : made it possible to open eyes.
After a blow upon head : headache ; numbness of occiput and vertex.

Relations

Antidoted by : Acon., Bellad .
Compare : Other Euphorbiaceæ and Alum ., Ant. crud ., Asaf., Bar. carb., Berber ., Borax , Cannab ., Caps ., Caust ., Cinchona , Kali bich ., Kreos ., Lach., Ledum , Lyc., Mag. carb ., Magn. mur ., Merc. sol ., Mur. ac ., Natr. mur ., Nitr. ac ., Nux mosch ., Nux vom., Olnd., Opium, Phosph. ac., Platina, Rhod., Rhus tox., Senega, Sepia, Spigel ., Stramon ., Sulphur , Sulph. ac., Tarax., Thuja, Veratr .

The Therapeutics of Fevers

H. C. Allen · The Therapeutics of Fevers · 1902 Library of Congress printing (Allen d. 1909; public domain)

Time

Afternoon; 9 P. M.

Chill

Chilliness over the whole body, with heat of the face; she could only get warm by lying down and covering herself up, then fell asleep, because warm, and afterwards perspired. Chilliness over the whole body, commencing in the right arm and right side of chest (left hand and left arm, Carbo v.—of the whole left side of body, Caust.), with shivering, great exhaustion, weakness, weariness, pains in the limbs, and constant desire to sleep; pain in stomach and abdomen aggravated by touch; dyspnœa; cutis anserina on the cold right arm, which extends over the whole body; after midnight offensive perspiration on both sides, worse on arms. Cold and chilly, with dark red cheeks. Chill in stomach at 9 P. M., which extends to right arm, right side of chest, abdomen and right hip, with difficulty of breathing; at 4 A. M., heat, thirst, and sweat of right side of body, with heat of face and redness of cheeks.

Heat

With thirst; of head and dark redness of cheeks. Great heat of head and hands, face red, veins of hands distended (Puls., Led.), and feet hot. Violent and burning heat of head, face, hands and afterwards of feet, with distended veins of hands. Heat without preceding chill, rarely followed by perspiration.

Sweat

Over the whole body from 3 A. M. till towards morning; after sleep. Great thirst.