Mercurius Cyanatus

Cyanide of Mercury. Hg {CN^.

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 tonsil- litis, (2 cases), Strong, Trans. Horn. 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, (Ehme's Therap., p. 53; Richards, (Ehme's Therap., p. 57 ; Villers, (Ehme's Therap., p. 55 ; Ganz, (Ehme'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 ;

Bil- lig, Allg. Hom. Ztg., vol. 110, pp. 34, 45 ; Hansen, Allg.

Hom. Ztg., vol. 113, p. 37.

^ Mind. I I Excessive ill humor, after eating a little too much. ^ Sight and Eyes. "Keratoiritis syphilitica; much inflam- mation and severe nocturnal pains.

MERCURIUS CYANATUS. 424

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

" Taste and 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.

13 Throat. I Great redness of fauces, with difficulty of swal- lowing.

■ 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. ^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 ; r. tonsil < ; whitish spots on r. tonsil and one or two on 1. ; sick at stomach, eyes heavy, headache. ^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. ^Follicular tonsillitis.

■ A white, opaline layer forms on columns of velum palati

and tonsils; on inside of r. 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 ; aphthse 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 scapulse ; prostration ; loss of appetite ; thirst ; restless sleep ; anxiety on swallowing on account of pain ; offensive odor from mouth ; sub- maxillary gland swollen and sensitive ; oedema of soft palate; white membrane on tonsils; tongue dry, white in centre ; pulse 130, full ; delirium at night. ^Diph- theria.

425 MERCURIUS CYANATUS.

B riigli fever, with pains in throat, particularly when swal- lowing; soft palate very red ; r. tonsil swollen; small spot on r. 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 tonsil- litis; next day, however, submaxillary glands became swollen and on third day false membrane appeared on posterior wall of pharynx, on r. side. ^Diphtheria.

■ Exudate white, yellow, or any shade between ; adynamic

fever; collapse at commencement of disease. ^Diph- theria. • Entire mucous membrane of mouth and fauces dark red and considerably swollen ; on 1. 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 ; papillse filiformes much swollen ; middle and back part of tongue covered with dirty yellow coating ; swallowing exceedingly difficult ; face has an apathetic, anxious ex- pression ; on upper half of body a profuse, viscous per- spiration, which is cold on forehead and cheek ; radial pulse on r. arm scarcely perceptible, on 1. threadlike, 140; extreme prostration ; no appetite. ^Diphtheria.

■ Boy, get. 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. ^Diphtheria.

I 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; extremi- ties 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.

iGirl, set. 7, blonde, well built, never sick ; had been cough- ing for a week ; for four days had sore throat, expecto- rating, after violent efforts, glairy mucus ; for three days suffocative paroxysms woke her during night, with barking cough ; child sitting up ; muscles of face con- tracted; face cyanosed ; skin burning; eyes injected and

MERCUPJUS CYANATUS. 426

staring; voice extinguished; laryngo-tracheal whistling; nasal cavities obstructed by false membranes ; submax- illary 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 Pltosphor.).

iChild 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 mus- cles ; extreme weakness ; skin hot and dry ; pulse exces- sively weak and so fast that it cannot be counted ; urine scant and dark, without sediment ; no stool for two days. ^Diphtheria.

I Tongue dark red and almost black ; very offensive breath ; saliva thin and fetid; profuse epistaxis; glands swollen and cellular tissue of neck infiltrated; excessive weak- ness. ^Diphtheria.

•Swelling of parotid glands and tonsils; exudate has ap- pearance of honey comb, dirty in color. ^Diphtheria.* ^^ Eating and Drinking, i i After eating too much, ill humor. "*' Stool and Rectum, l Malignant or putrid dysentery. ^' Urinary Organs. iBright's disease.

^■"' Best. 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, b > 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 r. 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 com- menced again ; one day later mouth and fauces perfectly healthy.

* "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 efiisctive; 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. Horn. Ztg., vol. 88, p. 92.

427 MERCURIUS CYANATUS.

'' 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 scapulee. Heaviness: in head.

""* Skin. iSkin 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 cold- ness; extreme prostration and frequent fainting. '^ Stages of Life, Constitution. Girl, a^t 3, sickly^ scrofu- lous, of a scrofulous mother and an old syphilitic father- diphtheria. '

Boy, ?et. 4, weak constitution, subject to catarrhal affections

of chest; diphtheria. Girl, a^t. 4, fair, rosy complexion, blue eyes; diphtheria. Girl, set. 4; diphtheria. Boy, ast. 4, lives in a bad cellar tenement, brother and

sister died of diphtheritis; diphtheria. Girl, set. 7; diphtheria.

Girl, set. 7, blonde, well built, never sick ; diphtheria Boy, set. 7; diphtheria. Girl, ajt. 9; follicular tonsillitis.

Boy, set. 10, for several years enlargement of tonsils; diph- theria. Boy, suffering several years; ulceration of tonsils. Girl, a)t. 11, had had several attacks of diphtheria C?) • follicular tonsillitis. '

Girl, set. 12, large, strong, sanguine temperament, never

had convulsions; diarrhoea. Girl, set. 15; diphtheria. Woman, set. 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., Kah caust, PhytoL, Mur. ac, Laches.

MERCURIUS DULCIS. 428