Homeopathic Materia Medica

Lectures on Homoeopathic Materia Medica, James Tyler Kent

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.

A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica, John Henry Clarke

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

Clinical.─Diphtheria. Dysentery. Enteric fever. Haemorrhages. 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." Haemorrhages 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.

SYMPTOMS.

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

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

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

4. Ears.─Ringing in ear.

5. Nose.─Profuse epistaxis several times a day for two weeks.

6. Face.─Face: flushed; cyanotic; pale and wan.

8. 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.

9. 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 oedematous.

11. 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.

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

13. 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 diarrhoea preceded by severe colic.─Offensive, green, slimy stools.─Bloody stools.─Scanty stools.─Obstinate constipation (later effect).

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

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

17. Respiratory Organs.─Slight cough.─Hoarseness; talking = pain in throat.

19. Heart.─Violent and abrupt beating of heart.─Strong palpitation.

21. Limbs.─Slight spasms of extremities.

22. 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 oedema of forearm.)

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

25. Skin.─Skin moist and cold.─Scarlatina.

26. Sleep.─Drowsiness with easy waking.

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

Keynotes and Characteristics with Comparisons of Some of the Leading Remedies of the Materia Medica (Allen's Keynotes), Henry Clay Allen

Cyanide of Mercury (Hg(CN2))

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.

Leaders In Homoeopathic Therapeutics, Eugene Beauharnais Nash

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.