Owens Mercurius

Description

Mercurius solubilis – Quicksilver

Remedy picture as described in traditional homoeopathic texts

This remedy affects every organ and tissue in the body.

Mental/Emotional symptoms These individuals can be restless, agitated and anguished, especially at night. They display difficulty in making decisions and are easily exhausted, they feel debilitated in mind and body, suffer low self-esteem and often have a poor memory. They may feel indifferent, caring about nothing, neglecting even to eat. They may feel that they are losing their reason or fear impending evil. They may become suspicious, feel dejected or tormented, and display violent impulses.

Physical symptoms

A “human barometer” – this individual feels worse for changes in the weather, whether hot or cold. They are often restless and sweaty with offensive breath and body odour. Discharges are often yellow-green in colour, irritating the skin and offensive in odour, from any mucous membrane but especially the eyes, nose, throat, lung and genitals. Commonly there is an increased secretion of saliva and ulcerations of the mucous membranes, especially in the mouth. Suffering is intensified at night.

Head: Tension headache, with a sensation of a band or bandage bound tightly around the head. Headache may accompany toothache or earache. Head can be painful to touch.

Face: Pale, yellowish or ‘earthy’ skin, puffiness under the eyes and swollen red cheeks that feel hot. Aching jaw and face bones. Lips are salty, cracked and dry. Cold causes stiffness in the face muscles.

Ears: Chronic ear issues with smelly thick yellow discharge. The pain is worse in a warm bed and may stretch from ears to teeth or throat. Deafness that improves after swallowing or blowing the nose.

Eyes: Burning discharge. Eyelids are red, swollen, crusty and may stick together. Chronic conjunctivitis, or conjunctivitis that occurs during a cold. Black spots, flames or sparks may appear before the eyes. Severe ache behind the eyeballs, which is worse for light.

Nose: Copious, thick and irritating mucous. Catarrhal conditions, ulceration or rawness inside the nose. Damp weather brings sneezing and soreness, whereas sunshine may trigger sneezing until the nose feels raw.

Mouth: Foul breath is common, with excessive saliva and a metallic taste. Frequent mouth ulcers that intensify with every change in the weather. The tongue may have a yellow or white coating showing teeth imprints. There can be great thirst despite intense salivation. Gums are often inflamed, swollen and spongy, sore or numb, and tend to bleed easily. Helpful for teething young children that have ulcers and do lots of dribbling.

Throat: A sore throat that feels raw and burnt with excessive saliva and a foul breath. Tonsils may be enlarged, sore and ulcerated. There can be a constant desire to swallow, and a feeling like there is something stuck in the throat, but ulceration makes swallowing painful. Pain can shift to the ear while swallowing.

Chest: A dry cough during the day, producing yellow-green mucus at night, worse in damp or warm rooms. At night, the cough is worse for lying on right side, but breathing is difficult when lying on the left. Pain that is worse for sneezing or coughing, especially on the right side.

Limbs: Bone pains which are worse at night. Aching joints, tremors and trembling muscles, especially in the hands.

Skin: Moist with strong smelling oily sweat and yellow skin. Sweat is greasy and abundant especially at night, and seems to make the other symptoms feel worse. Moist skin conditions which itch and sting, feeling worse in a warm bed. Ulcers and abscesses that don’t seem to heal. Boils and abscesses that come and go with menses.

Food: Intensely thirsty for cold drinks. Weak digestion but feels hungry all the time. Dislikes coffee, meat, butter or fatty foods, and craves milk and sweets.

Temperature: Very sensitive to the cold. May feel too hot and too cold alternately.

Vertigo: Worse for lying on the back and feels like sitting on a swing.

Key points

• Pains worse at night

• Human barometer – worse for hot or cold

• Profuse and offensive night sweats

• Foul breath, excessive saliva and metallic taste

• Mouth ulcers, inflamed gums, flabby indented tongue

• Intense thirst

• Sore throat

• Chronic ear conditions with discharge

• Teething with salivation and ulcers

Exciting causes

• Changing weather; fright; suppressed sweat

Modalities

Better: Rest; stable weather; high altitude

Worse: Night; heat of the bed; from sweating; damp and cold; draughts; weather changes; lying on right side; tobacco smoke

Desires: Stimulants; bread and butter; cold drinks; beer; lemons

Aversions: Meat; fat; butter; brandy; strong cheese; coffee; sweets