MERCURY OR QUICKSILVER.
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accumulation). The inflammation of the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis mercurialis ; sym-phoresis conjunctiva oculi mercurialis, Dieter.), ascribed by Von Ammon ( Rust’s Maga-zin, 1830) to the use of mercury, should probably be referred to some other cause. Hesays it is characterized by a lilac tint around the cornea; that it sometimes precedessalivation, disappearing when this is established, and is commonly regarded as acatarrhal symptom. The mercurial iritis (iritis mercurialis: symphoresis ireos mercu-rialis, Dieter.; iritis rheumatico-mercurialis, Jaeger), described by Mr. Travers(Surgical Essays, i. 59), was, in all probability, an iritis arising from some other causethan mercury (Mackenzie, On Diseases of the Eye, 2d edit. p. 496). The so-called mer-curial retinitis (symphoresis retina oculi mercurialis, Dieter.) may be explained in thesame way. An inflammation of the fauces sometimes occurs after the use of mercury(i angina mercurialis ; symphoresis faucium mercurialis, Dieter.) It may come on in fiveor six days after the use of mercury, and assume an acute form, with a tendency toslough (Colles, Tract. Observ. on the Vener. Disease, p. 45); or it may appear after theemployment of mercury for five or six weeks, and take on a chronic form (Dieterich,op. cit. p. 273). Inflammation of the bone or periosteum, and the consequent produc-tion of nodes (symphoresis periostei mercurialis, Dieter.), has been ascribed to mercury.But the disease is rarely or never seen after the use of this mineral, except when it hasbeen given for the cure of a venereal affection, to which, in fact, it ought with more pro-priety to be referred (Mr. Lawrence, Led . on Surg. in Med. Gaz. v. 805; Colies, op.cit. p. 189).
8. Hypertrophies (Hypertrophies, Dieter.).—Enlargement of the inguinal, axillary,and mesenteric absorbent glands (adenophyma inguinale mercuriale; ad. axillare mere. ;ad. meseraicum mere. Dieter.), as well as of some of the secreting glands, viz. theparotid glands, the pancreas, the testicles, and liver (adenophymaparotideum mere.; ad.pancreaticum mere.; ad. testiculi mere.; hepatophyma mere.), and condyloma andganglion (condyloma et ganglion mercuriale, Dieter.), have been ascribed by some(Mathias, op. cit. and Dieterich, op. cit.) to the use of mercury, but, as I believe, on in-sufficient grounds.
9. Ulceration and sloughing. —Ulceration of the mouth is a well-known effect ofmercury'. Ulceration of the throat is likewise a consequence of the use of this mineral(mercurial ulcerated throat, Mathias; mercurial sore throat, Bacot, in Med. Gaz. iii.312). Sloughing of the same parts may also be induced. It is well known thatvenereal sores (especially those called phagedenic) at times assume a sloughing dispo-sition, in consequence of the improper use of mercury (Sir A. Cooper, Lectures on Sur-gery, iu Lancet, iv. 42; Carmichael, On Venereal Diseases, p. 165, et seq. 2 nd . ed.)Ulceration of the fibrous membranes (ulcus membrance fibroste mercuriale), and ulcerationof the absorbent glands (ulcus glandularum mercuriale), has been ascribed to the use ofmercury (Dieterich, op. cit. p. 376).
10. Neuroses mercuriales .—Various symptoms indicating a disordered condition ofthe nervous system, are met with in persons who have been exposed to the baneful in-fluence of mercury: such as wandering pains (neuralgia mercurialis)', a tremulouscondition of the muscular system (tremor mercurialis), sometimes accompanied withstammering (psellismus metallicus), and occasionally terminating in paralysis (paralysismercurialis), epilepsy or apoplexy (apoplexia mercurialis). To these, Dieterich (op. cit.)adds asthma (asthma mercurialis), of which he only saw one case, amaurosis (amaurosismercurialis), and hypochondriasis (hypochondriasis mercurialis).
Of these, the best known is the shaking palsy (tremor mercurialis ; tremblement mer-curiel), a remarkable affection which occurs among workmen exposed to the action of thevapour of mercury, such as miners, gilders, barometer-makers, looking-glass silverers,&c. The first symptom of it is unsteadiness of the arm, succeeded by a kind of quiver-ing of the muscles, which increases until the movements become of a convulsive charac-ter. In all the cases which I have seen, the movements were suspended during sleep.
11. Cachexia (cachexia mercurialis). —This condition is characterized by disorder ofthe digestive organs, loss of appetite, wasting, incapability of much exertion, with in-creased secretion from all the organs, especially from the salivary glands.
The foregoing are the most important of the ill effects ascribed to theuse of mercury. As I have already stated, some of them ought probablyto be referred to other causes, and not to the use of this mineral; but asdoubt must necessarily be entertained on this point, 1 have thoughtit more advisable to mention them. The student will find some pertinentobservations concerning them, in a paper by Dr. Musgrave (Edin. Med.