Image of the planet Mercury above.
A lot of people will have heard of the remedy Mercurius which is Quicksilver in common parlance. Now, no more, but it was used in thermometers when I was growing up as it has a high sensitivity to heat and changes in temperature. It is a metal which is liquid and reacts quickly to changes in temperature as well as being reflective. It freezes at 39 celsius, so cannot be used below that temperature.
Homeopathically, Mercury has been used as a remedy along with many of it’s salts. Not all of them are as well known as Merc-sol (Mercurius Solubilis), which is a major polycrest. A polycrest remedy is one with a big picture, covering many parts of the body/mind in terms of symptoms, and used on a big scale because of it’s depth of action.
In this blog, I will look at some of the smaller Mercurius salt remedies which can help with Ear, nose and throat issues. But I start with Merc-sol.
MERCURIUS-SOLUBILIS (Merc-sol)
People needing Merc-s will be sensitive to any change of temperature and extremes of temperature. There is a tendency to form pus, with discharges that are burning, smelly, thin and streaked with blood. They feel intensely thirsty, will produce a lot of saliva and thus tend to dribble. They will be very restless and anxious.
Throat: The tonsils are swollen and ulcerated, worse on the right side. The swollen area can look bluish red. The pain will be smarting, burning and raw. It spreads to the ears and the neck. The throat will feel dry despite much saliva in the mouth. The glands are also swollen and painful.
Nose: Nasal bones swollen, nostrils raw and bleeding. Nasal catarrh is bloody, yellow-green, and burns the upper lips and may smell of old cheese!. The nose may bleed during sleep.
Ears: Earache at night. Bursting of ear drum with a smelly, blood streaked discharge. Pain is shooting, and the ear feels stopped and swollen.
Worse: night, lying on right side, being heated, sweating
Better: Morning, moderate temperature.
MERCURIUS CORROSIVUS (Merc-c)
This has a more intense and stronger picture than Merc-sol, with more burning, more pain, more agitation. There is extreme thirst.
Throat: Red, swollen, intensely inflamed and very painful. Pains are burning and raw. Swallowing is painful. Pain can be associated with a post nasal drip with sharp pains in ears. Pain is worse from external pressure. Saliva is increased and can be sticky and difficult to swallow. Gums and/or tongue may be swollen and bleeding.
Nose: Atrophy of nasal bone structure and soft tissue. Bleeding of mucous membranes, nostrils feel raw.
Worse: evening, night, pressure
Better: rest
MERCURIUS IODATUS FLAVUS (Merc-i-f)
Mainly used in throat affections where the tongue is thickly coated yellow at the base, but the tip and edges of the tongue can be red. The tongue is indented by teeth very easily. The glands in the body can be affected, swollen and hard, particularly the inguinal glands in the groin. Symptoms go from right to left.
Throat: Swelling begins on the right side and goes to the left. Tonsils excrete a fluid when infected, and here it is cheesy. Breath is offensive. Sensation of a lump in throat with constant desire to swallow. Sticky mucous.
Nose: Post-nasal drip causing hawking. Shooting pain at root of nose (area between eye-brows)
Worse: night, warm drinks, cold, damp weather, touch, lying on left side.
Better: open air, active motion
MERCURIUS IODATUS RUBER (Merc-i-r)
Ulcerated sore throat, especially on left side. Can be associated with much glandular swelling. There can be a bitter taste in mouth. Early stages of a cold in children. Tendency to cry.
Throat: the opening of the mouth to the back of the throat is dark red, swallowing is painful, sensation of a lump in throat. The throat and neck muscles feel stiff. Spread of infection to soft tissue next to tonsils. Inflammation and swelling of left tonsil, hoarseness, cough with much hawking of mucous. Sore throat goes left to right. The tonsils are swollen, red and can have pus oozing out. Hawking of mucous.
Ears: closure of Eustachian tube. (feeling of fullness in ears, pain, muffled hearing). Opens with a pop. Itchiness in both ears.
Nose: bones and mucous membrane inside the nose are swollen. Excessive mucous in nose and throat with hawking.
Worse: empty swallowing or swallowing food, after sleep, change of weather, touch and pressure, getting wet.
Better: open air
MERCURIUS DULCIS (Merc-d)
This remedy affects the ears more than the throat. There is offensive breath, salivation (dark, offensive saliva), indented tongue. Ulceration of throat with difficulty swallowing.
Ears: Otitis media or middle ear infection. Closure of Eustachian tube when inflamed or clogged with mucous. Ear troubles with inflamed and irritated lymph nodes in neck. Thickened ear drum.
Worse: acids
Better: cold drinks
Image taken by Messenger Spacecraft.
For information on potency and dosage, please see
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