Case 1:
is a 6-year-old girl. She’d had Mollos*** Contagiosum for 6 months and came to me on 12 April 2021. She has had crusty skin eruptions which were very itchy. When they first appeared, there were yellow with pus in them. The eruptions were itchy and they were getting itchier at night and sometimes they would bleed as a result of excessive itching.
During the diagnosis session, it was determined that she had a history of eczema when she was a baby, and it had vanished with an ointment. While she was still a baby, she had conjunctivitis which was cleared with a drop of milk.
In 2019, she had a lymph node enlargement on the neck which subsided with antibiotics. Meanwhile, she had a hand and mouth disease and a convulsion with a 40⁰C temperature.
The patient was sucking her thumb especially when she was distressed. As she was afraid of darkness, she was sleeping with the light next to her mother. She likes cats and she is very interested in beauty. She dresses up herself and mostly prefers sparkling clothes. In the future, she wants to be a hairdresser.
She likes to eat chocolate, ice lolls, and fruits. She likes to drink cold water. She does not like meat or milk. She sleeps uncovered, and her feet are always warm.
Her mother had a hard time giving birth to her. There was no labor pain so after the 40th week she got artificial pain with drugs. During contraction doctors applied epidural anesthesia, and she had a very difficult labor. Once the baby was delivered the mother fainted for 3-4 hours.
Mother and child couldn’t bond after the delivery with no skin-to-skin contact. The girl was born at 4.5 kgs. After diagnosing the baby in the newborn intensive care unit, it was decided to apply antibiotics to prevent a long labor infection.
Subsequently, the baby did not have any problems taking the mother’s milk. The child was breastfed for 2 years and completed all the necessary vaccinations including Hepatitis B.
Her mom had a history of Tuberculosis. The mother’s family has a history of breast cancer, and her father has a history of hypertension and dementia.
The girl has a lot of friends, and she states that she is good with everybody, and it is easy for her to make friends. During the examination, the patient was unwilling to show her belly where her eruptions were mostly. Her tonsils were larger than normal.
The repertorizzation is from RadarOpus software (Synthesis):
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – mollus*** – contagiosum; mollus***
MOUTH – FINGERS IN THE MOUTH, CHILDREN PUT
FACE – DISCOLORATION – red – Cheeks
GENERALS – FAMILY HISTORY OF – tuberculosis
MIND – ANIMALS – love for animals – cats
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – itching
EXTREMITIES – ERUPTIONS – Hands – eczema
MIND – FEAR – dark; of – children; in
Looking at this blockysis I gave her Phosphorus, however I was not sure about it, so I chose 30 C potency in water for a week one dose a day.
20 May 2021 first follow-up: She started sleeping alone with the light on. She stopped itching, however, she still had eruptions and eruptions spread all over her body. She slept all day long the day after she took the remedy. She continued sucking her thumb.
There were new eruptions on her face. I thought that we were going in the right direction because she slept well, and the itchiness was gone. I considered spreading eruptions as an aggravation of the remedy; therefore, I gave her 200 C potency Phosphorus in water for one dose.
Four weeks later she was nearly the same as before except there was a white discoloration on her forehead. Based on these facts I decided to re-blockyze the case from the beginning for a change in direction.
During the consultation, her mother said that there was blood on the girl’s bed sheet in the morning because of excessive itchiness and her pillow was wet because of drooling saliva.
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – crusty
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – itching – night
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – bleeding
FACE – DISCOLORATION – white
GENERALS – FOOD AND DRINKS – ice – desire
MIND – GESTURES, MAKES – fingers – mouth; children put fingers into the
MOUTH – SALIVATION The patient is such a sweet girl and has a mild character thus I did not consider Mercurius though all of the symptoms and modalities suggested it. I decided to give her 30 C potency Merc solubulis in water one dose a day for a week.
The next appointment we had was on January 20, 2022. She was sleeping alone without light. There were no eruptions and also there was no more itching. She stopped putting her thumb in her mouth.
Case 2
- P. is an 11-year-old girl who visited me on April 13, 2023. During the visit she had the following complaints;
- Increased unwanted hair growth on her body
- Eczema around the eyes and face
- Bad breath odor
- Constipation from certain foods
- Snoring while sleeping
- Covers her head with the blanket while sleeping due to being frightened
- Nightmares about losing her foot
She does not wake up refreshed in the mornings. The patient mostly feels cold therefore she likes warm places. Indeed if she drinks cold water she gets a sore throat. She plays piano, plays basketball and she likes cooking.
When she gets angry she hits something or someone. If she gets bullied, she gets very irritated. Injustice makes her mad. She likes animals and is afraid of bugs like spiders and bees. She likes rainy weather.
She is full of fears of being murdered, tortured, and/or strangulation. Along with these fears, she is afraid of fire. Often she thinks about p***ing away and with the following thought of whether anyone will show up at her funera. She is a knife enthusiast and would like to make a knife collection, however, her mother did not allow her to do so.
She indicated that she used to wash her hands constantly during the day approximately 16 times and her hands were completely damaged. Sanitation was a total obsession of hers. A single time she had ringworm-like lesions on her arm which appeared out of the blue and disappeared on its own.
As mentioned above in the symptoms she stated that she is extremely hairy with unwanted body hair. Nevertheless I did not see such a thing on her body. The mother said that her daughter is highly interested in her physical appearance. She has two siblings who are older than her and she is very much loved at home. Her mother and father belong to a high socioeconomic cl***.
The patient has not faced any violence in her life from the family. Her parents complained about her temper. She has an extrovert personality type, she created a warm and easy connection with me.
MIND – DANCING
MIND – STRIKING
MOUTH – ODOR – offensive
MIND – BITING
MIND – DELUSIONS – murdered – will be murdered; he
DREAMS – MURDER
FACE – Eruptions on face – Eczema
RESPIRATION – SNORING
MIND – WASHING – desire to wash – hands; always washing her
Even though she is a nice-looking, friendly, and outgoing girl every rubric indicates Mercurius. I started 200C potency dry two globules of Mercurius sol. considering I was sure of the remedy and she had a very good vital force.
Follow up:
For months, I didn’t hear from her for a follow-up. On August 9, 2023, I called the mother for an update. She reported that her daughter was doing great, except for some temper issues, but her anxiety and fears had completely cleared. She no longer feared ghosts, was comfortable with bugs, and her sleeping habits had improved, allowing her to sleep in the dark.
Additionally, her bad breath had improved, and her eczema had reduced and was barely visible. There was no longer any constipation. On September 1, 2023, the young girl contacted me, saying she felt great, but still had bad breath. I advised her to visit a dentist, and we could re***ess afterward.
Case 3
T.O., a 14-year-old boy, sought help on March 29, 2023 for an itchy scalp with dandruff that had been bothering him for two years. The itchiness worsens at night and sometimes leads to bleeding. He attributed the start of his symptoms to hitting his head on a lamp.
Additionally, he experiences pus drainage at night. His family moves frequently due to his parents’ job. He has nightmares about demonic creatures. He prefers not to sleep alone and enjoys playing basketball and reading religious books.
He has a fascination with swords and knives, despite his mother’s disapproval. He expressed a desire to hit sometimes but refrains from doing so. He has two swords and aspires to expand his collection.
The patient revealed a history of witnessing a rape scene at school in the previous continent, where the perpetrators were the patient’s friends. They warned the patient not to speak about it, and this is the first time the patient is sharing this experience.
The patient mentioned wearing cardigans due to feeling chilly, enjoying cold water, and liking rainy weather. Additionally, his mother shared that she had surgery when he was two months old, resulting in temporary separation from the parents. She nursed him for two and a half years. He had black teeth when they first appeared.
MIND – KILL; DESIRE TO – knife – with a knife
MIND – RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS – too occupied with religion
MIND – CURSING
SLEEP – DISTURBED – nightmare; by a
SLEEP – POSITION – side; on – left side; on
SLEEP – POSITION – side; on – right side; on – impossible
GENERALS – FOOD AND DRINKS – cold drink, cold water – desire
HEAD – ERUPTIONS – milk crust
GENERALS – FOOD AND DRINKS – milk – desire
HEAD – ITCHING OF SCALP
Rx: Mercury 30C in water once a day for a week.
Follow-up (24 July 2023):
- Patient reported a significant improvement in his dreams, no longer experiencing nightmares
- Able to sleep alone without issue
- Preferred staying at home and reading books during hot summer days
- Skin symptoms persisted (itchy scalp and eruptions)
Treatment Plan:
- Continue Mercury 200 CH in water once a day for 1 week
Follow-up (16 September 2023):
- Patient showed further improvement in skin symptoms (no itchiness and dandruff)
- Still enjoys playing with swords and expresses interest in learning swordplay, but is unable to find opportunities near him
MERCURIUS SOLUBILIS
As a homeopathic practitioner I have long been familiar with Mercurius, a remedy with a rich history dating back to Hahnemann’s time. However, it wasn’t until I encountered a sweet and endearing child who required this remedy that I began to question my ***umptions about Mercurius.
Contrary to its reputation as a syphilitic remedy, this child and others I have since treated with Mercurius have shown little to no signs of malice. This has led me to wonder if the world is changing, and if we are seeing a shift in the presentation of symptoms that require this remedy.
With the advent of online consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had the opportunity to work with patients from diverse backgrounds and countries. However, the children who have required Mercurius have all been of Turkish descent, raising questions about cultural and geographic influences on health.
As we continue to explore the realm of homeopathy, it is essential to keep an open mind and revisit our understanding of well-established remedies like Mercurius. Might this remedy hold new lessons for us in the modern age? I invite fellow practitioners and enthusiasts to share their experiences and insights as we delve deeper into the mysteries of homeopathy.
“The underlying cause of characteristic Mercurius aggravation from suppression of discharges, such as otorrhoea or other suppurative disorders, lies in the lack of reactive power, according to Vithoulkas’ book “The Essence of Materia Medica”.
This suppression often occurs through orthodox treatment, leading the Mercurius system to absorb the morbific influence and create deeper pathology. With the increased use of allopathic drugs like antibiotics, more individuals will likely exhibit Mercury-like symptoms. However, this raises concerns about antibiotic resistance due to overuse. Understanding the concept of suppression in homeoathy and its implications for treatment is crucial in addressing these issues.”
In the first case, we don’t see any violence but fear at night. Fear at night is more common in children but fear of crime and murder is something more rare as we have seen for cases 2 and 3, although case 3 has a reason to be afraid of violence. But this is a piece of real evidence that an organism perfectly expresses itself at all levels, mind, and body to point us to a clear portrait of a remedy especially in children.
There is no rubric such as adoring the knives and swords but these 2 kids have this habit in common. I decided to take it fear of a knife. Maybe unconsciously they were collecting these materials so they want to overcome the fear. We never know but maybe we can add the rubric of adoring cutleries. There are some important rubrics from synthesis about causa and knives.
MIND – ABUSIVE – insulting: (1) merc. + (220
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – disappointment: (1) MERC. + (52)
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – domination: (1) merc. + (38)
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – embarr***ment: (1) Merc. + (36)
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – fright: (1) merc. + (85)
MIND – AILMENTS FROM – mortification: (1) merc. + (78)
MIND – ANARCHIST – revolutionary: (1) MERC.
MIND – ANGER: (= … ) (1) MERC. + (426)
MIND – ANGER – children; in: (1) merc. + (35)
MIND – ANGER – contradiction; from: (1) merc. + (79)
GENERALS – CONVALESCENCE; AILMENTS DURING – ear; after discharges from: (1) merc. + (14)
GENERALS – CONVALESCENCE; AILMENTS DURING – perspiration; after suppressed: (1) merc. + (4)
GENERALS – VACCINATION; AILMENTS AFTER: (1) Merc. + (57)
MIND – FEAR – knives; of: (1) merc. + (16)
MIND – FEAR – suicide; of – knife; on seeing a: (1) merc. + (1)
MIND – KILL; DESIRE TO – knife – sight of a; at the: (1) Merc. + (6)
MIND – KILL; DESIRE TO – knife – with a knife: (1) Merc. + (14)
MIND – SUICIDAL DISPOSITION – fear – window or a knife; with fear of an open: (1) Merc. + (3)
MIND – SUICIDAL DISPOSITION – knife – with a knife: (1) Merc. + (11)
In contemporary society, personal hygiene practices have made body odor less prevalent. However, in one case, the mother and daughter reported severe mouth odor. While Kent’s observation about Mercurius may not be applicable, online or phone consultations can overlook subtle clues like body odor. Moreover, the widespread use of cosmetics can mask body odor, making it challenging for physicians to detect.
Nonetheless, focusing on the modality of the cases led to a successful approach with the three children. They all experienced manageable skin issues that worsened at night, aligning with Mercurius Solubilis in the Synthesis Repertory. As confirmed by Materia Medica, symptoms intensify at night, especially in bed. This emphasizes the importance of considering modality in homeopathic diagnosis.
“Intolerable biting, itching over the body, as from insect bites; worse in the evening and from the warmth of bed; becomes pleasant on scratching,” says Lippe.
Here are some rubricks related to skin problems from Synthesis Repertory.
SKIN – BURNING – scratching; after: (1) MERC. + (97)
SKIN – DISCOLORATION – brown – liver spots: (1) MERC. + (79)
SKIN – DISCOLORATION – pale: (1) Merc. + (85)
SKIN – DISCOLORATION – red: (1) MERC. + (194)
SKIN – DISCOLORATION – red – spots: (1) MERC. + (144)
SKIN CICATRICES: (1) Merc. + (84)
HEAD ERUPTIONS: (1) MERC. + (236)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS: (1) MERC. + (701)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – bleeding: (1) MERC. + (39)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – boils: (1) MERC. + (166)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – burning: (1) MERC. + (124)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – crusty: (1) MERC. + (128)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – crusty – moist: (1) MERC. + (32)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – discharging: (= … ) (1) Merc. + (127)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – discharging – greenish: (1) MERC. + (25)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – eczema: (1) Merc. + (222)
SKIN – ERUPTIONS – herpetic: (1) MERC. + (201)
Through these cases, I gained insight into Mercurius childrens’ presentation. They can resemble Phosphorus or Pulsatilla, as seen in the first case, or exhibit Lachesis-like traits, being outgoing, expressive, and loud as in the second case. I observed shared characteristics between Mercury and these remedies in Synthesis. This understanding highlights the importance of considering various remedy possibilities in homeopathic diagnosis.”
MIND – ANXIETY – night: (4) Lach. Merc. Phos. PULS. + (161)
MIND – FEAR – night: (4) Lach. Merc. phos. Puls. + (83)
MIND – RESTLESSNESS – night: (4) lach. MERC. Phos. PULS. + (277)
MIND – WEEPING – night: (4) Lach. merc. phos. Puls. + (84)
GENERALS – NIGHT: (4) LACH. MERC. PHOS. PULS. + (385)
GENERALS – NIGHT – midnight – before: (4) Lach. Merc. PHOS. PULS. + (108)
GENERALS – NIGHT – midnight – after: (4) lach. Merc. PHOS. Puls. + (233)
MIND CHEERFUL: (4) LACH. merc. Phos. Puls. + (372)
MIND – CHEERFUL evening: (4) LACH. Merc. phos. Puls. + (75)
MIND EXCITEMENT: (4) LACH. Merc. PHOS. PULS. + (487)
GENERALS – FOOD AND DRINKS – cold food – amel.: (4) Lach. Merc. PHOS. PULS. + (69)
GENERALS – FOOD AND DRINKS – cold food – desire: (4) lach. merc. PHOS. PULS. + (81)
MIND – GESTURES, MAKES: (2) lach. merc. + (187)
As described by Vithoulkas in The Essence of Materia Medica, the progression of pathology in Mercurius exhibits a characteristic sequence of events, well-understood within the realm of homeopathy. Mercurius primarily impacts the skin and mucous membranes, followed by the spinal column and brain, indicating a predisposition for ectodermally derived structures. This is consistent with biological principles, where ectodermal structures encomp*** the skin, mucous membranes, eyes, and nervous system, all of which are susceptible to Mercurius’ influence.
The three cases of skin problems in children exemplify the initial level of Mercury’s pathology. Homeopathy offers a comprehensive approach to addressing the entire complaint, encomp***ing both fears and skin issues, with the potential for gentle and permanent resolution, as suggested by Hahnemann.
References
1-RadarOpus
2-Synthesis Repertory; Schroyens F
3-Kent Materia Medica; Kent. J
4-Keynotes and Red Line symptoms of the Materia Medica; LIPPE A. Von
5-The Essence of Materia Medica; VITHOULKAS G.
