MERCURY. 
§§ 875 , 876 .] 
§ 875. Symptoms of Poisoning by Mercury Vapour. —The symp¬ 
toms of poisoning by mercury vapour, or by the finely divided metal, are 
the same as those which arise from the corrosive salts, with the exception 
of the local action. In mild cases there is pallor, languor, and sore mouth 
(from slightly inflamed gums), foetid breath, and disorder of the diges¬ 
tive organs. If the action is more intense, there is an inflammation of 
the gums and, indeed, of the whole mouth, and salivation, which is 
sometimes so profuse that as much as two gallons of saliva have been 
secreted daily. The saliva is alkaline, has a bad odour, and its specific 
gravity in the early stages is increased, but ultimately becomes normal; 
the gums are raised into slight swellings, which gradually enlarge and 
coalesce. The teeth that are already carious decay more rapidly ; they 
become loose, and some may be shed ; the inflammatory action may 
extend to the jaw, and necrosis of portions of the bone is no unusual 
occurrence. On recovery the cheeks sometimes form adhesions with the 
gums, and cicatrices always mark the loss of substance which such an 
affection entails. With the stomatitis there are disturbances of the 
gastro-intestinal tract—nausea and vomiting, pain in the stomach, and 
diarrhoea alternating with constipation. Conjunctivitis is very common, 
both in man and animals, from exposure to mercury vapours. The 
further action of the metal is shown in its profound effects on the 
nervous system. The patient is changed in his disposition, he is excit¬ 
able, nervous, or torpid ; there are sleeplessness and bad dreams, at the 
same time headache, noises in the ears, giddiness, faintings, etc. 
§ 876. Mercurial Tremor. —Mercurial tremor 1 may follow or ac¬ 
company the above state, or it may be the chief and most prominent 
effect. It specially affects the arms, partly withdrawing the muscles 
from the control of the will, so that a person affected with mercurial 
tremor is incapacitated from following any occupation, especially those 
requiring a delicate and steady touch. In cases seriously affected, the 
tremor spreads gradually to the feet and legs, and finally the whole body 
may be invaded. The patient is no longer master of his muscles— 
the muscular system is in anarchy, each muscle aimlessly contracting 
and relaxing independently of the rest—the movement of the legs 
becomes uncertain, the speech stuttering, the facial expressions are 
even distorted into grimaces, and the sufferer sinks into a piteous state 
of helplessness. The convulsive movements generally cease during 
1 A case of mercurial tremor (in Bericht. des K. K. allgem. Krankenhauses zu Wien 
im Jahre 1872, Wien, 1873) is interesting, as showing the influence of pregnancy. 
A woman, twenty years of age, employed in making barometers, had, in 1869, 
mercurial tremor and salivation. During a three months’ pregnancy the tremor 
ceased, but again appeared after she had aborted. She again became pregnant, and 
the tremor ceased until after her confinement in November 1871. The tremor was so 
violent that the patient could not walk ; she also had stomatitis ; but ultimately, 
by treatment with galvanism and other remedies, she recovered. 
