We shall here give the first Place to Mercury Sublimate.
This is no other than a Mixture of Quicksilver with common Salt. The way of preparing it, as ’tis made at Venice, from whence great quantities are sent into other Countries, Tachenius has given Us in his Hippocrates Chymicus [(114)]; as to which we must observe, that tho’ there be always added a proportion of Salt-Petre, and Calcin’d Vitriol to the other Ingredients, yet these do not enter into the Composition, but only serve to facilitate the Work; as abundantly appears from this Experiment, That Mercury sublim’d with the same Proportion of Nitre and Vitriol without Marine Salt, neither receives any increase of its Weight, nor acquires any malignant Quality.
The Effects of this Poison when taken are, violent Griping Pains, with a Distension of the Belly, Vomiting of a slimy, frothy Matter, sometimes mixt with Blood, and Stools of the same, an intolerable Heat and Thirst, with cold Sweats, Tremblings, Convulsions, &c. as will appear from the following History [(115)].
To a large Dog was given a Drachm of Mercury Sublimate, mixt with a little Bread; within a quarter of an Hour He fell into terrible Vomitings, casting up frequently a Viscid, frothy Mucus, every time more and more Bloody, and purged the same downwards; till tired and spent with this hard Service, He lay down quietly as it were to Sleep, but Died the next Morning.
The Abdomen being opened, a great quantity of extravasated Blood was found between the Liver and Stomach, and between the duplicature of the Omentum about the Stomach; the Guts as well as the Stomach were distended, and full of a frothy Bloody Mucus; on the outside they were of a livid Colour, within all over red, and inflamed down to the very Rectum; The Fibrous Coat of the Stomach being taken off, between that and the Nervous one, grumous Blood was found in several Places; the like was discovered here and there in the Intestins between the same Coats.
The same Symptoms with these, and manifest Signs of a burning Corrosion followed with Ulcers in the Bowels, Baccius [(116)] observ’d in a young Man Poison’d by Sublimate, mixt with his Meat.
What we are here chiefly to examine is, how from Ingredients singly Innocent and Harmless, so Mischievous a Compound can result; for as the Case is very plain with respect to Salt, so is it likewise now Notorious enough, that Quick-silver it self, which the Ancients, Dioscorides, Galen, Pliny, &c. have unjustly rank’d among Poisons, is in many Diseases inwardly taken of very safe and beneficial Use; and that not only when disguised with Sulphur, Sugar, &c. but Crude, without any Correction, or vainly pretended Mortification.
This the Arabian Physicians first gave the hint of; Avicen, [(117)] having observ’d, that They who drink It in a large quantity receive no hurt, its weight making a free Passage thro’ the Body. This was Incouragement enough for the Practice of giving whole Pounds of It in the Iliac Passion; which is oftentimes done with good Success, without any frightful Symptom accompanying the Advantage receiv’d from its Ponderosity.
Afterwards it plainly appear’d that this Mineral, tho’ not taken in so great a Dose as could immediately force its way thro’ the Intestins, even when it was lodged for some time in this or that Part, was not at all hurtful by any Corrosive or Malignant Quality. And Fallopius [(118)], Brasavolus [(119)], with others of great Note, confirmed its harmless Efficacy in the Cure of the Worms, not only in adult Persons, but even in the more tender Constitutions of Children.
Nor are these the only Cases in which good Service may be had from this Weighty Fluid; he that rightly considers the State of the Animal Oeconomy, the various Alterations it suffers from the Stagnation of its more Viscid Juices in the smallest Canals, and how much the Impulse and Force of the Circling Blood, by which Obstructions are to be removed, must be increased by its carrying along with it such Particles as the Mercurial Globuli, will perhaps see good Reason to allow, that the prudent and cautious Management of Quicksilver may do that in some obstinate and dangerous Diseases, which we cannot promise our selves from any other of our known Medicines whatsoever.