how effective was mercury treatment for gonorrhea and syphilis

One of the early discoveries was that a mercury salve could help. Administered topically as a paste, the sores sometimes healed. This led to a linkage between mercury and syphilis and the famous phrase of “a night with Venus

and a lifetime with Mercury”. Mercury helped but it didn’t cure.

Full Answer

How did Mercury help treat syphilis?

Administered topically as a paste, the sores sometimes healed. This led to a linkage between mercury and syphilis and the famous phrase of “a night with Venus and a lifetime with Mercury”. Mercury helped but it didn’t cure. Physicians began to work on methods to get mercury into the body.

What was the impact of gonorrhoea and syphilis on military personnel?

The impact of gonorrhoea and syphilis on military personnel in terms of morbidity and mortality was greatly mitigated after 1943 due to the introduction of penicillin, as well as other factors such as education, prophylaxis, training of health personnel and adequate and rapid access to treatment.

How effective was guaiacum as a cure for syphilis?

Guaiacum was not effective as a cure and the alternative was mercury. Mercury had been used as a treatment for epidemic diseases since Guy de Chauliac, (personal physician to the Pope in Avignon), advocated its use in his work La Grande Chirurgie in 1363, and this became the accepted treatment for syphilis.

Can Mercury really cure you?

For hundreds of years, mercury-containing products claimed to heal a varied and strangely unrelated host of ailments. Melancholy, constipation, syphilis, influenza, parasites — you name it, and someone swore that mercury could fix it.

Was Mercury effective in treating syphilis?

Mercury was in use by the early 16th century, and remained the primary treatment for syphilis until the early 20th century.

How did they treat syphilis in the 1800's?

At the time, treatments were few and ineffective. Physicians tried remedies such as mercury ointments, some of which caused patients great pain and even killed them. Sweat baths were also used, as some healers believed sweating purged the body of syphilitic poisons.

How was syphilis treated in the 1930s?

In the 1930s, before penicillin became the standard (and remarkably effective) treatment for syphilis, it was especially important to catch the disease before it progressed. The Library of Congress says this remarkable print was made sometime between 1936 and 1940, as World War II ramped up and then began.

How was gonorrhea treated in the 1800s?

In the 19th century gonorrhea was treated with the help of silver nitrate. Silver nitrate was soon discontinued and instead protargol was used which was a type of colloidal silver sold by Bayer from the year 1887. Around 1859 another treatment was popular.

What was mercury powder used for in the 19th century?

19th century doctors knew that mercury – the syphilis treatment par excellence – could be absorbed through the skin. They had also learned from accidentally poisoning their patients that its administration needed to be carefully controlled.

What was mercury used to treat?

Mercury was used in a wide variety of medical applications: to treat inflammation in the nose and throat; corneal stains; ulcers and warts; as a laxative; to stimulate the biliary function; against diarrhoea and vomiting; against dropsy; against spleen, liver, and lung diseases; and most notably, against syphilis.

What animal did syphilis come from?

Syphilis also came to humans from cattle or sheep many centuries ago, possibly sexually”. The most recent and deadliest STI to have crossed the barrier separating humans and animals has been HIV, which humans got from the simian version of the virus in chimpanzees.

How did they treat syphilis before penicillin?

In the early 16th century, the main treatments for syphilis were guaiacum, or holy wood, and mercury skin inunctions or ointments, and treatment was by and large the province of barber and wound surgeons. Sweat baths were also used as it was thought induced salivation and sweating eliminated the syphilitic poisons.

Why was mercury used in syphilis?

Mercury was the remedy of choice for syphilis in Protestant Europe. Paracelsus (1493-1541) formulated mercury as an ointment because he recognised the toxicity and risk of poisoning when administrating mercury as an elixir. Mercury was already being used in Western Europe to treat skin diseases.

What is the black spot on the neck of the Quack Doctor?

Viscount Squanderfield, who is seated and holding up a pill box to the quack doctor, is depicted with a large black spot on his neck. This spot is often interpreted as a syphilis sore and the pills are likely to be mercury pills.

What is the Hogarth print?

The Hogarth print depicts a shelf of apothecary ceramic jars — one or two may contain mercury ointment. The RPS museum has a tin-glazed earthenware jar with a label which reads ’Elecampane and mercury ointment’ dating from around 1700–30 and would have been available from apothecaries during Hogarth’s time.

Why does the mistress hold another pill box?

His child mistress holds another pill box whilst dabbing the edge of her mouth, which may indicate she could be suffering from excessive salivation as a result of mercury poisoning or she could be dabbing an oozing sore. Source: Museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

What was the first antibiotic for syphilis?

Source: Museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Salvarsan was the first effective treatment for syphilis.

When was the first syphilis treatment discovered?

The first effective treatment for syphilis, Salvarsan, was only found in 1910 — five years after the causative bacterium was identified by Fritz Schaudinn (a zoologist) and Erich Hoffmann (a dermatologist). Salvarsan was developed by Nobel Prize winner Paul Ehrlich and his Japanese assistant Sahachiro Hata.

When were mercury pills popular?

Mercury pills were popular for treating syphilis from the 17th to 19th century.

Why do people use sweat baths?

Sweat baths were also used as it was thought induced salivation and sweating eliminated the syphilitic poisons””””, jmvh.org › article › syphilis-its-early-history-and-treatme. .

When was penicillin first used?

Shortly after that, in 1928 penicillin was discovered. It wasn’t until 1943 that it was used as a treatment for syphilis and gonorrhea.

Why is STI named after a nationality?

Fun fact: because of STI prevalence in the military, the disease was initially named after the nationality they were fighting against , the Tahitians called it the “British Disease”, the Turkish called it the “Christian Disease”. It was eventually named Syphilis after an “epic Latin poem Syphilis, sive morbus gallicus, ‘ Syphilis, or the French disease ’, published in 1530 by Girolamo Fracastoro.”

When did syphilis start?

Here’s a fascinating history of Syphilis that tracks an outbreak back in the 1400s: Syphilis - Its early history and Treatment until Penicillin and the Debate on its Origins,

What is the name of the compound that was found to be effective but painful?

They later found an arsenic based compound “Salvarson” that was effective, but extremely painful and had to be injected.

What are the side effects of mercury poisoning?

Mercury had terrible side effects causing neuropathies, kidney failure, and severe mouth ulcers and loss of teeth, and many patients died of mercurial poisoning rather than from the disease itself. Treatment would typically go on for years and gave rise to the saying,

What was the only drug that was used to treat syphilis?

Before antibiotics were discovered, mercury may have been the ONLY effective treatment against syphilis. Maybe mercury and arsenic. There may have been other heavy metals used to kill the bacteria in the body. 196 views.

Why was mercury used as an ointment?

Paracelsus (1493-1541) formulated mercury as an ointment because he recognised the toxicity and risk of poisoning when administrating mercury as an elixir.

What was the first treatment for syphilis?

The most common treatment of syphilis - from the first outbreaks in the 19th century to the early years of the 20th century was mercury given in various forms - pills, ointments, steam baths or even enemas.

What is the meaning of "back up"?

Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

Can spirochaete be treated?

And there is a lack of biological plausibility to the treatment. There's no substance in modern medicine that can be applied topically to treat a systemic spirochaete infection.

Do we have controlled trials?

We don't have any controlled trials but the physicians of the time greatly doubted the efficacy of mercury salves and inhalation

Is time reversal symmetry symmetric?

To my understanding, time-reversal symmetry describes that some processes can be reversible in time (e.g. a car going at a velocity of v will travel with a velocity of -v when time is reversed) and some other processes are not symmetric to time, like a cup of coffee cooling down. I read about the crystal hall effect in antiferromagnets and am a little confused as to how this effect comes about.

Can you die from syphilis if you don't have mercury?

No, in the sense that you would still die of syphilis if the mercury didn't poison you first.

Is mercury good for syphilis?

Syphilis is caused by a bacterium, T. pallidum. There's a review article here on the use of mercury against it. The article is a little unclear but suggests that mercury may have had some effect agains the disease while the side effects are so horrific that it might not have been worth it. For the treatment of syphilis mercury was replaced by salvarsan which contains a lot of arsenic, also a toxic element. Toxic medicines can be effective against bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases so long as they are a lot more toxic to the disease causing organism than they are to the patient as a whole.

What is mercury used for?

Most people know of elemental mercury as that slippery, silvery liquid once used with ubiquity in glass thermometers . If you were a child before helicopter parenting, you might have had the opportunity to play with the contents of a broken thermometer.

How did Qin die?

He died at 49 from mercury poisoning. But hey, why stop there? In an attempt to rule in the afterlife, Qin had himself buried in an underground mausoleum so grand that ancient writers described it flowing with rivers of mercury, its ceiling decorated with jewelled constellations. Thus far, the tomb is unexcavated due to the toxic levels of mercury that threaten to release if it’s opened.

Why is the tomb unexcavated?

Thus far, the tomb is unexcavated due to the toxic levels of mercury that threaten to release if it’s opened. Quite a bit later, when Abraham Lincoln was immortalizing himself in history, he too was a victim of liquid mercury. Before his presidency, Lincoln suffered from mood swings, headaches and constipation.

Why did the rectal gates of hell open?

Constipation had long been associated with sickness, so opening the rectal gates of hell was a sign of righting the wrongs. Some believe the “black” part of its name evolved from the dark stools ejected, which were mistaken for purged bile.

What caused genital sores?

Genital sores sprouted after exposure to an infected sexual partner and progressed to rash and fevers. Later, foul-smelling abscesses spread over the body, some so severe that they ate away at flesh and bone. People were desperate for a cure. By the 16th century, mercury came to the rescue.

What did the baby's hands and feet look like?

Mercury was considered a cure — until it killed you. The baby’s hands and feet had become icy, swollen and red. The flesh was splitting off, resembling blanched tomatoes whose skins peeled back from the fruit. She had lost weight, cried petulantly, and clawed at herself from the intense itching, tearing the raw skin open.

What is the blue mass?

So what was this mysterious “blue mass”? A peppercorn-sized pill containing pure liquid mercury, licorice root, rosewater, honey and sugar.

What was the name of the pill that killed the syphilis?

Sweat baths were also used as it was thought induced salivation and sweating eliminated the syphilitic poisons. Guaiacum was completely ineffective and mercury had the nasty side effect of killing the people treated with it. Mercury cream. Mercurous chloride tablets.

Why do people use sweat baths?

Sweat baths were also used as it was thought induced salivation and sweating eliminated the syphilitic poisons””””, jmvh.org › article › syphilis-its-early-history-and-treatme. .

What was the first treatment for syphilis?

In the early 16th century, the main treatments for syphilis were guaiacum, or holy wood, and mercury skin inunctions or ointments, and treatment was by and large the province of barber and wound surgeons. Sweat baths were also used as it was thought induced salivation and sweating eliminated the syphilitic poisons.

How long can you take penicillin G?

Pneumococcal infections : In pneumonia, meningitis or other serious infections, penicillin G can be used as alternative of Cephalosporin if the organism is sensitive, it should be continued for 7 to 10 days.

What is the name of the disease that was named after a poem?

It was eventually named Syphilis after an “epic Latin poem Syphilis, sive morbus gallicus, ‘Syphilis, or the French disease’, published in 1530 by Girolamo Fracastoro.”. The highlights of the treatments they used:

How many mice did the chain inject?

Chain’s supervisor injected 8 mice with strains of streptococcus, out of which 4 mice were injected with Penicillin and the other 4 were untreated controls. Next day they noted that all the untreated mice died and the Penicillin treated mice were alive. The researchers described the production, purification, and experimental use of penicillin and published their findings in Lancet in the year 1940.

Why is STI named after a nationality?

Fun fact: because of STI prevalence in the military, the disease was initially named after the nationality they were fighting against , the Tahitians called it the “British Disease”, the Turkish called it the “Christian Disease”. It was eventually named Syphilis after an “epic Latin poem Syphilis, sive morbus gallicus, ‘Syphilis, or the French disease’, published in 1530 by Girolamo Fracastoro.”

How did gonorrhoea affect the military?

The impact of gonorrhoea and syphilis on military personnel in terms of morbidity and mortality was greatly mitigated after 1943 due to the introduction of penicillin, as well as other factors such as education, prophylaxis, training of health personnel and adequate and rapid access to treatment.

When was syphilis first discovered?

Up until the early 20th century it was believed that syphilis had been brought from America and the New World to the Old World by Christopher Columbus in 1493. In 1934 a new hypothesis was put forward, that syphilis had previously existed in the Old World before Columbus.

Why is syphilis considered a pre-Columbian disease?

Several medical historians over the last century have postulated other reasons for syphilis being a pre-Columbian Old World disease – a greater lay and medical recognition of syphilis developed in recent eras, and that syphilis had evolved from other treponeal diseases into a more virulent form due to a combination of social, cultural and environmental changes around the time of Columbus. In the last several decades development of palaeopathology has enabled close evaluation of Old World skeletons and many studies have published their findings of evidence for syphilitic bone disease. [24, 27]

What is the name of the disease that is a syphilis?

Syphilis had a variety of names, usually people naming it after an enemy or a country they thought responsible for it. The French called it the ‘Neapolitan disease’, the ‘disease of Naples’ or the ‘Spanish disease’, and later grande verole or grosse verole, the ‘ great pox’, the English and Italians called it the ‘French disease’, the ‘Gallic disease’, the ‘morbus Gallicus’, or the ‘French pox’, the Germans called it the ‘French evil’, the Scottish called it the ‘ grandgore ‘, the Russians called it the ‘Polish disease’, the Polish and the Persians called it the ‘Turkish disease’, the Turkish called it the ‘Christian disease’, the Tahitians called it the ‘British disease’, in India it was called the ‘Portuguese disease’, in Japan it was called the ‘Chinese pox’, and there are some references to it being called the ‘Persian fire’. [5, 8, 9]

Why was syphilis so feared?

From its beginning, syphilis was greatly feared by society – because of the repulsiveness of its symptoms, the pain and disfigurement that was endured, the severe after effects of the mercury treatment, but most of all, because it was transmitted and spread by an inescapable facet of human behaviour, sexual intercourse.

How did syphilis start?

The disease started with genital ulcers, then progressed to a fever, general rash and joint and muscle pains, then weeks or months later were followed by large, painful and foul-smelling abscesses and sores, or pocks, all over the body. Muscles and bones became painful, especially at night. The sores became ulcers that could eat into bones and destroy the nose, lips and eyes. They often extended into the mouth and throat, and sometimes early death occurred. It appears from descriptions by scholars and from woodcut drawings at the time that the disease was much more severe than the syphilis of today, with a higher and more rapid mortality and was more easily spread , possibly because it was a new disease and the population had no immunity against it. [5, 6, 7]

Why was syphilis a terrible disease?

Syphilis was a terrible disease because of its propensity to mimic many medical disorders , and its importance to medicine was emphasised by Sir William Osler who in an address given to the New York Academy of Medicine in 1897 titled Internal Medicine as a Vocation said :