As I understand it, back in the day patients with syphilis would be treated with mercury. This treatment, unsurprisingly, would often leave them quite mad. I’ve always wondered why folks bothered, since untreated syphilis would also leave them mad.
So - did the mercury treatment actually lead to a better prognosis than no treatment at all for syphilis? And if so, how did it work?
I think it was arsenic. But my cite is “Out of Africa”. Meryl Streep goes back to Denmark for treatment.
Mercury was the first treatment and did seem to be somewhat effective on lesions.
The arsenic treatment was Salversan, which did contain arsenic. It was better than mercury, but penicillin was the first fully effective treatment.
Thanks, folks. However, since I’d like a bit more detail regarding the progression of the disease, as well as the effects of mercury treatment, I’m giving this thread a single bump.
try checking out the Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiment.
Untreated, it is pretty grim. Look at the ancilliary damage caused to the wives and families.
Mercury was somewhat effective if applied to the initial sores. Once those went away, you were screwed.
Later treatments had a greater window of treatment, but it was penicillin that was first able to cure the disease at all stages.
There was an old saying back in the day:
One night with Venus, a lifetime with Mercury
Back then, they thought mercury had all sorts of magical powers, because it was a liquid metal. They used it to cure pretty much anything.
Help me remember something. They treated syphilis with mercury(II) chloride, aka HgCl2 or “corrosive sublimate”. What I’m trying to remember is, wasn’t this the compound that a fairly high profile chemist got onto her hand when the gloves she was wearing leaked? She died soon after.
Did they use elemental mercury metal to treat syphilis?
Wait, it wasn’t mercury(II) chloride…
“Karen Wetterhahn (October 16, 1948 – June 8, 1997) was a well-known professor of chemistry at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, who specialized in toxic metal exposure. She made national headlines when mercury poisoning claimed her life at the age of 48 due to accidental exposure to the organic mercury compound dimethylmercury ([Hg(CH3)2]). She was the Albert Bradley Third Century Professor in the Sciences at Dartmouth College.” [Wikipedia]
Salvarsan or Arsphenamine or 606. Neosalvarsan was used as well, and was slightly less toxic.
I haven’t found any indication that mercury or mercury compounds actually did anything useful.
Giacomo Casanova discusses his treatment with mercury to cure syphilis in his memoirs. Symptoms appeared within three days and he immediately sought treatment. He stayed in his room for six weeks while being treated. He did experience mental issues while under treatment. Since he was only about 25 and went on to live to about 73, I suppose the treatment cured him. I am only on Vol. 3 of 12 and he has already had gonorrhea three or four times, he may mention getting syphilis again.
You’re thinkin of Karen Wetterhahn and Dimethyl mercury.
ETA - oops; beaten to the punch by Napier
In 2010 
Vehement Maledictions!!! I didn’t notice the date, and thus assumed it was a new thread. I really wish TPTB would tag zombie threads so they are more obvious! In my own defence, I’m pretty sure this is the first (and hopefully) only time I’ve pulled that stunt.
FWIW, I distinctly remember playing with mercury back in the 1950’s as a child in primary (grade) school).
I remember how fascinating it was to see the little globules roll around the palm of my hand …
Fortunately, I didn’t extend my experimentation as far as to actually swallow any of the magical stuff …
I played with it in high school. Actually I swiped a bottle of mercury and had a lot of fun playing with it at home (several decades ago, so I am not concerned about admitting something illegal).
Fun stuff to play with! <twitch, drool>
Hah, I read that and thought: I wished I had posted that before I noted the username. Yeah me! 
I’m perfectly happy for there to still be interest in the thread. I thought I’d killed it the last time around. Maybe someone will wander by who knows more about the drugs I mentioned.
Read somewhere once that the sliver-gray stuff isn’t poisonous or toxic. (Is there a difference between those two words?) It isn’t soluble in anything and you just poop it out. It’s the red stuff that that you don’t want to ingest.