Regarding the treatment of syphilis and the use of mercury, this is an older
reference and I do not know whether the application of any of the following
actually cured the disease or simply assisted in easing and managing the
symptoms.  However, the reference to mercury being used intravenously and by
intramuscular injection in the 1930s indicates that this method of treatment
had been in use previously but for how long I do not know.

The British Encyclopedia of Medical Practice, 1939 edition and published by
Butterworths contains the following (pg 592)

Treatment of Syphilis
The principle remedies used compounds of the following:
arsenic
mercury
bismuth
iodine

Arsenic can be given by intravenous or intramuscular injection
In most clinics now mercury has been superseded by bismuth however, mercury
can still be given by IV or IM or by ointment: one sixth of body area for
6-10 weeks (therefore rotate it).
Iodine can be given by IV injection.
Bismuth can be given by injection.


Oona Nicolson
Cultural Heritage Group
Co-ordinator
Biosis Research Pty. Ltd.
322 Bay Street
Port Melbourne Victoria 3207
ph: +61 3 9646 9499
fax: +61 3 9646 9242
mobile: 0427 366 050

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
Automatic digest processor
Sent: Wednesday, 8 August 2001 17:02
To: Recipients of HISTARCH digests
Subject: HISTARCH Digest - 6 Aug 2001 to 7 Aug 2001 (#2001-205)


There is one message totalling 27 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. MEDICAL SYRINGES

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Tue, 7 Aug 2001 09:38:26 -0700
From:    Julie Schablitsky <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: MEDICAL SYRINGES

From what I understand, no it did not.  Often people had complications from
the mercury applications.  Mercury was usually applied topically to the
sores.  When the sores went away people thought that mercury had cured them
of the infection when in fact syphillis had just moved into the second stage
of the disease.  Julie

----- Original Message -----
From: Ron May <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 11:31 PM
Subject: Re: MEDICAL SYRINGES


> Does anyone know if the mercury cured syphillus? It always sounded to me
like
> purgatory.
>

------------------------------

End of HISTARCH Digest - 6 Aug 2001 to 7 Aug 2001 (#2001-205)
*************************************************************