Mercury Was Used as Treatment for Syphilis
Before antibiotics, syphilis treatments were more dangerous than the disease itself. One common method involved rubbing mercury ointment on the skin several times a day. Doctors believed it helped cure the illness—despite the horrific side effects.
Patients would suffer from ulcers, tooth loss, and even kidney failure. Some died from mercury poisoning long before syphilis could take its toll. This “cure” was truly worse than the curse.
Advertisements
Advertisements