Mercury: A (no longer used) treatment for
syphilis, which gave rise to the saying: 'spend one night with
Venus and the rest of your life with Mercury.' Known to have been used by noted bohemian luminaries, such as
Baudelaire,
Flaubert,
Maupassant, and
Daudet.
Brief History
Mercury's use for
syphilis has been traced back to 1496, when
Giorgio Sommariva of Verona employed ore
cinnabar, a form of mercury until then used as an ointment applied to skin lesions of
lepers, to treat the bacteria. It was used in the form of ointments, taken orally, and also vapour baths.
Jacopo Berengario da Carpi became famous in Italy soon after this first treatment for successfully administering mercury to syphilitic patients. Such treatments remained popular until the start of the 20th Century, with their use being extended to most skin ailments.