Here is
a brief essay written by Dr. Janos on the proper methods A Few Words on the Specific, Mercury The attentive reader will note that many of the pages here prescribe medicines of mercury in the treatment of the venereal disease. Many doctors the world over have found this marvelous element to be the one guaranteed cure for all manner of afflictions to the parts of reproduction. I, myself have witnessed the worst of afflictions melting away under the administration of mercury, and seen many a formerly debilitated patient resume normal life once more. I must emphasize that this element will not undo the decaying effects of the French Disease and others, but it will prevent further decrepitude. Worthy of note also is that the prescription of mercury will only work to remove effects of the venereal disease. A wise doctor can use this knowledge to aid in an effective diagnosis; if a bubo or cancre yields to the Specific, the cause is surely venereal. If quicksilver works to no effect, another sort of illness is at work.
In the pages above, I make mention to some of the many
preparations of quicksilver, and here I will describe
them in detail. Different patients and different
constitutions will call for various concoctions of
mercury, ranging from pills, poultices, injections,
ointments, caustics, and others. Methods for
creating and applying these are described below. Remember
also that no two men are alike, and as such, the amounts
of the Specific needed for each may vary widely. One
may know that he has thrown in the proper amount of the
drug when he experiences soreness and increased
salivation in the mouth. Any mention of ‘salivating’
a patient in these pages refers to this effect of the
mercury. It may continue for several months, and is
the sign of proper treatment. If a patient does not
experience these side-effects, he has not a sufficient
amount of quicksilver in his system. (15) Remember,
however, that the salivation should be gentle, and not
violent. Decrease the dosage if the soreness or
salivation are extreme.
A great deal of controversy resides with the issue of
whether to prescribe pure mercury, or some derivative
thereof. The choice to me, seems very clear, as the
raw Specific is far too potent for the constitution, and
can lay waste to the body, rather than promoting good
health. Therefore, I must urge the reader to be
wary of quacks and charlatans who peddle raw mercury,
ignorant of its proper use and dosages. Here, I
list some of the more popular and safe means of ingesting
mercury. In pills, quicksilver works very
well in a calomel form, that is, in a mercuric chloride
compound. Taken orally, this is an excellent way of
introducing mercury into the system. (16) With any oral intake of mercury, one
must be watchful that it does not run off in the patient’s
stool. This is a common occurance, and can be
negated by administering a few grains of opium along with
the mercury. The opium will not only relax the
patient, but also keep the quicksilver from exitting the
body. (17) A corrosive sublimate of mercury may
also be administered, either applied directly to the
affected area, or mixed with spirits and drunk. The
bowels, however, are apt to reject the concoction, and
thus it should never be given on an empty stomach. (18) For those whose stomachs ill favor
mercury, ointment containing quicksilver may be
prescribed instead. While generally not as
effective as oral treatment, the ointment will still
affect a cure. (19) Injections of a mercuric solution into the urethra often prove effective against such diseases as gonorrhea, or any infection of the lues venerea in the urinary tract. The patient is advised to prepare the solution, inject it into the urethra, hold it there for several minutes, and then release it. Goulard’s Extract (Lead), also proves particularly effective in this method of treatment. (12)
The few practicioners of physic who
disdain the use of quicksilver claim it to be harmful and
potentially fatal to the constitution. There are
indeed several side effects associated with the Specific,
but these are easily avoided with proper treatment.
Symptoms such as profuse salivation and bloody discharge
from the mouth and bowels are indications that the
patient has too much mercury in his system. Reducing
the dosage should alleviate these ailments. The
soreness of the mouth and salivation listed above are
also side effects, but are comparatively minor when
compared to the magnitude of the cure effected. Opponents of the drug also cite
larger and more grievous side effects of the use of
mercury, such as blindness, madness, corrosion of the
flesh, and death. I would emphasize again that such
ills are the result of poor practice, poor maintanence of
the retinue of the cure, and often dangerous or immoral
living on the part of the patient. Anyone being
treated with mercury should abstain from wine and spirits
until his cure is completed, and should also avoid
profuse sweats, which can aggravate the system. They
should be given regular, full meals, and avoid going into
the cold for any reason. (20) It is my personal belief
that all of the woeful side effects cited by the
opponents of quicksilver could have been easily prevented
had the patients followed their doctor’s orders of
keeping warm, well-fed, and modest. In my own
patients, I have never once had an occurrence of these
ills when the afflicted followed my instructions.
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