- Joined
- Mar 20, 2010
- Location
- Ohio
Calomel was a mercury based compound used extensively by both Union and Confederate doctors to treat a wide variety of medical conditions. It came in two main forms. "Blue pills" contained a mixture of mercury, rose water, licorice, powered rose, honey, and sugar. "Blue mass" was a lump of mercurous chloride, from which dispensing doctors, pinched off a piece. Doses were never standard.
19th century doctors feared constipation, and, dispensing calomel was one of the main methods of keeping the bowels "open." However, strangely enough, calomel was also given to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Many physicians seemed unaware that the doses of calomel, and a related compound, tartar emetic, often caused worse problems that the original condition.
The large and frequent doses of mercury compounds caused excessive salivation - often a pint to a quart a day. Many patients receiving these "heroic" doses, suffered from mercurial gangrene - death of cheek and mouth tissue that often led to permanent facial deformities. Lose and lost teeth were common, as was death from mercury poisoning.
William A. Hammond, Union Surgeon General, on May 6, 1863, ordered the removal of all calomel and tartar emetic from the U.S. Army formulary, as he was convinced that these compounds caused more deaths than lives saved. He was court-martialed for his efforts to advance safe medical practice. Nevertheless, his directive to eliminate calomel from the military pharmacopoeia had far-reaching effects on the use of calomel in America.
It took several more generations to see the complete elimination of calomel from American medicine. Although use of calomel had already begun to decline in the middle of the 19th century, many physicians, particularly those in the South, prescribed it through World War II.
19th century doctors feared constipation, and, dispensing calomel was one of the main methods of keeping the bowels "open." However, strangely enough, calomel was also given to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Many physicians seemed unaware that the doses of calomel, and a related compound, tartar emetic, often caused worse problems that the original condition.
The large and frequent doses of mercury compounds caused excessive salivation - often a pint to a quart a day. Many patients receiving these "heroic" doses, suffered from mercurial gangrene - death of cheek and mouth tissue that often led to permanent facial deformities. Lose and lost teeth were common, as was death from mercury poisoning.
William A. Hammond, Union Surgeon General, on May 6, 1863, ordered the removal of all calomel and tartar emetic from the U.S. Army formulary, as he was convinced that these compounds caused more deaths than lives saved. He was court-martialed for his efforts to advance safe medical practice. Nevertheless, his directive to eliminate calomel from the military pharmacopoeia had far-reaching effects on the use of calomel in America.
It took several more generations to see the complete elimination of calomel from American medicine. Although use of calomel had already begun to decline in the middle of the 19th century, many physicians, particularly those in the South, prescribed it through World War II.