This article is about an obsolete medical preparation. For the Roman Catholic Blue Mass for law enforcement professionals, see Blue Mass.
Blue mass (also known as blue pill or pilula hydrargyri) was the name of a mercury-based medicine common from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The oldest formula is ascribed to one Barbarossa, in a letter to Francis I of France.[1]
The Edinburgh New Dispensatory (1789) instructs the making as follows: "Pilula ex Hydrargyro [London] (Quicksilver-pills). Take of Purified quicksilver, Extract of liquorice, having the consistence of honey, of each two drams, Liquorice, finally powdered, one dram. Rub the quicksilver with the extract of liquorice until the globules disappear; then, add the liquorice-powder, mix them together."[3]
A combination of blue mass and a mixture called the common black draught was a standard cure for constipation in early 19th century England and elsewhere. It was particularly valued on ships of the Royal Navy, where sailors and officers were constrained to eat rock-hard salted beef and pork, old stale biscuits (hardtack), and very little fruit, fiber, or other fresh food once they were at sea for an extended period.
It was a magistral preparation, compounded by pharmacists themselves based on their own recipes or on one of several widespread recipes. It was sold in the form of blue or gray pills, or syrup. Its name probably derives from the use of blue dye or blue chalk (used as a buffer) in some formulations.
The ingredients of blue mass varied, as each pharmacist prepared it himself, but they all included mercury in elemental or compound form (often as mercury chloride, also known as calomel). One recipe of the period for blue mass syrup included:[4]
Blue pills were produced by substituting milk sugar and rose oil for the glycerol and rose honey. Pills contained one grain (64.8 milligrams) of mercury.
Toxicity
Mercury is now known to be toxic, and ingestion of mercury leads to mercury poisoning, a form of heavy-metal poisoning. While mercury is still used in compound form in some types of medicines and for other purposes, blue mass contained excessive amounts of the metal: a typical daily dose of two or three blue mass pills represented ingestion of more than one hundred times the daily limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States today.
For several years before his election to the presidency, Abraham Lincoln is known to have taken blue-mass pills for treatment of chronic melancholia.[5] It’s been reported that during this time, Lincoln was known to have experienced neurological symptoms, including insomnia, tremor and rage attacks, which suggests he may have been suffering from mercury poisoning. However, a few months after his inauguration, Lincoln reportedly stopped taking the medication because he perceived the pills made him "cross".[5]
In 2001, a study led by renowned public-health investigator Norbert Hirschhorn recreated a typical formulation,[6] concluding that the quantity of blue mass that Lincoln likely took would have delivered "a daily dose of mercury exceeding the current Environmental Protection Agency safety standard by over 9000 times,"[5] which may have adversely affected his health.
References
^Frazer, William. Elements of Materia Medica. Dublin, 1851, p. 173.
^Marten, John. A Treatise of the Venereal Disease. London, 1711, p. 630.
^The Edinburgh New Dispensatory (1789) p.573. London. 1789. p. 573.
^ abc"Lincoln's Little Blue Pills" (Press release). ScienceDaily: University Of Chicago Medical Center. 19 July 2001. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
^Hirschhorn, Norbert; Feldman, Robert G.; Greaves, Ian (Summer 2001). "Abraham Lincoln's Blue Pills: Did Our 16th President Suffer from Mercury Poisoning?". Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. Johns Hopkins University Press. 44 (3): 315–322. doi:10.1353/pbm.2001.0048. PMID 11482002. S2CID 37918186. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
External links
Blue Mass
Abraham Lincoln and His Little Blue Pills
Did Mercury in "Little Blue Pills" Impact Abraham Lincoln's Melancholy?
August 19, 2023
blue, mass, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, february, 2013,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Blue mass news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article is about an obsolete medical preparation For the Roman Catholic Blue Mass for law enforcement professionals see Blue Mass Blue mass also known as blue pill or pilula hydrargyri was the name of a mercury based medicine common from the 17th to the 19th centuries The oldest formula is ascribed to one Barbarossa in a letter to Francis I of France 1 Contents 1 Description 2 Toxicity 3 Use by Abraham Lincoln 4 References 5 External linksDescription EditBlue mass was used as a specific treatment for syphilis from at least the late 17th century to the early 18th 2 Blue mass was recommended as a remedy for such widely varied complaints as tuberculosis constipation toothache parasitic infestations and the pains of childbirth The Edinburgh New Dispensatory 1789 instructs the making as follows Pilula ex Hydrargyro London Quicksilver pills Take of Purified quicksilver Extract of liquorice having the consistence of honey of each two drams Liquorice finally powdered one dram Rub the quicksilver with the extract of liquorice until the globules disappear then add the liquorice powder mix them together 3 A combination of blue mass and a mixture called the common black draught was a standard cure for constipation in early 19th century England and elsewhere It was particularly valued on ships of the Royal Navy where sailors and officers were constrained to eat rock hard salted beef and pork old stale biscuits hardtack and very little fruit fiber or other fresh food once they were at sea for an extended period It was a magistral preparation compounded by pharmacists themselves based on their own recipes or on one of several widespread recipes It was sold in the form of blue or gray pills or syrup Its name probably derives from the use of blue dye or blue chalk used as a buffer in some formulations The ingredients of blue mass varied as each pharmacist prepared it himself but they all included mercury in elemental or compound form often as mercury chloride also known as calomel One recipe of the period for blue mass syrup included 4 33 mercury measured by weight 5 licorice 25 Althaea possibly hollyhock or marshmallow 3 glycerol 34 rose honeyBlue pills were produced by substituting milk sugar and rose oil for the glycerol and rose honey Pills contained one grain 64 8 milligrams of mercury Toxicity EditMercury is now known to be toxic and ingestion of mercury leads to mercury poisoning a form of heavy metal poisoning While mercury is still used in compound form in some types of medicines and for other purposes blue mass contained excessive amounts of the metal a typical daily dose of two or three blue mass pills represented ingestion of more than one hundred times the daily limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States today Use by Abraham Lincoln EditFurther information Health of Abraham Lincoln For several years before his election to the presidency Abraham Lincoln is known to have taken blue mass pills for treatment of chronic melancholia 5 It s been reported that during this time Lincoln was known to have experienced neurological symptoms including insomnia tremor and rage attacks which suggests he may have been suffering from mercury poisoning However a few months after his inauguration Lincoln reportedly stopped taking the medication because he perceived the pills made him cross 5 In 2001 a study led by renowned public health investigator Norbert Hirschhorn recreated a typical formulation 6 concluding that the quantity of blue mass that Lincoln likely took would have delivered a daily dose of mercury exceeding the current Environmental Protection Agency safety standard by over 9000 times 5 which may have adversely affected his health References Edit Frazer William Elements of Materia Medica Dublin 1851 p 173 Marten John A Treatise of the Venereal Disease London 1711 p 630 The Edinburgh New Dispensatory 1789 p 573 London 1789 p 573 King s American Dispensatory 1898 a b c Lincoln s Little Blue Pills Press release ScienceDaily University Of Chicago Medical Center 19 July 2001 Retrieved 2021 09 10 Hirschhorn Norbert Feldman Robert G Greaves Ian Summer 2001 Abraham Lincoln s Blue Pills Did Our 16th President Suffer from Mercury Poisoning Perspectives in Biology and Medicine Johns Hopkins University Press 44 3 315 322 doi 10 1353 pbm 2001 0048 PMID 11482002 S2CID 37918186 Retrieved 2021 09 10 External links EditBlue Mass Abe Lincoln s Blue Mass Pills Abraham Lincoln and His Little Blue Pills Did Mercury in Little Blue Pills Impact Abraham Lincoln s Melancholy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blue mass amp oldid 1166302762, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
