Quick Answer: Before modern antibiotics, STDs like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were treated with mercury, arsenic, herbal poultices, spiritual cleanses, and isolation, often with painful, toxic, or ineffective results.
When Medicine Meant Mercury
It’s hard to overstate how central mercury was to STD care from the 15th century through the early 20th. Physicians believed that the metal could purge the body of "impurities," especially in the treatment of syphilis. Mercury was administered in every way imaginable, topically, orally, even through steam baths. Patients were told to "salivate until cured," a phrase that now sounds more like torture than treatment.
Consider this: a 28-year-old soldier in 1812 is diagnosed with syphilis after developing a painless sore on his penis. The army physician prescribes mercury ointment, rubbed into his skin twice a day. Within weeks, the soldier’s gums bleed, his teeth loosen, and his coordination deteriorates. His STD is still active. His mercury levels, however, are lethal. Thousands of patients died not from their infections, but from the very treatment meant to save them.
And yet, for centuries, this was the norm. The alternatives? Often worse.
Before Germs, There Were Gods and Guilt
Modern science accepts that bacteria and viruses cause STDs. But before microscopes and germ theory, people blamed anything but biology. In ancient Rome and medieval Europe, STDs were believed to be divine punishment for immoral sex. Treatments, then, focused less on healing the body and more on cleansing the soul, or punishing it.
Religious leaders told infected individuals to pray, fast, or seek penance through physical suffering. One 13th-century account tells of a woman in Paris who, after being diagnosed with a "plague of the womb," was whipped in public as both punishment and supposed cure. This was not rare. Spiritual “cures” were woven with misogyny, misinformation, and the idea that sexuality itself was a disease unless tightly controlled.
For many, the fear of damnation outweighed the fear of illness. People hid their symptoms, avoided doctors, and passed infections in silence, all of which only deepened the cycle of suffering.
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Old Remedies That Sound Like Torture Today
The treatments below are real, documented in medical texts and journals from the 15th to early 20th centuries. They weren’t just painful, they often had little to no therapeutic effect.
| Treatment | Used For | Method | Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury Ointment | Syphilis | Applied to skin or injected into urethra | Toxicity, kidney failure, death |
| Arsenic Compounds | Syphilis, gonorrhea | Oral or injectable (e.g., Salvarsan) | Nerve damage, liver failure |
| Bloodletting | General “purification” of body | Vein cutting or leeches | Infection, shock, death |
| Vaginal Acid Washes | Gonorrhea in women | Homemade acidic douches (vinegar, alum) | Burns, scarring, internal damage |
| Spiritual Cleansing | Perceived “moral” infections | Prayer, fasting, public humiliation | Emotional trauma, no medical benefit |
Table 1. Historical STD treatments prior to antibiotics. These methods were widely used despite their risks and low success rates.
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Gonorrhea and the Glass Syringe
By the 19th century, gonorrhea was nearly as widespread as syphilis, but far less talked about. Known commonly as "the clap," the infection was treated with a combination of physical force and chemical guesswork. The most common method? Urethral injections, often performed with a reusable glass syringe, sometimes unsterilized, filled with silver nitrate or boric acid solutions.
Imagine a young man in 1890, newly arrived in Chicago and too ashamed to visit a public hospital. He buys a treatment kit from a back-alley vendor: syringe included, no instructions, no diagnosis. His burning doesn’t stop. The acid solution causes internal scarring. He goes silent, joins the thousands living with chronic pain and no language to describe it. Gonorrhea was not just an infection, it became a sentence of silence.
In women, gonorrhea was often missed entirely. Without discharge or pain, it was commonly mistaken for "hysteria" or "female weakness." Physicians focused on treating symptoms, sometimes with vinegar washes or vaginal astringents, rather than the cause. Many women became infertile before they were ever correctly diagnosed.
Folk Remedies, Herbal Cures, and Desperation
Long before hospitals and formal medicine, communities turned to what they had: herbs, roots, and word-of-mouth wisdom. In rural Appalachia, Native communities, and enslaved African populations in the Americas, people used everything from goldenseal to garlic to try and cure painful urination, rashes, and genital sores. Some of these treatments had mild antibacterial properties; others were purely ritual.
In West Africa, the bark of certain trees was brewed into tonics thought to relieve genital inflammation. In medieval Persia, pomegranate extract was applied to ulcers. In China’s Tang Dynasty, medical texts describe the use of honeysuckle and forsythia to treat genital sores. These weren’t fringe treatments, they were the only options available in most parts of the world for centuries.
Were they effective? Sometimes. Mild symptoms may have resolved with time, and certain herbs did provide comfort. But without antibiotics, the underlying infection remained. The relief was temporary. The infection was not.
Table: Ancient and Herbal Treatments for STD-Like Symptoms
| Region | Remedy | Reported Use | Modern Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (Tang Dynasty) | Honeysuckle + Forsythia tea | Ulcer healing, fever reduction | Some antibacterial effect; limited STD use |
| West Africa | Tree bark decoctions | Inflammation and discharge | Unstudied; no proven efficacy |
| Appalachia (USA) | Goldenseal root | Topical use for sores | Weak antimicrobial; placebo likely |
| Egypt | Honey and vinegar washes | Wound cleansing and purification | Some bacterial inhibition; no cure |
| India (Ayurveda) | Neem and turmeric paste | Genital ulcers, itching | Anti-inflammatory; not curative alone |
Table 2. Selected traditional treatments across global cultures. Some treatments had soothing or antimicrobial effects, but none got to the heart of bacterial STDs.
What Changed Everything: Penicillin Arrives
A Scottish discovery in 1943 changed the world of sexual health forever. During World War II, penicillin was made in large quantities and became the first real cure for syphilis. Soldiers were injected in the field. Clinics reopened with new protocols. The centuries-long grip of mercury, arsenic, and shame was finally being broken, at least for some.
A 23-year-old nurse named Evelyn volunteered for one of the first mass testing campaigns among factory workers in New Jersey. She later told reporters, "For the first time, we could offer people a cure instead of a lecture." That shift, from punishment to healing, reverberated through public health, eventually leading to the sexual health frameworks we know today.
Still, access was not equal. Poor, rural, and non-white populations often received treatment last. Stigma lingered. But penicillin gave the medical world a second chance. And for many, it was the first time an STD didn’t end in suffering or secrecy.
Sex, Soldiers, and Screening in Wartime
By the time World War I began, sexually transmitted infections were more than just a health concern, they were seen as threats to national security. Soldiers infected with syphilis or gonorrhea were often removed from service, shamed, or sent to isolation wards for painful treatments. The U.S. military responded by creating one of the first large-scale STD screening and education programs in history.
It wasn’t always ethical. Men suspected of infection were detained and examined without consent. Women, especially sex workers, were targeted, surveilled, and sometimes jailed under public health laws. Treatment? Still mercury and later arsenic-based injections, administered quickly and without explanation.
One case, documented in a Red Cross archive, described a young private who was treated for gonorrhea with a urethral irrigation solution so caustic it caused lifelong scarring. “He recovered,” the report said dryly, “but with complications.” That phrase, “with complications”, describes an entire era of STD care that valued discipline over dignity.
Shame as a Treatment Plan
Throughout history, the social consequences of an STD diagnosis were often worse than the medical ones. In the 1800s, women who tested positive for “female venereal disease” could be committed to asylums or forced into state-run hospitals for the “morally infirm.” Men were publicly shamed, denied jobs, and in some cases jailed if they were believed to have knowingly transmitted disease.
Entire families would hide diagnoses to preserve social standing. One diary from 1871 reveals a mother writing that her son “had brought disgrace into the home” by becoming infected in Paris. His name was never spoken again. The infection? Gonorrhea is easy to treat today, but back then it was a source of permanent shame.
This fear shaped behavior. People stayed away from doctors, put off getting treatment, and secretly used home remedies. The result was silent suffering and a bigger failure of public health that modern medicine is still trying to fix.
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When Women’s Symptoms Were Ignored
Much of the historical record on STDs reflects male-centered care. Early testing campaigns were mostly aimed at men, especially soldiers and workers. Women were often misdiagnosed, not treated, or blamed for spreading disease.
A 19th-century London medical book said clearly, "The prostitute is the source of contagion; the man is its unfortunate victim." This belief system made it okay to give sex workers abusive tests and keep them locked up, while ignoring infections in wives and mothers. Women who did not get treatment for chlamydia or gonorrhea often got pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which made them unable to have children. But doctors said it was "nervous hysteria."
In 1906, a seamstress in New York had painful urination and chronic pelvic pain. Doctors dismissed her symptoms. Her employer fired her due to "unladylike complaints." She died of untreated PID within the year. Her medical records were labeled "psychosomatic."
Stories like hers weren’t isolated, they were systemic. And they still echo today in the ongoing gender gap in STD diagnosis and care.
The First STD Clinics (And Who Was Left Out)
In the early 20th century, a few progressive cities like New York, London, and Berlin began to open specialized clinics for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections. These weren’t always welcoming places. Entry often required referral, and patient records were sometimes shared with law enforcement.
But for many, they were a way to stay alive. A lot of the nurses and reformers were women who fought for public health education and care that wasn't judgmental. People started getting pamphlets that said "disease without shame" and told them to get tested and find their contacts as soon as possible. But the stigma was still strong, and not everyone could get to it.
People of color, queer communities, and immigrants were often left out. Racist pseudoscience thrived, erroneously asserting that STDs were more prevalent among specific ethnic groups or moral classifications. The medical system used this to support separate care and refuse treatment to people who were thought to be "unworthy." It is a legacy that still affects differences today.
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From Mystery to Microbe: The Science Breakthrough
Everything changed when we began to understand the actual organisms behind sexually transmitted diseases. In 1879, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria responsible for gonorrhea, was identified. By 1905, Treponema pallidum, the cause of syphilis, was visualized under a microscope. Germ theory was no longer theory, it was revolution.
This ushered in the beginning of evidence-based medicine. Treatments became targeted. Researchers began developing drugs not just to purge or poison, but to cure. One of the first, Salvarsan, was an arsenic-based compound that worked better than mercury but still came with serious risks. It laid the groundwork for what penicillin would eventually perfect.
Microbiology changed not just treatment, but how we talk about STDs. They were no longer curses or punishments. They were infections. And infections, unlike sins, could be treated without shame.
FAQs
1. Did any of those old remedies actually work?
Kind of, but not in the way people hoped. Some herbs, like goldenseal or neem, might’ve eased itching or reduced inflammation. But curing a full-blown syphilis or gonorrhea infection without antibiotics? That was wishful thinking. It’s like using aloe on a house fire, comforting, but not enough.
2. Why was mercury even a thing?
Because medicine didn’t know better yet. Mercury made people sweat, drool, and purge, so doctors thought it was “cleansing” the disease. Spoiler: it was also slowly poisoning their brains and kidneys. But when the only other option was doing nothing, people rolled the dice. And lost teeth.
3. How did people even catch STDs if they didn’t know about bacteria?
They still had sex. Lots of it. What they didn’t have was an understanding of microbes. Most folks blamed “bad blood,” sin, or cursed lovers. Germ theory didn’t catch on until the late 1800s, so for centuries, STDs were seen as punishment, not infection.
4. Were women treated the same as men?
Not even close. Men were patients. Women were suspects. Sex workers were locked up “for public health.” Housewives were told their symptoms were hysteria. Some women died from untreated chlamydia or PID because doctors didn’t believe their pain was real. It wasn’t just sexism, it was systematized neglect.
5. What did people do when they couldn’t afford a doctor?
They improvised. Bought black-market syringes, boiled herbs into teas, or suffered in silence. In rural areas, entire families passed down folk remedies for “private diseases.” Sometimes they helped. Sometimes they burned. But for many, it was either DIY, or nothing.
6. How did war change STD care?
Drastically. In World War I and II, armies realized STDs could take out more soldiers than bullets. So they launched mass screenings, sometimes without consent, and handed out painful treatments in bulk. It was fast, brutal, and not always effective. But it marked the start of serious, large-scale STD medicine.
7. What was Salvarsan, and was it better than mercury?
Slightly. Salvarsan was an arsenic-based drug from the early 1900s, basically the first “targeted” STD medication. It worked better than mercury, but still came with side effects that could wreck your nervous system. It was a stepping stone to penicillin, not a miracle cure.
8. How bad was the stigma back then?
Crushing. Getting an STD could ruin your reputation, get you fired, or land you in jail, especially if you were a woman, poor, or queer. Some people changed towns just to avoid whispers. The disease hurt. The shame hurt more.
9. When did things finally start to improve?
In the 1940s, penicillin became widely available and really did cure syphilis. That made everything different. All of a sudden, treatment was a good thing, not a bad thing. Still, access wasn't the same for everyone, and stigma didn't go away right away. But it was the beginning of modern, science-based, and shame-free care for STDs.
10. Why does this history still matter?
Because stigma doesn’t die just because a disease becomes curable. Knowing where we’ve been, mercury, punishment, forced silence, reminds us why empathy and access matter now. You deserve testing that’s private, clear, and never makes you feel like a problem to be fixed.
You Deserve Answers, Not Assumptions
For centuries, STD treatment was built on fear, guesswork, and punishment. But today, we know better. We know that chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are treatable, often curable, and that no one deserves shame for their diagnosis. What once meant mercury now means access. What once ended in silence can now start with a click.
If you're worried, wondering, or just ready to know, you don’t have to wait. This at-home combo test kit checks for the most common STDs discreetly and quickly.
How We Sourced This Article: We combined current guidance from leading medical organizations with peer-reviewed research and lived-experience reporting to make this guide practical, compassionate, and accurate.
Sources
1. CDC: Syphilis - Detailed Fact Sheet
2. Which STI Tests Should I Get?
3. Gonorrhea — 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines for Adults
4. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines — 2021 (PDF)
5. Getting Tested for STIs — CDC Testing Resources
6. At‑Home Specimen Self‑Collection and Self‑Testing for STIs: Expert Laboratory Guidance
7. Home STD Tests Are Convenient, But There Are Drawbacks — UAB Medicine
8. As STDs Proliferate, Companies Rush to Market At‑Home Test Kits — But Are They Reliable?
About the Author
Dr. F. David, MD is a board-certified infectious disease specialist focused on STI prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. He blends clinical precision with a no-nonsense, sex-positive approach and is committed to expanding access for readers in both urban and off-grid settings.
Reviewed by: Rebecca Lin, MPH | Last medically reviewed: December 2025
This article is for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice.
