Editing Calomel (section)

=== Side effects ===
[[File:Calomel-bem-10c.jpg|thumb|Label from a calomel and [[cinnabar]] specimen]]
[[File:Carleton Burgan (CP 1659), National Museum of Health and Medicine (3383372640).jpg|thumb|Disfigurement caused by calomel administered to treat pneumonia (1862). The calomel treatment caused an ulcer to form and spread across the patient's tongue, mouth, cheek, and eye; ultimately killing his upper [[maxilla]]. ]]
It became popular in the late 18th century to give calomel in extremely high doses, as Benjamin Rush normalized the heroic dose. This caused many patients to experience many painful and sometimes life-threatening side effects. 

Calomel, in high doses, led to [[mercury poisoning]], which had the potential to cause permanent deformities and even death. Some patients experienced [[gangrene]] of the mouth generated by the mercury in the medicine, which caused the tissue on the cheeks and gums inside the mouth to break down and die. Some patients would lose teeth, while others were left with facial deformities.<ref name="Schroeder-Lein," /> 

High doses of calomel would often lead to extreme cramping, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea; however, at the time, this was taken as a sign that the calomel was working to purge the system and rid the disease.<ref name=":0" /> Calomel was often administered as a treatment for [[dysentery]]; the effects of calomel would often worsen the severe diarrhea associated with dysentery and acted as a [[Catalysis|catalyst]] in speeding up the effects of dehydration.<ref name="Schroeder-Lein," /> 

One victim was [[Alvin Smith (brother of Joseph Smith)|Alvin Smith]], the eldest brother of [[Joseph Smith]], founder of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/environmental-toxins/beautiful-black-poison/ |title=Beautiful Black Poison |last=Schmid |first=Jennifer |publisher=[[Weston A. Price Foundation]] |access-date=2017-10-05 }}</ref> Alvin was suffering from a "[[Abdominal pain|bilious colic]]" better known as abdominal pain.

It was also used by [[Charles Darwin]] to treat his mysterious chronic gastrointestinal illness, which has recently been attributed to [[Crohn's disease]].<ref>{{cite journal |title= Darwin's illness: a final diagnosis |journal = Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London|volume = 61|issue = 1|pages = 23–9|last=Orrego |first=Fernando |publisher=[[The Royal Society Publishing]] |pmid = 17575947|year = 2007|doi = 10.1098/rsnr.2006.0160|s2cid = 5804417}}</ref>