Welander's Bags
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Welander's bags are small pouches filled with mercurial ointment or mercuriol worn against the body as a historical treatment for syphilis. Owing to imprecise dosage and low therapeutic efficacy, their use had become extremely rare by the 1930s.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
WELANDER'S BAGS (Welander), small bags containing mercurial ointment or mercuriol used for the treatment of syphilis; they are worn on the bare body, on the back, chest, or in the axillary fossae for 3–10 days, after which the depleted mercury is replenished. The main drawbacks of Welander's bags are imprecise dosage and low therapeutic effect, which is why at present they are used extremely rarely.
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Cite this page
“Welander's Bags.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/welanders-bags/