Word: bismuthate
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...conquered disease in one sense only-that the chemical means to obliterate it are on hand. Its real conquest is a problem of lining up the patients. Standard syphilis-destroyer is arsphenamine, the drug salvarsan ("606") which Germany's Paul Ehrlich concocted 30 years ago. Mercury and bismuth compounds are also useful. But all these drugs must be injected regularly over a long period (18 months to two years) and many patients heartily dislike injections and monotonous visits to the doctor. When their gross symptoms disappear, they often abandon treatment forthwith, still harboring the pale lurking spirochetes...