Gold also plays a role in the medical treatment of patients. The history of gold in medicine stretches from gray prehistoric times to our present day. It is Aurum metallicum, which is the Latin name of the precious metal, one of the oldest medicines in human history. In dentistry, the metal also plays a crucial role as a dental prosthesis.
What is gold?
It is Aurum metallicum, which is the Latin name of the precious metal, one of the oldest medicines in human history. Aurum metallicum means “metal of light.” Gold is often considered the queen of metals, because few other elements in the earth’s crust have held such a fascination for mankind as gold. The precious metal is one of the heaviest and rarest elements. Nevertheless, metallic gold is found in minute traces even in our everyday foods. Today there are gold-containing liqueurs such as the “Danziger Goldwasser”, chocolates and dishes from star chefs, which are decorated with gold leaf. This is supposed to add a touch of luxury to the creations. But it plays especially with the liqueur “Danziger Goldwasser” also the centuries-old idea to promote his health by eating the gold leaf. Hundreds of years ago, rich people who suffered from venereal diseases would have shavings of gold coins filed off and sprinkled over their food in hopes of better health.
Forms, types and species
Science still does not know very much about the actual spectrum of action of gold molecules in our organism. But already Pliny the Elder (23 to 79 AD) describes in detail which diseases should be treated with the shiny yellow metal. Initially, only metallic gold was used as a medicine. In Arabia, in the 12th century, Abu Musa Jabir developed a method of making a solution from the golden metal. This solution was christened “aqua regia” – the “king’s water“, which found its way into medicine. The metallic gold is dissolved in a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acid. The resulting gold salts in the aqua regia can be utilized by the organism much better than the pure metal. However, it was used as a medicine only in a highly diluted form because of its aggressive effect.
Structure and mode of operation
Paracelsus was concerned with the healing effects of gold. Homeopathy, which established itself as a new system of medicine, and spagyrics, which developed from ancient alchemy, still use the precious metal as a starting product for the elaborate production of their medicines. At the end of the 19th century, Robert Koch conducted research on the therapeutic effects of gold compounds. From then on, university medicine systematically used gold to treat venereal diseases and tuberculosis. Gold remedies were also developed for patients with rheumatic inflammation of the joints. To this day, gold particles are used in a wide variety of preparations in orthodox medicine, homeopathy and natural remedies. Another interesting mention in medical literature dates back to the 15th century. Giovanni d’Arcoli wrote about lining holes in teeth with gold leaf. From these first attempts to repair diseased teeth, modern dental prosthetics has developed to this day. The particularly compatible gold is used to make precisely fitting dental fillings and stable crowns. Gold-containing medicines prescribed by conventional medicine require intensive monitoring of the patient by the doctor. Although in many cases they achieve the therapeutically desired effect, gold therapy causes numerous side effects, which can cause changes in the blood count, skin and mucous membrane defects and liver damage. This is different with the homeopathic and spagyric gold medicines. Due to the special nature of the preparations, no undesirable changes in organs and tissue structures are to be expected. Why gold and its salts can have a therapeutic effect in the body at all has not yet been comprehensively researched. Studies have shown that in the case of underlying rheumatic diseases, the gold compounds in the drugs can inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory proteins. In this way, the progressive course of chronic rheumatoid arthritis can at least be slowed down.Homeopathic and spagyric gold remedies are used in an attempt to alleviate not only the symptoms of the disease. According to the current state of knowledge, rheumatic diseases are autoimmune diseases. The goal of alternative treatment approaches is to achieve a fundamental retuning in the patient’s organism so that the defense system no longer turns against the body’s own cells.
Medical and health benefits
Because of its resistance to corrosion and the extremely rare allergic reactions to the precious metal, gold is an ideal raw material for the production of dental prostheses and fillings. Despite the development of ceramic materials for dental prosthetics, many patients still opt for gold as a material when it comes to an inlay or dental crown. Pure gold would be too soft for the daily stress of chewing. That is why gold alloys are used in dentistry. Silver, platinum or copper are added to the precious metal to achieve the desired properties. Gold-containing medicines are now rarely used in orthodox medicine for rheumatic joint inflammation because of the extensive side effects and the development of other therapeutic agents. In homeopathy and spagyric medicine, therapists prescribe preparations of gold for mood elevation in depressive states, for strengthening after long illness, for functional heart complaints, for rheumatic diseases and other autoimmune diseases.
