History is replete with examples of lethal medical interventions, such as inhaling mercury vapors to treat syphilis.1 While widely prescribed in the 1700s, this treatment fell out of vogue when scientists discovered that mercury causes heavy metal toxicity. In a study published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, a multidisciplinary research team used historical archives, genealogical tracing, and advanced genomic sequencing to identify a Swiss mummy who likely succumbed to mercury poisoning in the 1700s.2
“Why do we study mummies? We are interested in the past and what we can learn from it,” said Albert Zink, senior author of the study and director of the Institute for Mummy Studies at Eurac Research in Bolzano, Italy. This mummy’s identity was a mystery since her unearthing in 1975. In 2017, newly discovered archival records helped genealogists narrow down a candidate for the mummy’s identity, create a family tree, and identify three potential living ...
