"What does ingesting mercury or lead fight against?" Mercury? It'd handle bowel complaints, like constipation. You can follow the Lewis and Clarke expedition b

"What does ingesting mercury or lead fight against?" Mercury? It'd handle bowel complaints, like constipation. You can follow the Lewis and Clarke expedition by the mercury contamination of their campsites from the mercury laxatives used. Lead? The opposite, it would control bowel complaints, specifically diarrhea. Also source: I hold a First Responder's certification and have had to deal with poisoning of this nature before.