A quick historical sketch of the merkin:
A merkin is a pubic wig that first appeared around the 1450s. Its original intent was to cover up the unsightly sores of syphilis. Syphilis outbreaks occurred frequently in the 1500s, causing huge numbers of deaths but also keeping merkin-makers in business. One early and common treatment for syphilis was mercury. Patients would drink, inhale, or inject mercury with the hopes of curing their STDs. In fact, mercury remained the common treatment for syphilis and other skin diseases until the late 1800s. And while people waited around for their sores to heal, they'd simply slap on some fake fur and it'd all be good!

