In ancient Egypt, various copper compounds were used to hasten would healing, treat headaches and epilepsy, and sterilize water. Copper acetate, known as verdigris, became the anti-infective of choice in Greek medicine, and Roman medical treatises recommended a number of copper compounds for a range of skin, neurological, and inflammatory disorders. Copper was used in ancient India and Persia to treat lung disorders. The Aztecs used copper, probably in a gargle, for a soar throat. In India copper was used extensively for treatment of skin and internal disorders. In Ancient China a law prohibited the use of paper money in bars and prescribed that payment be made with copper coins, for hygienic reasons.
Over the course of thousands of years many medical practitioners have used copper to treat a wide range of human ailments. Their claims of success are not just anecdotal. They include evidence from clinical trials and epidemiological studies as well as documented case studies. However, the quality of much of the evidence does not meet modern standards, so more studies must be done to define and validate the effects, side effects and mechanisms of the various copper compounds in various indications.