June 21, 2011
Lecture 5- Syphilis
•Syphilis is also known as the Great pox
History:
oIn Europe, started in 15th century (1490s)
o1494: King Charles VII of France invades Italy
oOutbreak of a new epidemic in Naples
oFollowing year mysterious affliction reported in England, France, Germany…
oColumbus return from the New World to Europe
Confused as to whether syphilis came from the “New world” or the “Old world”
oBy the 19th century syphilis became very common
oPamphlet on syphilis (A Fine Treatise on the Origin of the French Evil)
Printed during course of a syphilis epidemic
o1514 Giovanni de Vigo wrote a blurb on syphiliss
Mentions that King Charles invaded Naples
Disease known by many names
•Known as disease of Naples, French Evil
Disease was transmitted when man was with an “unclean” woman
Symptoms:
•Rash that has a Blue colour
•Sometimes turning black/ hard
•Eventually spreads to entire part
•Less contagious when it spreads to the rest of the body
Early in 15th , 16th century people recognized what syphilis was, what the
symptoms were and whether or not it was contagious
oOrigin of the term syphilis:
www.notesolution.com
Girolamo Francastoro (1478-1553) wrote a poem which recognized that this
disease was contagious
Venetian physician
1530 epic- Syphilis sive morbus gallicus
•Around this time syphilis was also known as “morbus gallicus”
Poem was about a shepherd boy named syphilis who insulted a God and was
punished by that god with a horrible disease
•Early symptoms were small rashes on genitals
oOther terms for “syphilis’
Morbus gallicus
The French disease
Italian disease
Spanish disease
Polish disease
Christian disease
British disease
Great pox
•Manifests itself from one pox
Lues (or lues venerea)
•All sexually transmitted diseases was known as Lues
Cupid’s disease
Grandgore in Scotland
The Black Lion
•Refers to the rashes that developed in the soldiers
•Theories
2 | Page
www.notesolution.com