The Nasty History of Syphilis

The history of syphilis may not be the nicest topic. However, last week was Sexual Health Week in the UK, so, let’s look at the interesting history of a disease that had people quaking in their boots, and it’s easy to understand why.

What is Syphilis?

Let’s start with the basics. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria called Treponema pallidum. The disease has three stages and can last for decades, with long periods of dormancy. In the past, these dormant phases often led the infected to believe they had been cured.

History of syphilis — Treponema pallidum bacteria (syphilis) in colourised electron micrograph CC BY 2.0

A couple of weeks after sexual contact with an infected individual, the first stage symptoms appeared, which are usually painless sores, or ulcers on the genitals or mouth. They can often go unnoticed and heal within 6 weeks.

Around 4 to 6 weeks later, the secondary stage symptoms can appear and the infected may suffer from a rash, sores, warts, fever, muscle and joint pain, and hair loss. Again, those symptoms can disappear for years, but the individual remains infected if untreated.

The tertiary stage symptoms are horrific. This is when the skin and bones begin to rot and disintegrate, internal organs fail, and the disease attacks the brain and nervous system, leading to blindness and mental incapacity.

It’s easy to understand why this disease was so feared in the days before antibiotics.

The Origins of Syphilis

Syphilis is another one of those deadly diseases that has jumped the species barrier between animals and humans.

There are two conflicting arguments about where the disease originated. Some argue that present day Haiti is the most likely source. They believe the crews of Christopher Columbus brought syphilis back to Europe following the discovery of the Americas.

Others argue the disease had been in Europe long before, and cases were simply misidentified as leprosy (another disfiguring disease). Scientists say that they have identified DNA traces of the bacteria in skeletons pre-dating 1495, but so far, they have failed to provide conclusive evidence.

Syphilus the Shepherd

Syphilis has always been stigmatised as a shameful disease and the infected were labelled as immoral. When it first swept through Europe, each country liked to lay the blame of the disgusting disease on their neighbours or enemies.

The English and the Italians called it “the French pox” while the French returned the favour by naming it “the Neapolitan disease”. The Russians blamed the Polish, and Muslims blamed the Christians, and so on.

Its official name derives from the work of an Italian scholar with an interest in diseases. In 1530, Girolamo Fracastoro wrote an epic poem of 1300 verses telling the tale of a kingdom destroyed by a terrible, disfiguring sickness sent down by the god Apollo as revenge on a shepherd boy called Syphilus. Poor chap.

The History of Syphilis

Now I’ve got the nasty bit out of the way, let’s look at the history.

Whether or not it came from the Americas, “The Great Pox” swept through Europe in 1495.

“So cruel, so distressing, so appalling that until now nothing more terrible or disgusting has ever been known on this earth.”
German physician and syphilis victim, Joseph Grünpeck, early 1500s.

Syphilis had so many varying symptoms it was often misidentified and became known as “the great imitator”. The infected endured pain and disfigurement before succumbing to a lingering death.
After initial virulence, the infection settled into a milder variant with less obvious symptoms in the initial stages.
In the 17^th and 18^th centuries, syphilis was found across the social spectrum, but particularly amongst the poor, prostitutes and victims of rape or sexual assault.
By the late 1700s, it’s estimated that a fifth of the London population had contracted syphilis by the time they reached 35.
The spread of syphilis was used as a measure of the moral state of society, and people often viewed it as a form of divine punishment. Victims not only had to endure the symptoms but also humiliation and public condemnation.
In art and literature, the infection was often used to symbolise a character’s moral failing. For example, in The Harlot’s Progress, by William Hogarth (1732), the brothel keeper wears velvet beauty spots which were a popular means of covering facial lesions.
Syphilis was also known as venereal disease, and until 1838 syphilis, gonorrhoea and scurvy were all lumped under the same banner.

What Treatments Were Available?

The earliest attempt at treating the infection was using a resinous gum called guaiacum or “holy wood”. The gum was used as a purgative to cleanse the blood via vomiting, diahorrea and sweating, but it was ineffective.

Physicians quickly moved on to mercury, and the phrase, “One night with Venus, a lifetime with mercury” was coined. Mercury was used as an ointment, in pills, in elixirs and was even injected to treat the infection. The most popular method was fumigation. The patient would sit in an enclosed space like a small room or cupboard and exposed to mercury vapours for up to a month.

We now know mercury is poisonous, but at the time, they believed the treatment worked, especially when it entered dormancy. However, mercury treatments often caused as much suffering as the infection, with some lovely side effects including mouth ulcers, loss of teeth, nerve damage and kidney failure.

Only the introduction of penicillin in 1943 has proved an effective treatment and reduced the mortality rates of syphilis.

Prevention

As always, men were believed to be blameless for the spread of infection. Instead, the blame was placed on infected prostitutes. Condoms had been around for centuries (read more about the history of condoms) but they were useless. Nevertheless, men truly believed they worked, despite continuing to get infected when using them. Men also believed their wives could not possibly be the source of the infection, so men never used them at home. Is it any wonder so many were infected?

I know I’ve said before, but celibacy was the only means of prevention, and that would never happen.