Syphilis: Alive and Well Essay

Syphilis is spread through contact with a syphilis sore (Syphilis). It has a wide range of side effects, and if left untreated can turn into a serious problem. There are several tests for syphilis, including blood, tissue, and fluid (from syphilis sores) tests. The rapid plasma regain test (RPR test), for example, tests blood or spinal fluid for syphilis antibodies (or T Pallidum antibodies), but because these antibodies are nonspecific to syphilis, this can result in a false positive. The enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test is the second test used to confirm syphilis in someone who tested positive in the RPR test. It also tests for syphilis antibodies. Its treatment has evolved a lot. In the 1940s, it was treated primarily by penicillin, which is most likely what Henrietta Lacks would have used to be treated for this disease if she got proper treatment (Progress). Now, a variety of antibiotics are used to treat syphilis, including penicillin. The dosage is small in the early stages but increased later. Harm done in the third stage cannot be reversed though

STD’s have been around for a long time, dating back to 1550 B.C. During this time the first recorded form of an STD was found. They were reported to be found in Europe. Gonorrhea and Syphilis are recorded to be the two most common diseases in Europe. Some men on Christopher Columbus’s voyage brought back syphilis with them. Syphilis causes progressive destruction of the brain and spinal cord, leading to mental dysfunction and hallucinations, speech problems and general paresis (G. Burg). The common knowledge of STD’s have been around but have not been able to be treated up until around the late 1700s.

After the spread of AIDS to Africa, it began to spread to America in 1979 when African migrated to America they began to spread this with the people (Chelala97).The earliest form of AIDS was when an patient fifteen years olds was reported to have this disease. He never traveled outside the country so it was a possibility that it was transmitted to him in 1980.After this patient died it was reported that homosexual men started dying of this disease that was unidentified.

A highly contagious disease, the Bubonic Plague, spread swiftly throughout European trade routes. It is believed that the disease originated in China, and spread to Europe via the Afro-Eurasian trade network. The great contagion of the black death is reflected in Document 1. The first record of the black death in Europe was on June 30th, 1347,

In the early 1900s, the disease syphilis was a concern for the masses especially for individuals in the African American community. It was a common belief that

There are two theories to its nature: that it was brought over through the Columbian Exchange, and that it was present in the Americas before Columbus’ first voyage (123). Some theories state that it existed in the Old World in a mild form, then with the arrival of the Europeans, it mutated into the killer the Native Americans knew it as (126). It seems more likely that the disease existed in the Old World prior to 1493, since there are no records of syphilis on the voyage (137). Another theory presents the idea that syphilis is worldwide, but has different names and forms in different regions (142). Whatever the case, the disease is transmitted sexually, and the Europeans knew it to be an epidemic when the allegiance to marital fidelity crumbled in a society (148). Popular remedies for syphilis were mercury and guaiacum (153). A regular intake of mercury was known to cure syphilis, but the metal itself killed the patient (153). The New World provided another possible cure in the form of guaiacum wood, which made the patient sweat profusely in hopes to literally “sweat” the disease out of their system (152). Syphilis ruthlessly killed thousands of Native Americans during its run, but by the 17th century, it became considered a dangerous, but bearable infection

In the 1980s, a mysterious disease began to take the lives of Americans. With the cause unknown, a fear grew among Americans. An unusually high rate of people was becoming sick with strange and rare diseases. When experimental treatments failed to work, people died. This mysterious disease is what we now know as HIV–Human Immunodeficiency Virus. In the past thirty-five years, the HIV has taken many turns in history. Although we do not hear about HIV and AIDS now, it is still a prevalent issue in the United States and in the world.

Prior to 1932 information concerning the origin, conception, development, and the complications of untreated syphilis was known to medical science. The one element left to be known about this disease was a cure. By this time, scientist were well aware of the fact that syphilis was a highly contagious disease caused by treponema pallidum, a microscopic organism resembling a corkscrew. The disease may be acquired, meaning passed from person-to-person either during sexual intercourse or mixing of bodily fluids, or congenital meaning obtained through birth. The disease progresses in three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The

The transmission of these diseases resulted in progression of human history because it increased awareness, knowledge and eventually cures for some. However, this progression did not come without some downfalls. The disease introduced to the New World caused the Indians to die in droves but it also allowed new cultures to be formed. “Disease took more than human life; it extinguished entire cultures and occasionally helped shape new ones” (Kennedy and Cohen 30; Ch.2). The introduction of Syphilis to the Old World also aided in progression because now we have knowledge about the disease and today syphilis is nonfatal and can be treated with

Similarly, the Natives also transferred disease to the Europeans, giving them syphilis. Syphilis was initially contracted by Spanish sailors and brought back to Europe on the sailor's voyage home. Syphilis infected many people in Europe, damaging inner organs and afflicting victims with body rashes. The organs in one’s body would shut down, eventually killing them. As Cory Malone writes from Gettysburg, “The most common remedies for syphilis was mercury and guaiacum. Although mercury worked in some instances, tens of thousands still perished as a result of the epidemic… Syphilis spread slowly at first and then reached epidemic proportions throughout Europe, Africa, Russia, and other nations” (Malone. 2010). These diseases caused large decreases in population everywhere. McNeill once again suggests that, “On some Caribbean Islands, the Native American population died out completely. In all, between 1492 and 1650, perhaps 90 percent of the first Americans had died” (McNeill. No Date). The Columbian Exchange resulted in the loss of millions of lives, and affected the population in the Americas and

it must be found not only within couple individuals but within a community, population and region itself. He thought that’s what happened in Europe in the New World when people were socially and sexually intimate with each other and it was so easy to contract the disease. Armelagos didn’t find enough evidence from the Old World but the isolated cases whereas New World was a treasury for the disease cases. Charlotte Roberts explains it by the era and the harshness of conditions of that time “people died at a young age due to other diseases such as Black death and chickenpox without even realizing they were infected with syphilis”.

Syphilis is one of the oldest sexually transmitted diseases in the world. The first recording of Syphilis was in Europe in 1495, but there is believed to be earlier cases that weren’t recognized. “The transatlantic origin of syphilis is still controversial as there was evidence of an endemic syphilis in Asia Minor before 1492” (JG, 1990) . There has not been a definitive origin for this disease and there were several different hypotheses on how it came to the United States. There have been 2 main theories proposed. The first was the New World or Columbian theory and the Old World or pre-Columbian theory. The first theory holds that the syphilis endemic started in the part of the world now known as Haiti and was then acquired and carried to Europe by Columbus in the 1400s. The second theory, pre-Columbian theory implies that syphilis began in central Africa and was brought to Europe prior to the voyage by Columbus. Recent studies have shown genetic differences between these organisms. Regardless of where the beginning of syphilis started, by 1495 a widespread syphilis epidemic had spread throughout Europe, and then on to India in 1498 and China in 1505. Since its discovery in Europe there have been many speculations that many famous ranging from political figures, musicians and some literary greats may have had syphilis. Some of those were Adolf Hitler, Ivan the Terrible, Henry VIII, Shakespeare, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Lenin (Vladimir Ulyanov), Friedrich Nietzsche,

Syphilis is a bacterial STD caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria. Syphilis is transmitted “through direct contact with a syphilis sore (“STD Facts-Syphilis” 2010).” The contagious sores can be chancre sores, which occur in the

In most parts of Africa and Asia, syphilis infection has a higher prevalence and has been discovered in refugees settling in Australia (prevalence rate between 5 to 8 percent).

One common theory about the origin of AIDS is that the virus originated in Africa. They believe that AIDS was transferred to humans by route of either eating infected chimpanzees or their blood infecting a human through an open wound or sore. After the first human was infected, the infection soon spread as Brandon Keim wrote in “Early Spread of AIDS Traced to Congo’s Expanding Transportation Network”. “The number of infections soon tripled, and the virus’s range expanded.” It is said that HIV was transported to a Kinshasa by an infected individual by way of river down into the Congo. In that time, many of the people in the area were men and there was a vast sexual network in the city. Being so promiscuous led to the rapid spread. This is when they think the first outbreak of AIDS had begun. Within years it devastated parts of Africa, partially because they had no healthcare. They wouldn’t have had any way of knowing how to stop or treat the epidemic. Around the time of the greatest outbreak in Africa, doctors were noticing AIDS in the U.S. They believe that the virus was spread to the U.S. by air travel. This idea seems plausible because of the global trade economy of the U.S. With as many imports and exports as our nation has made in our history, it seems to be a possible explanation.