{"id":443,"date":"2019-05-21T14:02:22","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T18:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/hst-journeys\/?p=443"},"modified":"2019-05-21T14:09:39","modified_gmt":"2019-05-21T18:09:39","slug":"medicine-and-disease-in-history-syphilis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/hst-journeys\/2019\/05\/medicine-and-disease-in-history-syphilis\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicine and Disease in History: Syphilis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"

1996 series 200 Deutsche Mark banknote featuring Dr. Paul Ehrlich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Ashlee Mosley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: Essay 2 in a series, all from Dr. Amanda McVety’s Spring 2019 class on Medicine and Disease in Modern Society <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1930\u2019s syphilis was known as a sexually transmitted\ndisease.  Even then syphilis was a\npreventable disease, but it still caused a worldwide panic.  Syphilis has been referred to as the \u201cthird\ngreat plague\u201d, due to its significance in affecting the population all around\nthe world.  The symptoms have stayed the\nsame within 90 years.  Sores or lesions\nall over the body which vary in size and placement, they are usually\npainless.  Treatment and the social\nstigma has changed within this time frame. \nIn the past 90 years, the social perception of syphilis changed due to a\nshift in social acceptance and scientific understanding of the disease which\nresulted in more effective treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In the\n1930s syphilis was STD that was caused by an organism called spirochete <\/em>or treponeme.<\/em>  It was long\ndebated to decide which one caused syphilis. \nSchaudinn was unable to determine the membrane which characterized\nspirochete, then suggested the name Terponema\npallidum.  <\/em> Though, it was also called Spirochaeta pallida<\/em> during this\ntime.  This organism is delicate and can\nbe killed by the mildest of antiseptics and drying.[1]<\/sup><\/a>  During this time people did know that\nsyphilis was preventable and curable if handled and caught in time.[2]<\/sup><\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Syphilis today is a systemic disease\ncaused by spirichaete, Treponema\npallidum. <\/em>This can be transmitted the same way in 1930s, sexual acts, blood\ntransfusion, or from mother to fetus in utero. \nSyphilis has four different stages that it is broken up into.  There is primary, secondary, and early latent\nwhich are the early stages of syphilis and then there is late latent\nsyphilis.  To put people into groups,\nanyone less than two years is early latent and more than two years without\nclinical evidence is referred to as late syphilis.[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was known to be contracted not\njust from sexual acts but in other innocent ways.  People thought that by using contaminated and\ndirty dishes and utensils they would contract syphilis.  Infected money and simple kissing was thought\nto spread syphilis.[4]<\/sup><\/a>  In other works, it was said that prostitution\nwas a main reason for the spread of syphilis. \nSince prostitution was such a big thing, people believed that everyone\nwho was a prostitute or was with a prostitute had syphilis. Everyone was at\nrisk for syphilis, men, women, children, and even a fetus still in utero.  Children that are born with syphilis are more\nlikely to be handicapped for the rest of their lives, physically and mentally.[5]<\/sup><\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To determine if one was to have\nsyphilis they would administer blood test. \nTreatment for syphilis was only handled at home until Dr. Ehrlich came\nup with \u201cbullets\u201d.  Patients can be\ndischarged after a week in the hospital. \nThe new treatment does require treatment from a trained professional at\nthe hospital.  The treatment was to take\nDr. Ehrlich\u2019s \u201cbullets\u201d and use an IV to get the medicine.  For poorer, malnutrition patients they would\ngain up to ten pounds during the week of care. \nThey would be on a continuous drip for five days and it was about ten\nquarts of the solution.[6]<\/sup><\/a>  Another type of treatment was the use of\narsenic, bismuth and mercury which are nephrotoxic drugs but they can cause\nirritation to the kidneys.  Also the use\nof arsphenamines which causes severe damage to the liver.[7]<\/sup><\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Today, to\ndetermine if someone has syphilis they would administer a blood test or test\nthe cerebral spinal fluid.  The treatment\nfor syphilis today is a single dose of penicillin if caught early.  In all cases, syphilis is curable if caught\nin time.  The penicillin will stop the\nsextually transmitted disease from progressing. \nThis works for people that have been infected for less than a year.  If pregnant, the doctor will only recommend\npenicillin.  The newborn child must\nreceive antibiotic treatment as well. \nFollow up treatment is to have periodic blood test to make sure the\npatient is responding well to the dosage of penicillin the doctor\nprescribed.  People should avoid sex\nuntil their sores have healed.  Still\nwith this, they should always use condoms when engaging in sexual\nactivity.  Even though cured, they can\nstill get syphilis again.  [8]<\/sup><\/a>  Though syphilis can be cured, it cannot\nreverse any damage that has been done.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The public\nhealth officials proposed some action to help with the spread of syphilis.  They wanted to more control prostitution.  Control the marriage of someone who has\nsyphilis and is not receiving treatment. \nThe officials also said they will punish people who do not receive\ntreatment.  Start giving good treatment\nat the expensive of the state.  They want\nto work on earlier detection of syphilis and reporting all causes of sexual\ndisease.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The social\nstigma around syphilis has changed in the way that is more accepted.  In the 1930s, Kaempffert wrote, \u201cNice people\ndon\u2019t have syphilis, nice people don\u2019t have syphilis and nice people shouldn\u2019t\ndo anything about having syphilis.\u201d4<\/sup> \nWorks about this disease are only for professionals.  They were published and put into libraries\nuntil many people were reading and talking about it.  During this time, if someone was to get\nsyphilis it was as if they \u201cdeserved it.\u201d \nIn the Third Great Plague, Stokes raised the question of why other\nsexually transmitted diseases were not seen as a sign of shame. Other STDs were\nnot seen as bad or for bad people.2 \n<\/sup> Today, people today see\nsyphilis as a risk.  Syphilis is not\nsomething that happens due to bad behavior or a bad person.  STDs in general is something that everyone\nhas a risk of if they engage in sexual activity.  People are now trying not to brand people and\nmake them feel bad for having a sexually transmitted disease.  This will cause people not to get tested and\nfor them to spread this others without knowing. If people are not being safe or\nnot getting tested then many more people are at risk for syphilis.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The social\nstigma of syphilis has changed for the better. \nThere are still going to be people that see it as the person is\nbad.  From the new understanding, this is\njust not the case.  The new treatment\nthat has been developed has also helped with the social stigma.  Since it is easier to cure, it is not such a\nscary topic to talk about.  People are\nnot ashamed to have syphilis anymore because it is not a bad thing.  Anyone is at risk for this anytime they\nengage in sexual activity. Within the past 90 years, the stigma has changed\nbecause of the new treatments and the moral understanding of what the disease\nis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaempffert, Waldemar. “The Battle Against Syphilis:\nDr. Parran’s “Shadow on the Land” Is A…” New York Times<\/em>, August 1, 1937.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kazanjian, Kaiden. “5\nDay Treatment for Syphilis.” New\nYork Times<\/em>, April 13, 1940.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lehman. “Lehman Urges\nWar against Syphilis.” New York\nTimes<\/em>, February 5, 1937.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moulton, Forest Ray. Syphilis:\nPresented by the Section on the Medical Sciences<\/em>. American Association for\nthe Advancement of Science by THE SCIENCE PRESS, 1938.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nelson, Nels A., and Gladys L. Crain. Syphilis, Gonorrhea and the Public Health<\/em>. New York: Macmillan Company, 1938.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stokes, John H. The Third Great Plague:\nA Discussion of Syphilis for Everyday People<\/em>. W.B. Saunders Company, 1917.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Syphilis.” Mayo Clinic. January 16, 2019.\nAccessed March 05, 2019. https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/syphilis\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20351756<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WHO. “GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SEXUALLY\nTRANSMITTED INFECTIONS.” The WHO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.who.int\/reproductivehealth\/topics\/rtis\/treatment_syphilis.pdf.\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a> Nelson, Nels A., and Gladys L. Crain. Syphilis,\nGonorrhea and the Public Health<\/em>. New York: Macmillan Company, 1938.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a> Stokes, John H. The Third Great Plague: A Discussion of Syphilis for\nEveryday People<\/em>. W.B. Saunders Company, 1917.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/sup><\/a> The WHO. “GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SEXUALLY\nTRANSMITTED INFECTIONS.” The WHO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.who.int\/reproductivehealth\/topics\/rtis\/treatment_syphilis.pdf.\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/sup><\/a> Kaempffert, Waldemar. “The Battle Against Syphilis:\nDr. Parran’s “Shadow on the Land” Is A…” New York Times<\/em>, August 1, 1937.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/sup><\/a> \nLehman. “Lehman Urges War against Syphilis.” New York Times,\nFebruary 5, 1937.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/sup><\/a> Kazanjian, Kaiden. “5 Day Treatment for\nSyphilis.” New York Times<\/em>, April\n13, 1940.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/sup><\/a> Moulton, Forest Ray. Syphilis:\nPresented by the Section on the Medical Sciences<\/em>. American Association for\nthe Advancement of Science by THE SCIENCE PRESS, 1938.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/sup><\/a> “Syphilis.” Mayo Clinic. January 16, 2019.\nAccessed March 05, 2019. https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/syphilis\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20351756<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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