I have been reading the book "The Columbian Exchange" and there is a chapter on the sudden appearance of venereal syphilis around the world in the late 15th century and early 16th century.
There are no records in any ancient culture of venereal syphilis. The variety of names it was given in the past always placed the origin in a different place.
Italians called in the French disease.
English called in the French disease, Bordeaux disease, or Spanish disease
French called it the disease of Naples.
Polish called it the German disease.
Russians called it the Polish disease.
Middle Easterners called it the European pustules.
Indians called it the disease of the Franks (western Europeans).
Chinese called it the Tang Sore - Tang was the main port used by the West at the time.
Japanese called it the Portuguese disease.
Girolamo Fracastoros pinned the word syphilis in 1520s.
Records of the late 15th and early 16th century are full of lamentations on the rapid spread of syphilis and effects which often occurred within a short time from infection. There are two theories:
1. Columbus Theory: Syphilis was brought BACK from the Americas. Syphilitic bone changes did not appear in Europe before the 1500s. Egyptian and Nubian bones did not show any trace of syphilis injuries to bones or teeth in ancient times. Paleopathologiests found American soil pre-Columbian bones displaying almost surely syphilic damage. The belief at the time was God created a disease and remedy from the same location. A sure cure was a concoction made from a Western American plant called guaiacum.
2. Unitarian Theory: Syphilis is a syndrome of a multi-faceted world wide disease Treponematosis. It had existed in pre-Columbian times but mutated into its deadly venereal form and carried by sailors around the world from and to brothels, prostitutes, etc. Medieval physicians only knew surface symptoms and may have diagnosed from many common diseases such as leprosy, small pox, scabies, etc.
There are no records in any ancient culture of venereal syphilis. The variety of names it was given in the past always placed the origin in a different place.
Italians called in the French disease.
English called in the French disease, Bordeaux disease, or Spanish disease
French called it the disease of Naples.
Polish called it the German disease.
Russians called it the Polish disease.
Middle Easterners called it the European pustules.
Indians called it the disease of the Franks (western Europeans).
Chinese called it the Tang Sore - Tang was the main port used by the West at the time.
Japanese called it the Portuguese disease.
Girolamo Fracastoros pinned the word syphilis in 1520s.
Records of the late 15th and early 16th century are full of lamentations on the rapid spread of syphilis and effects which often occurred within a short time from infection. There are two theories:
1. Columbus Theory: Syphilis was brought BACK from the Americas. Syphilitic bone changes did not appear in Europe before the 1500s. Egyptian and Nubian bones did not show any trace of syphilis injuries to bones or teeth in ancient times. Paleopathologiests found American soil pre-Columbian bones displaying almost surely syphilic damage. The belief at the time was God created a disease and remedy from the same location. A sure cure was a concoction made from a Western American plant called guaiacum.
2. Unitarian Theory: Syphilis is a syndrome of a multi-faceted world wide disease Treponematosis. It had existed in pre-Columbian times but mutated into its deadly venereal form and carried by sailors around the world from and to brothels, prostitutes, etc. Medieval physicians only knew surface symptoms and may have diagnosed from many common diseases such as leprosy, small pox, scabies, etc.
