The occurrence of the same mutation giving rise to syphilis independently in the New and Old worlds seems unlikely. Identification of syphilis on an Old World skeleton predating Columbus would be strong evidence that the disease either originated in the Old World or occurred in both hemispheres.
Olivier Dutour of the Faculty of Medicine at Marseilles has recently concluded that the skeleton of a seven-month-old fetus found in a fouth-century A. But Bruce Rothschild, who has examined the Costebelle skeleton, contends that it is not a case of congenital syphilis but of lithopedion.
The Rothschilds and University of Texas at Austin archaeologist Leland Bement have recently identified a 3,year-old lithopedion case at the Bering Sinkhole site in Texas.
According to Bruce Rothschild the lesions in the Costebelle case indicate lithopedion. Syphilis, it seems, developed in the New World from yaws, perhaps 1, years ago, and was waiting for Columbus and his crew. The Rothschilds are now examining skeletal collections from the Bahamas to look for evidence of syphilis nearer to Columbus' landfall. Subscribe to the Digital Edition! Archaeology e-Update Subscriber Alert!
Bruce Rothschild as co-author with Christine Rothschild in their review study in found that somewhere between and years ago the first identified osseotype evidence of syphilis occurred in North America and it appeared that syphilis had transmutated from yaws. Rothschild also states that all evidence for treponeal disease existing in re-Columbian Europe represents isolated cases for which alternative diagnoses are more likely. They also stated that the rapid spread of syphilis throughout Europe around reflected the introduction of a virulent disease into a population that had not been previously exposed and had no immunity to it.
The authors concluded that among the 54 reports they evaluated using their criteria they did not find a single case of Old World treponeal disease that had both a certain diagnosis and a secure pre-Columbian date. They came to the overall conclusion that evidence for an Old World origin for syphilis remains absent, and that this further supported the hypothesis that syphilis, or its progenitor, came from the New World. Know syphilis in all its manifestations and relations, and all other things clinical will be added unto you.
The origin of syphilis is still a topic of debate and research, believed by physicians and scholars up until early last century to have been brought to the Old World from America by Christopher Columbus. In recent times, archaeologists and palaeontologists had found possible evidence it existed in the Old World before Columbus. This has been disputed by other researchers however and it seems that it is still possible that Columbus did bring syphilis, or its progenitor, to the New World.
Submit your article First felt strange pains, and sleepless passed the night. From him the malady received its name.
Author Information. References 1. Rolleston JD. Venereal disease in literature. Brit J Vener Dis ; 10 3 : History of U. Military Medicine ; April Suppl : Venereal Diseases. Editors Internal Medicine in Vietnam. Vol II. General Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
Ackerknecht EH. A Short History of Medicine. Revised edition. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 5. Karlen A. Man and Microbes. Wills C. London: Flamingo, Schreiber W, Mathys FK.
Basle: Editione Roche, Dobson M. London: Quercus, Beck SV. Syphilis: the Great Pox. In : Kiple KF. Major RH. Classic Descriptions of Disease. Garrison FH. An Introduction to the History of Medicine. Philadelphia: WB Saunders Co, Singer C, Underwood EA. Oxford: Oxford at the Clarendon Press, Worthington T. Poems, paintings and penile chancres.
Microbiologist December Osler W. Guthrie D. A History of Medicine. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, Waugh M. Daniel Turner : Syphilis and the condum. Benedek TG. Albert Neisser : Microbiologist and Venereologist. Harrison LW. Ehrlich versus syphilis. Brit J Vener Dis ; 30 1 : Shivers CH De T.
The clinical value of bismuth in the treatment of syphilis. Arch Derm Syphilol ; 10 4 : Burn JH. The Background of Therapeutics. Introduction Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema Pallidum, a bacterium classified under Spirochaets phylum, Spirochaetales order, Spirochaetaceae family, but there are at least three more known species causing human treponemal diseases such as Treponema pertenue that causes yaws, Treponema carateum causing pinta and Treponema pallidum endemicum-responsible for bejel or endemic syphilis.
Hypotheses on the origin of syphilis The pre-columbian hypothesis. Syphilis in artistic representations The oldest artistic representation of syphilis is considered one on a Peruvian jug dating back to VIth century, depicting a mother suffering from syphilis holding a child in her arms; the mother shows a saddle nose and superior incisive teeth with notches on their free margins.
Open in a separate window. Conclusions Treponema pallidum infection in men not only provoked a disease that represented a threat to humans for many centuries, but it also had a tumultuous history.
References 1. Hackett CJ. On the origin og the human treponematoses pinta, yaws, endemis syphilis and venereal syphilis. Bull World Health Organ. Tehnica; Syphilis at the Crossroad of Phylogenetics and Paleopathology. Rothschild BM. History of Syphilis. Clinical Infectious Diseases. Fee E. The wages of sin. The Lancet. Foa A, compiler. Forrai J, compiler. Neuza Satomi Sato; Waugn MA. Role played by Italy in the history of syphilis. Br J Vener Dis. Singh AE, Romanowski B. Syphilis: review with emphasis on clinical, epidemiologic, and some biologic features.
Clin Microbiol Rev. Morton RS. Another look at the Morbus Gallicus. Hudson EH. Treponematosis and African Slavery. Baker B, Armelagos GJ. The origin and antiquity of syphilis: Paleopathological diagnosis and interpretation. Current Anthropology. The origin and antiquity of syphilis revisited: an appraisal of Old World pre-Columbian evidence for treponemal infection.
Am J Phys Anthropol. Evol Anthropol. In: History of Syphilis. Polity; McGough LJ. Syphilis and the Columbian ex-change: was the disease really new? The great maritime discoveries and world health. Lisbon: Ecola Nacional de San Publica; Roth N, compiler. University of Wisconsin Press; Syphilis in art: an entertainment in four parts. Part 1. Genitourin Med.
Eisler CT. Perspect Biol Med. Venzmer G. O boala care dispare, Sifilisul. Atelierele Adevarul. Siena K, compiler. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Wright AD. Venereal disease and the great. Neghina R, Neghina AM. Medical controversies and dilemmas in discussions about the illness and death of Mihai Eminescu Romania's national poet.
Med Probl Perform Art. Weissfeld AS. Clinical Microbiology Newsletter. Sefton AM. The Great Pox that was Journal of Applied Microbiology. Qvist G. John Hunter's alleged syphilis. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. De Souza EM. A hundred years ago, the discovery of Treponema pallidum. An Bras Dermatol. Luger A. The significance of Karl Landsteiner's works for syphilis research.
Wien Klin Wochenschr. O'Shea JG.
0コメント