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Syphilis。Heretofore the best evidence has seemed to prove that syphilis had its origin in 1494; during the siege of Naples by Charles VIII of France; but in later days many investigators; prominent among them Buret; have stated that there is distinct evidence of the existence of syphilis in prehistoric times。 Buret finds evidence of traces of syphilis among the Chinese five thousand years ago; among the Egyptians at the time of the Pharaohs; among the Hebrews and Hindoos in biblic times; and among the Greeks and Romans after Christ。 Some American writers claim to have found evidences of syphilitic disease in the skulls and other bones of the prehistoric Indian mounds; thus giving further evidence to the advocates of the American origin of syphilis。 The Spaniards claimed that; returning from America in 1493; Columbus brought with him syphilis。 Friend says: 〃One thing is remarkable; the Spaniards; upon their first expedition to America; brought home from thence this contagious disorder; and soon after carried another affection thither; the small…pox; of which the Indian Prince Montezuma died。〃 The first descriptions of syphilis are given under the name of morbus gallicus; while the French in return called it morbus neapolitanus or mal d'Italie。 The name of syphilis was said to have been first given to it by a physician of Verona; in a poem describing the disease。 Inspired by heroic epics Fracastor places before us the divinities of paganism; and supposes that a shepherd; whom he called Syphilus; had addressed words offensive to Apollo; and had deserted his altars。 To punish him the God sent him a disease of the genitals; which the inhabitants of the country called the disease of Syphilus。
〃Syphilidemque ab eo labem dixere coloni。〃
Buret traces the origin of the word syphilis from sun; with; and filia; love; the companion of love; which means in plain language that the pox is a disease transmitted more especially by venereal relations。 The first great epidemic of syphilis occurred between 1493 and 1496; and attacked all ranks; neither the Church nor the Crown being spared。 The ravages of this disease were increased by the treatment with mercury which soon afterward was found in proper doses to be a specific in this disease。 It is possible that the terrible manifestations of syphilis of which we read in the older writers were in a great measure due to the enormous doses of mercury。 At the present day syphilis is universally prevalent。 In his excellent monograph Sturgis estimated in New York; in 1873; that one out of 18 suffered from it; and White of Philadelphia pronounces the opinion that 〃not less than 50;000 people in that city are affected with syphilis。〃 According to Rohe; on this basis Gihon estimates the number of syphilitics in the United States at one time as 2;000;000。
To…day no disease; except possibly tuberculosis; is a greater agency in augmenting the general mortality and furthering sickness than syphilis。 Its hereditary features; the numerous ways in which it may be communicated outside of the performance of the sexual act; and the careful way in which it is kept from the sanitary authorities render it a scourge which; at the present day; we seem to have no method of successfully repressing。
Modern Mortality from Infectious Diseases。As to the direct influence on the mortality of the most common infectious diseases of the present day; tuberculosis; universally prevalent; is invariably in the lead。 No race or geographic situation is exempt from it。 Osler mentions that in the Blood Indian Reserve of the Canadian Northwest Territories; during six years; among a population of about 2000 there were 127 deaths from pulmonary consumption。 This enormous death…rate; it is to be remembered; occurred in a tribe occupying one of the finest climates of the world; among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains; a region in which consumption is extremely rare among the white population; and in which cases of tuberculosis from the Eastern provinces do remarkably well。 Mayo…Smith quotes a table illustrating the annual deaths (based on the returns from 1887 to 1891) from certain infectious diseases per 10;000 European inhabitants。 The figures for each disease give a rough measure of its prevalence in different countries。 The large figures as to small…pox show the absence in Italy and 〃Hieronymi Fracastorii;〃 Veronae; 1530。 Statistics and Sociology; New York; 1885。
Austria of vaccination; diphtheria seems to be very fatal in Germany and Austria; Italy has a large rate for typhoid fever; and the same is true of the other fevers; France; Germany; and Austria show a very large rate for tuberculosis; while Italy has a small rate。
DEATHS FROM CERTAIN DISEASES PER 10;000 INHABITANTS。
Small… Scarlet Diphtheria Typhoid Tuber… COUNTRY。 pox。 Measles。 fever fever。 culosis Italy; 。 。 。 。 。 3。86 6。17 2。99 6。08 7。49 13。61 France (cities)。 2。3 5。18 3。1 6。66 5。32 33。 England; 。 。 。 。 0。11 4。68 2。31 1。74 1。9 16。09 Ireland; 。 。 。 。 0。01 2。01 1。22 0。76 2。33 21。15 Germany (cities)。 0。04 2。8 2。15 10。21 2。11 31。29 Prussia; 。 。 。 。 0。03 3。2 2。46 14。17 2。26 28。06 Austria; 。 。 。 。 4。43 5。36 5。57 13。2 5。42 37。2 Switzerland; 。 。 0。06 1。53 1。22 3。53 1。47 21。07 Belgium; 。 。 。 。 1。52 6。2 1。62 5。77 3。83 19。87 Holland; 。 。 。 。 0。02 3。93 0。38 1。45 2。5 19。21 Sweden; 。 。 。 。 。 0。01 2。3 3。69 3。89 2。22 0。
Based upon the Tenth Census Reports; we figure that of every 10;000 inhabitants of the United States the number of deaths for the census year from similar diseases was as follows:
Rural。 Cities。
Measles; 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1。62 1。54 Scarlet Fever; 。 。 。 。 2。84 5。54 Diphtheria; 。 。 。 。 。 7。53 8。 Croup; 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 3。51 4。08 Typhoid Fever; 。 。 。 。 4。75 3。46 Tuberculosis; 。 。 。 。 16。29 28。55
The general average of deaths from small…pox was about 0。14。
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