Many famous historical figures, including Charles VIII of France, Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés of Spain, Benito Mussolini, and Ivan the Terrible, were often alleged to have had syphilis or other sexually transmitted infections.
Alphonse Daudet, Thomas Chatterton, Keats, James Boswell, Baudelaire, Heinrich Heine, Dostoievski and Oscar Wild are only a few examples of writers suffering from syphilis. Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu was diagnosed with syphilis too. He died in a mental institution at the age of 39 years [26-28].
Not so for Al Capone whose unchecked syphilis destroyed his brain while he was an inmate there, confined to Cell No. 181. Neurosyphilis has many manifestations along the central and peripheral nervous system but Capone's case was notable for making him certifiably insane.
Infamous gangster Al Capone eventually succumbed to syphilis as well. Even Shakespeare, Lincoln and Hitler are theorized to have had the disease. Luckily, syphilis is now curable with antibiotics, but it is still a serious and deadly disease if left untreated.
Many believe that syphilis was brought to Europe by Columbus and his sailors, and, thereafter, many famous persons, such as political figures (King Charles VIII, Queen Mary I, Catherine the Great, Paul I, Vladimir Lenin), musicians and literary greats suffered from syphilis.
Syphilis existed in medieval Europe, and it caused the death of England's King Edward IV.
Is there a cure for syphilis? Yes, syphilis is curable with the right antibiotics from your healthcare provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage the infection can cause.
Without treatment, the tertiary phase of syphilis may lead to several complications decades after infection. At this stage, syphilis can affect multiple organs and systems, including brain, nerves, eyes, liver, heart, blood vessels, bones and joints. Tertiary syphilis can also cause death.
Many famous historical figures, including Charles VIII of France, Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés of Spain, Benito Mussolini, and Ivan the Terrible, were often alleged to have had syphilis or other sexually transmitted infections.
“Two or three of the major STIs [in humans] have come from animals. We know, for example, that gonorrhoea came from cattle to humans. Syphilis also came to humans from cattle or sheep many centuries ago, possibly sexually”.
Endemic syphilis (bejel) is an endemic, contagious, non-sexually transmitted treponematosis of primitive communities which, if not treated, can cause deformities and defects of the face in its late stage.
Abraham Lincoln told his biographer, friend, and law partner of 18 years, William Hearndon, that he had been infected with syphilis in 1835 or 1836. Hearndon, believing both Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln had syphilis, suspected it in the premature death of 3 Lincoln children.
Syphilis is a multisystem chronic infection caused by treponema pallidum. It can cause psychiatric disorders including depression, mania, psychosis, personality changes, delirium and dementia.
Vincent van Gogh
At one point he was romantically involved with a former prostitute, Sien Hoornik. Van Gogh was officially diagnosed with gonorrhea but it's widely believed that he also suffered from syphilis.
It is speculated that Vincent and Theo had syphilis; indeed, Vincent was treated for gonorrhea in 1882. But according to Theo's death certificate, the cause of death was a "chronic kidney disease" for possible "kidney stones".
The primary high-risk populations for syphilis are men who have sex with men (MSM) and men and women who are HIV positive. Secondary higher-risk populations include: People who have been incarcerated. Sex workers.
Syphilis in composers and musicians--Mozart, Beethoven, Paganini, Schubert, Schumann, Smetana.
There are two primary hypotheses: one proposes that syphilis was carried to Europe from the Americas by the crew(s) of Christopher Columbus as a byproduct of the Columbian exchange, while the other proposes that syphilis previously existed in Europe but went unrecognized.
The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases.
Late latent syphilis is latent syphilis where infection occurs more than 12 months ago. Latent syphilis of unknown duration is when there is not enough evidence to confirm initial infection was within the previous 12 months. Latent syphilis can last for years.
Treponemal tests, also called confirmatory tests (FTA, TP-PA, EIA), detect antibodies specific to syphilis. Treponemal antibodies will appear earlier after acute infection than non-treponemal antibodies. The antibodies detected in these tests usually remain detectable for life even after successful treatment.
Late Stage — 1 out of 3 people who have syphilis that's not treated suffer serious damage to their nervous system, heart, brain, or other organs, which can even kill you. This stage can occur 1–20 years after the start of your infection.
You can live a normal life, but it's important to take precautions to protect others. First, get treatment and wait until a healthcare provider tells you you are cured before you have sexual activity.
Antibiotics can treat syphilis in the early stages. Syphilis doesn't cause long-term health problems if you receive treatment early. Without treatment, syphilis can cause severe health problems. It can damage your heart, bones, brain, eyes, muscles and nerves, and it can be fatal.
A person with primary syphilis generally has a sore or sores at the original site of infection. These sores usually occur on or around the genitals, around the anus or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. These sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless.