jul 11, 1495 - Syphillis 1495
Description:
There are two main hypotheses pertaining to the origins of Syphilis. The Columbian hypotheses, arguably the most popular hypotheses, states that the crew involved in Christopher Columbus' initial discovery of the Americas contracted the disease on their journey and introduced it to their homeland as they returned. The pre-Columbian hypotheses argues that Syphilis was wide spread in both continents long before Columbus' voyage and was likely mistaken for leprosy in earlier European societies.
The first recorded outbreak of Syphilis in European history occurred in 1495, afflicting French soldiers while in Italy. Historians theorize that it was from this point in which the disease was spread widely across Europe, although the exact origins of the massive outbreak are technically unknown. Early cases of Syphilis during this period were far more severe and deadly than later cases, as the population of Europe had not built up an immunity to the disease at this point. It is best known in this time period as being a leading killer during the Renaissance era. In today's society, roughly 12 million people are diagnosed with Syphilis each year, although it is considerably less severe and more controllable than it was centuries ago.
In 1946 the US government conducted an study called the Tuskegee study targeting african american men to experiment with treatment options for syphillis. They split the men up into 2 groups, one that recieved treatment for syphillis and one that did not. They did this without consent and the group with the placebo treatment was not informed that they were not recieving real treatment.
The symptoms of Syphillis are;
Painless sores on genitals, rash, fever and it can also affect your brain causing you to make irrational decisions.
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