Historical and medical researches into the origin, nature, and treatment of syphilis / by M. Devergie ; translated by John Sinclair Innes.

Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Historical and medical researches into the origin, nature, and treatment of syphilis / by M. Devergie ; translated by John Sinclair Innes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    scourge of the human race, and to prove that the origin, nature, and treatment of this disease are of a similar kind to that of others less common. ORIGIN OF SYPHILIS. If we attach belief to the reports of the ancient his- torians of syphilis, we must acknowledge two origins to this disease ; 1. Its importation from America on the return of Christopher Columbus in 1493 ; 2. An epidemic which, continuing for seven consecutive years, ravaged Europe in a horrible manner towards the end of the fifteenth century, in 1494. The singular coincidence that exists between these two epochs, and the very slight intercourse among nations in the middle ages, shew sulRcient reasons for the errors that propagated themselves in these times when ignorance and prejudice were the distinc- tive appanage of persons occupying the highest rank in society, when people had no communication with each other except with the greatest difficulty, and those who were instructed could be easily reckoned ; but, since that, all nations have become civifized, and in consequence of their commercial relations mutually enlighten each other,—since so many large libraries have been placed at the disposal of the public, it appears very strange that these errors have been defended by distinguished writers, and have found professors active in propagating them to a me-