History of Syphilis

The history of syphilis has been well studied, but the exact origin of syphilis is unknown. There are two primary hypotheses: one proposes that syphilis was carried from the Americas to Europe by the crew of Christopher Columbus, the other proposes that syphilis previously existed in Europe but went unrecognized. These are referred to as the "Columbian" and "pre-Columbian" hypotheses respectively. The Columbian hypothesis is best supported by the available evidence. The first written records of an outbreak of syphilis in Europe occurred in 1494/1495 in Naples, Italy, during a French invasion. Due to it being spread by returning French troops, the disease was known as “French disease”, and it was not until 1530 that the term "syphilis" was first applied by the Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro. The causative organism, Treponema pallidum, was first identified by Fritz Schaudinn and Erich Hoffmann in 1905. The first effective treatment (Salvarsan) was developed in 1910 by Paul Ehrlich which was followed by the introduction of penicillin in 1943. Many famous historical figures including Franz Schubert, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Edouard Manet are believed to have had the disease.