Ординатура / Хирургия / Библиотека им академика М.И. Перельмана / Книга_4466_Библиотеки_им_академика_М_И_Перельмана

Although T. pallidum was rst identied in 1905, the disease’s history dates back to the middle ages. According to the Columbian Theory, which dates back to the fteenth century, syphilis was transmitted to Europe after the arrival of Columbus to the New World (America) [4]. While this appears to be the most widely accepted theory, another well-supported hypothesis suggests that syphilis was already pres­ent in Europe at the time of the outbreaks in the late fteenth century (pre­Columbian) [5]. Syphilis rst took the name “morbus gallicus” or “The French disease,” eponymous for the country which Italian physicians blamed for this epi­demic as part of King Charles VIII’s invasion of Italy in the fteenth century [6]. Predictably, though, the disease began to take the name of whoever was felt to be to blame, earning the name “The German disease” in Poland, “The Polish disease” in Russia, “The Chinese ulcer” in Japan, and many others [7]. Despite rst appearing as “syphilis” in print in the sixteenth century [8], it was not until the mid-eighteenth century that physicians began to commonly use this term to refer to the infection caused by T. pallidum [9]. Its venereal transmission was not recognized until the eighteenth century [3]. Early therapies for syphilis, like guaiac, mercury bismuth salts, and arsenic compounds, had worse outcomes than the disease [10]. The dis­covery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1940 dramatically changed the course of the disease. However, syphilis has been a public threat in many parts of the world in the last two decades.