Syphilis had many historical names. In Germany it was The French Disease. In France it was The Italian Disease. In Holland it was The Spanish Disease. In Russia it was The Polish Disease. The Turks called it The Christian Disease.

Infectious Diseases /

History of syphilis The name “syphilis” was coined by the Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro in his pastoral noted poem, written in Latin, titled Syphilis sive morbus gallicus (Latin for “Syphilis or The French Disease”) in 1530. The protagonist of the poem is a shepherd named Syphilus (perhaps a variant spelling of Sipylus, a […]

Syphilis had many historical names. In Germany it was The French Disease. In France it was The Italian Disease. In Holland it was The Spanish Disease. In Russia it was The Polish Disease. The Turks called it The Christian Disease. Read More »