Syphilis Came to Europe From The Americas
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:40 pm
- Reputation: 1
Syphilis Came to Europe From The Americas
Doesn't compare to Smallpox, but a bit of revenge. LINK: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php ... -diseases/ "But contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t all one sided. It’s believed that one Native American disease did slip on to the European ships and sailed onward to Europe doing some major damage in the process. That disease was syphilis.
Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” in 1492. Just three years later, in 1495, the first syphilis epidemic broke out among armies in Italy at the Siege of Naples, seemingly brought by French soldiers who in turn probably got the disease from Spanish mercenaries. Because of the French popularly spreading it, syphilis was initially known as the “French disease.”
There was up until very recently some debate about whether or not syphilis was in fact a “New World” disease because there are over 50 skeletons that have been found with all the markings of syphilis being the cause of death and that were once thought to date to pre-Columbian times. However, advancements in dating technology and a recent (2011) comprehensive study published in the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology looking at all of the skeletons placed those people’s deaths after Columbus returned from the Americas.
The initial syphilis epidemic is thought to have killed upwards of a few million Euopeans as it made its rounds. Artist Albrecht Dürer remarked,
God save me from the French disease. I know of nothing of which I am so afraid … Nearly every man has it and it eats up so many that they die.
The disease continued to be a problem into the 20th century. It’s caused by bacteria Treponema pallidum, which can attack the nervous system, heart, brain, and internal organs, causing a variety of health problems and, sometimes, death. A cure wasn’t developed until the 1940s with the development of penicillin."
Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” in 1492. Just three years later, in 1495, the first syphilis epidemic broke out among armies in Italy at the Siege of Naples, seemingly brought by French soldiers who in turn probably got the disease from Spanish mercenaries. Because of the French popularly spreading it, syphilis was initially known as the “French disease.”
There was up until very recently some debate about whether or not syphilis was in fact a “New World” disease because there are over 50 skeletons that have been found with all the markings of syphilis being the cause of death and that were once thought to date to pre-Columbian times. However, advancements in dating technology and a recent (2011) comprehensive study published in the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology looking at all of the skeletons placed those people’s deaths after Columbus returned from the Americas.
The initial syphilis epidemic is thought to have killed upwards of a few million Euopeans as it made its rounds. Artist Albrecht Dürer remarked,
God save me from the French disease. I know of nothing of which I am so afraid … Nearly every man has it and it eats up so many that they die.
The disease continued to be a problem into the 20th century. It’s caused by bacteria Treponema pallidum, which can attack the nervous system, heart, brain, and internal organs, causing a variety of health problems and, sometimes, death. A cure wasn’t developed until the 1940s with the development of penicillin."
Re: Syphilis Came to Europe From The Americas
all those bacterias and stuff is older than us.
they have been here before us.
they have been here before us.
- frank lee bent
- Expatriate
- Posts: 11330
- Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 4:10 am
- Reputation: 2094
Re: Syphilis Came to Europe From The Americas
thats right- blame the Americans again.
Jeez give it a rest!
Jeez give it a rest!
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 2:40 pm
- Reputation: 1
Re: Syphilis Came to Europe From The Americas
No FLB, I'm actually blaming Native Americans 95% of whom were killed by European diseases.frank lee bent wrote:thats right- blame the Americans again.
Jeez give it a rest!
- frank lee bent
- Expatriate
- Posts: 11330
- Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 4:10 am
- Reputation: 2094
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 13 Replies
- 3984 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
-
- 20 Replies
- 4212 Views
-
Last post by Chad Sexington
-
- 103 Replies
- 16897 Views
-
Last post by Clutch Cargo
-
- 2 Replies
- 1030 Views
-
Last post by Ghostwriter
-
- 9 Replies
- 1849 Views
-
Last post by Doc67
-
- 6 Replies
- 1954 Views
-
Last post by NeneMatthew
-
- 4 Replies
- 2635 Views
-
Last post by atst
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 469 guests