The Scars of Venus

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Origins

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 1-10

3. The French Disease

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 11-23

4. “Mr Hunter’s singular opinions”: Early and Experimental Syphilis

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 25-44

5. “He sees syphilis everywhere”: Late Syphilis

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 45-58

6. “The sins of the fathers”: Congenital Syphilis

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 59-70

7. Spirochaeta pallida: The Microbiology of Syphilis

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 71-80

8. “For one pleasure, a thousand pains”: The Treatment of Syphilis

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 81-101

9. Chancroid and Donovanosis

   • J. David Oriel

   Pages 103-113

10. Gonorrhoea Virulenta

    • J. David Oriel

    Pages 115-129

11. Gonorrhoea after Neisser

    • J. David Oriel

    Pages 131-147

12. Viruses and Chlamydiae

    • J. David Oriel

    Pages 149-169

13. Venereologists and Others

    • J. David Oriel

    Pages 171-189

14. Public Health Matters

    • J. David Oriel

    Pages 191-211

15. No Happy Ending

    • J. David Oriel

    Pages 213-220

16. Back Matter

    Pages 221-248

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In the last decade of the 15th century a new and deadly disease called Morbus Gallicus, or syphilis, appeared and spread rapidly throughout Europe. The effects of syphilis were so severe that it, and those suffering from it, where regarded with horror and despair. It is difficult for the modern reader to appreciate the fog of confusion which surrounded sexually transmitted diseases in earlier times. Those suffering with these diseases were often condemned as victims of their own "sinful lust of the flesh"; a judgement attitude which hindered most of the early attempts at control and treatment. Despite this general attitude, there were some doctors who persevered in their attempts to understand the causes and discover treatments for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases. The Scars of Venus is illustrated with pictures of people, places, instruments and documents. It presents the historical background and achievements of the early venereologists through to the current venereologists' fight against HIV. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with venereal diseases: doctors, nurses, counsellors, laboratory workers, medical historians, and those working in the areas of public/world health and the spread of infectious diseases.

• HIV
• Laboratory
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• biology
• diseases
• fat
• health
• infectious
• infectious disease
• infectious diseases
• microbiology
• public health
• sexually transmitted disease
• treatment
• venerology

• Department of Medicine, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London, UK

  J. David Oriel

Policies and ethics