Syphilis

Modern Syphilis.

Although a particularly devastating disease since the sixteenth century, syphilis in the 1920s was commonly found in a milder form. It was usually transmitted via sexual contact, but occasionally was caused by contact with objects used by someone infected with the disease. Regardless of how syphilis was transmitted, it was known that the disease was caused by a spirochete, or spiral-shaped germ, that entered the body through breaks in the skin or through the mucous membranes.

Phases of the Disease.

The primary phase of syphilis, also the most contagious phase, is during the first two to six weeks after infection when the primary lesion, or chancre, appears at the site of infection. The chancre is a single, small, painless ulcer that heals during the primary phase. Secondary syphilis appears after a latent period of six to eight weeks and is identified by flulike symptoms, including a feeling of...

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