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Posted By: jheem syphilis sive morbus gallicus - 11/06/04 02:07 PM
Most people know that the STD syphilis is named after the shepherd Syphilis who is the hero of a poem, Syphilis, sive morbus Gallicus (Syphilis, or the French disease) written by the Reneaissance physician Girolamo Fracastoro [1478–1553] and published in 1530. Least any of our francophone friends be upset with the term French disease, it should be remembered that syphilis was also called the Spanish disease (because Columbus' sailors supposedly brought it back from the New World), the German disease, and the Neapolitan (sometimes Italian) disease. (The English disease being saved for another thing entirely.)

I've never seen an etymology of syphilis offered, other than the eponymous shepherd hero. It occurs to me that it could possibly have been derived from suphe(i)os 'hog-sty' by Fracastoro (connected with Latin sus 'hog' and English swine, and which reminds me of Elizabethan and Jacobean stews 'a brothel'), though this latter is not related to sty, but rather Greek tuphus 'fever' whence our disease typhus. A sty is an enclosure for swine, but also an inflammation of a sebaceous gland in the eye.

Another term for syphilis is lues 'plague, pestilence'; Tacitus describes in his History a invading German army as immensa belli lues 'a huge plague of war' (iii.15).

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_8_109/ai_65913170

It also just dawned on me that I've never heard any of the folks upset with inflammable meaning combustible, ranting about inflammation. Hmm.

Posted By: of troy Re: syphilis sive morbus gallicus - 11/06/04 04:30 PM
you post reminded me of my surprise when i learned an uncle (by marriage) who was a doctor, (and head of of the Bronx county public service) was a board certifed dermatologist!

syphilis was (in times past) a disease for dermatogists--since it first manifest as a skin lesion.

by the time i knew Uncle Irving, (the mid 70's) i associated dermatologist with cosmetic skin treatments (and acne) not at all with STD's!

what the situation now? (can one of the board doctors help?) is there a specialy for STD?
most women would go to a gyn if they thought they had a STD
and i think men would go to urologist.. (or GP/internist)

but which medical specialty would consentrate on STD's? (there is now a specialty for public health/communicably diseases, isn't there?)

Posted By: Bingley Re: syphilis sive morbus gallicus - 11/10/04 04:46 AM
Here in Indonesia people go to dermatologists (doktor kulit dan kelamin = skin and sex doctor) for STDs.

jheem, is there any connection between this interest in syphilis and urethral sounds?

Bingley
Posted By: jheem Re: syphilis sive morbus gallicus - 11/10/04 02:08 PM
is there any connection between this interest in syphilis and urethral sounds?

Well, one did lead to the other. A friend who is a doctor brought sounds to my attention when I mentioned the etymology of syphilis.

Posted By: wofahulicodoc Who treats siphilis? - 11/12/04 09:09 PM
but which medical specialty would consentrate on STD's? (there is now a specialty for public health/communicably diseases, isn't there?)

Usually it's referred to an ID person these days (Infectious Diseases). But - at the risk of sounding like Dr Bill - part of my time in the Army was spent as I Corps area dermatologist, and indeed VD patients came to my clinic. Although there wasn't much siphilis, mostly the clap (that's gonorrhea for you innocents). Anyhow the treatment of the one covered the other as well so it didn't matter that much...

Posted By: doc_comfort Re: Who treats siphilis? - 06/18/05 05:15 AM
but which medical specialty would consentrate on STD's? (there is now a specialty for public health/communicably diseases, isn't there?)

Up here we have sexual health physicians, amongst other things.

Posted By: Rainmaker Re: Who treats siphilis? - 06/21/05 07:03 PM
I have no numbers to back this, but in the US my guess in the ED docs (yours truly) treat most of this - at least acutely.
Health Departments do what they can, but with poor resources and a problem that is just so much fun to spread...



Posted By: Rainmaker Clap? - 06/23/05 04:45 PM
Hey, a fitting question for this erudite crowd - why is gonorrhea referred to as clap?

Posted By: Sparteye Re: Clap? - 06/23/05 05:05 PM
From answers.com:

Gonorrhea is also commonly known by the slang term "the clap" - suggested etymology from the Old French word "clapier", meaning "brothel". (Another suggested source for the term is from the notorious 18th century brothel keeper known as "Mother Clap", though perhaps her name itself was derived from the slang term). It could also refer to the painful sting in the male urethra, which feels like the sting of a clap when infected with this disease.

But the online etymological dictionary says:


Clap
"gonorrhea," 1587, of unknown origin, perhaps from M.E. claper, from O.Fr. clapoire, originally "rabbit burrow" but given a slang extension to "brothel." Originally also a v., "to infect with clap."


And, Take Our Word for It says:

For those of you wondering where the clap, another term for gonorrhea, came from, no one knows for certain. It dates from the late 16th century, though the verb to clap "to infect with gonorrhea" surfaced a bit earlier. One source suggests that the verb derives from "to clap one's hands on," but that does seem a bit tenuous. A better possible explanation is that it comes from Old French clapoir "venereal bubo". So what the heck is a bubo? It's a swelling or boil, especially in the groin. Eeew!


I guess the short answer is, "nobody knows."





Posted By: Rainmaker Re: Clap? - 06/24/05 04:37 PM
Thank you Ann! Your REALLY impressed my medical student (who asked me that question)! Got a great answer in less than 30 minutes!



Posted By: maverick Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/25/05 10:59 AM
Give her a round of our paws!

Posted By: Bingley Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/29/05 05:04 AM
Isn't being pawed what leads to the problem?

Bingley
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/29/05 12:01 PM
> Isn't being pawed what leads to the problem?

I'll have to ask my ma...

Posted By: maverick Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/29/05 03:54 PM
> what leads to the problem?

I thought it was claused by 'too many strokes from too many folks', or love without pause - cat-a-stophic behaviour!

Posted By: Rainmaker Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/29/05 04:11 PM
Remember the (sixties I think?) saying that the population explosion wouldn't be such a problem if lighting the fuse didn't feel so good...

BOOM! (ooh - ahhh!) Clap-clap-clap...
Happy 4th All! (a few days away, but I work the WE)

Posted By: Bingley Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/30/05 04:20 AM
Ummm, by my calendar the 4th is a Monday. Now, I know the US is 11+ hours behind, but even so the 4th is still a Monday over there, isn't it?

And in case I don't get online tomorrow, a happy Canada Day to those celebrating it.

Bingley
Posted By: wofahulicodoc Re: Clap-clap-clap! - 06/30/05 01:25 PM
...by my calendar the 4th is a Monday

Well, yes, but since the holiday is on a Monday this year, for most USns it's a three-day weekend. Except for the folks who get sick tomorrow (Friday), for whom it'll be a four-day weekend.

Recall that a while back they tried to make Independence Day into another Monday holiday so it would be a perennial three-day weekend, but there was grassroots resistance. Making it not the Fourth of July but rather the Closest-Monday-in-July never caught on (long weekend notwithstanding), and the practice was rescinded after just a few years.

Posted By: tsuwm Re: closest Monday - 06/30/05 03:41 PM
some companies resolved this thorny issue by making the 4th (observed) and two floating holidays bridge to the weekend, such that there is always a five-day weekend in mid-summer. this also serves to regularize summer vacation days, as taking the other two days gives you a nine-day "weekend" (or taking 7 days gives you 16, etc.)

Posted By: Jose Gros Re: syphilis sive morbus gallicus - 09/11/07 12:43 PM
Hi! in Spain syphilis is handled by internal medicine specialists subspecializing in infectious diseases or by general practitioners, dermatologists or whoever diagnoses it. Not long time ago, you were able to see in certain places in Madrid ads on Dr XXX, fimosis, piel y venereas (Phimosis, skin and STDīs)
Posted By: R. Eastcourt Re: Clap? - 11/17/07 07:48 AM
Humbug. If people minded their sexual activities to first cousins only, there would be no STD's!!!
Posted By: R. Eastcourt Re: closest Monday - 11/17/07 08:03 AM
Originally Posted By: tsuwm
some companies resolved this thorny issue by making the 4th (observed) and two floating holidays bridge to the weekend, such that there is always a five-day weekend in mid-summer. this also serves to regularize summer vacation days, as taking the other two days gives you a nine-day "weekend" (or taking 7 days gives you 16, etc.)<br><br>

Clap-Trap. the original post was:
syphilis sive morbus gallicus
Posted By: of troy Re: closest Monday - 11/17/07 12:13 PM
yes, and you point is?
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 01:53 PM
notified.
Posted By: Candy Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 02:11 PM
4 posts of spam, spreading like the clap!
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 03:53 PM
You were busy today, buff.
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 04:05 PM
Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8
You were busy today, buff.


actually, somebody else caught three of them, I just found the last one low on the page.
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 04:07 PM
Well I applaud your giving credit where it is due.
Posted By: tsuwm Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 06:23 PM
Originally Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu
Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8
You were busy today, buff.


actually, somebody else caught three of them, I just found the last one low on the page.


I didn't know it was required expected to announce these things, as they disappear when moderated, and the traces just seem to stir things up! confused

on a related and somewhat interesting note, I only received one e-mail from Anu in reply, which surprised me a bit - I expected it to be a robotic response on a one for one basis.
Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu Re: Clap? - 08/01/11 08:12 PM
Originally Posted By: tsuwm
Originally Posted By: Buffalo Shrdlu
Originally Posted By: LukeJavan8
You were busy today, buff.


actually, somebody else caught three of them, I just found the last one low on the page.


I didn't know it was required expected to announce these things, as they disappear when moderated, and the traces just seem to stir things up! confused

on a related and somewhat interesting note, I only received one e-mail from Anu in reply, which surprised me a bit - I expected it to be a robotic response on a one for one basis.


true about announcing, though I clicked them all to see!

I think it's Anu himself that does the replies, the ones I gotten have always been quite personable!
Posted By: Candy Re: Clap? - 08/02/11 12:01 PM
Seems we all love getting emails from our beloved Anu grin
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: Clap? - 08/02/11 02:13 PM
Those I have notified, I have received a reply from Anu.
Posted By: BranShea Re: Clap? - 08/17/11 10:26 AM
Mr nil nil is laying his eggs again.
Posted By: LukeJavan8 Re: Clap? - 08/17/11 02:52 PM
notified
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