The history of the "travel" of syphilis in Europe

Syphilis - a horrific blow to the happy hedonism, which is famous for Europe before the epoch of Puritanism. Who would have thought that the sex tourism in the Caribbean and a grand orgy with several thousand prostitutes in Naples turn into such a failure? Failure noses as well. But with something all began. One day the world woke up after another night of love, and understand: there is no longer light-hearted fun, and now you can die from sex or, worse, turn into zombies.

As the first ever vacation in the Caribbean turned epidemic of syphilis

In 1493, Columbus and his friends returned from the first world tour of the Caribbean and brought the goodies: a new way to India (actually no), the acquisition of land for the crown, tobacco, coconuts, syphilis and tropical fruits. Of course, syphilis was unplanned gift. Although it is possible that the Arawak Indians deliberately peddling white-skinned tarnished goods.

After returning from a trip, infected, but still believe in that "will scratch and will take place", the sailors and the soldiers began to do what befits the soldiers and sailors. They began to burn received doubloons in brothels and quickly came to bankruptcy. After this poor man (and those infected by them) could do nothing but to go back to work as mercenaries.

If you believe the Castilian Dr. Paradise Diaz de Isla, the world's first patient with syphilis became Vincent Pinzon, who, if anything, was the captain of "Nini" - one of the three ships on which Columbus discovered America team.

Charles VIII tries to chop off Naples, syphilis and preparing to chop off your nose to Charles VIII

In Europe, just broke another serious Bucha, so that the mercenaries were in the price. French King Charles VIII of, married to 15-year-old Mary of Anjou, wanted to win her heart and at the same time to become famous as a great conqueror. However, nothing came of it, everything turned out even worse than the "no worse".

In Charles VIII was not only a funny face, but also some rules on Italian soil, so it fitted out the campaign and went to conquer the Kingdom of Naples and everything that comes down the road. Besides army soldiers, which consisted of 30 thousand people, he sent an army regimental prostitutes who had no less than eight hundred. Take care of their fighters, His Majesty did not forget and to himself, taking with him a harem ladies, who were supposed to "help with the housework." great general economy does not remain inactive, so he gave the troops a contagious example.

First campaign was preotlichno. Naples fell quickly at the feet of Karl, and he proclaimed himself king of Naples and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, as well as the emperor of the East. What more could a man of 24 years? On the occasion of the incredible victory of the king and his troops staged a grand two-month orgy to which thousands flocked prostitutes from all over Italy. In such circumstances, even a couple of patients with syphilis markitantok and soldiers would be enough to organize the epidemic. Infected it was clearly more, and soon almost every third fighter in the glorious army was covered with sores.

The cause of syphilis considered cannibalism and sex with horses

Craze did not come for a bolt from the blue. It was like a plague, but much uglier and more horrible. It spread mysteriously and immediately generated a lot of rumors.

Contemporaries of the epidemic reasoned thus: if the Lord sent a plague of deadly sins, then a new, even more vile disease - for something much more shocking. Hence went the first two theories of the origin of syphilis. The first stated that it is - punishment for cannibalism, which involved soldiers of Charles. The second said that the reason was the mass communication with horses. While we understand something: Who needs a horse, if His Majesty called on the party thousands of the hottest Italian virgins?

Charles VIII is defeated and dies as befits a king-loser

Luck from French combined force Spanish and Italian army syphilitic expelled back into France. Carl has been put to shame and to top it off ill with smallpox which disfigured his face. It would be logical and ironic, if in fact it was syphilis, but most likely, it is not. Once home, the king nastrogal offspring, and no one had any problems with venereal disease, so he really had the sense to protect yourself from this ailment.

Karl, the victim humiliating defeat, dissolved the army, and together with them and the mercenaries that flooded all corners of Europe, spreading "love the plague." Tsunami epidemic was so powerful that in just a decade and a half syphilis reverberated across Eurasia and North Africa. In 1512 him even the Japanese have faced, which seemed to be all the forces trying to dissociate itself from the rest of the world.

As Voltaire said: "In his campaign against Italy gullible Frenchmen acquired Genoa, Naples and syphilis. Then they were driven back and lost Naples and Genoa, but syphilis stayed with them. "

By the way, the King Charles VIII soon after the disastrous expedition to Italy was lost slightly unnatural death: accidentally hit his head on the door frame and smashed his head like overripe pumpkin. Apparently, the courtiers were so unhappy with the fact that with the filing of their monarch syphilis became known as the "French disease" that did not even come up to him with the death of the imagination, such as in the case of the namesake of the king, Carl Evil.

Syphilis changed the course of history

Syphilis changed the world much more than it might seem at first glance. It was not just another infection - it became the lever that moved the mountains of history. Largely due to syphilis it took the church split and Protestants came to success. Puritanism would not find such a response in the hearts of the congregation, though she did not live (and sometimes has not) confirmation that the Lord punishes the wild life. It is because of the fact that syphilis is particularly detrimental effect on the hair, appeared wigs have become the hallmark of modern times. It is not surprising, and that humanity remembered and began to actively use another great invention - condoms.

Similarly, the need to treat sunken noses gave impetus to the European surgery. The operation to restore the nose was made a bizarre way: Cut a piece of the patient's skin with his hands, but not completely - should be a flap connected to the body so that the blood vessels continued to supply the piece of skin with blood. Then the flap is applied to the nose, and the patient was forced to walk with his head tied to the hand as long as a piece of skin will not get accustomed to the location of the nose. The man who invented it, was either a genius or a madman.

That syphilis helped the Netherlands to gain independence from Spain. The disease has been one of the pillars of anti-Spanish propaganda: Dutch Protestants claimed that the source of infection are Catholics, and they got rid of oppression, will be to win and disease.

Whatever it was, no religious propaganda, nor the fear of a terrifying disease syphilis did not win. People continued fornicating right and left, no matter what. Suffice it to say that in Europe the Renaissance he did become the leading cause of death. Roughly speaking, the average European was more likely to die of syphilis than by wars, famines, and other diseases, and especially old age. Against this background, the fact that three of the Popes was supposedly this shameful illness, does not seem so surprising.

euphemism for syphilis (which can shine in the company)

The word "syphilis" is an interesting (and rather scabrous) origin story. It came up with a physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro, who gave the name Sifilus (ie "pig friend") the hero of his poem. In it the author figuratively told about the symptoms of the disease and presented his version of her origin: shepherd Sifilus, yearned for women, reclining with his pigs, and for that he was punished by the gods squeamish.

The history of all liked, and the infection began to call "syphilis". Although before that she had a lot of other sonorous nicknames: Black Lion, Cupid's disease, the great pox, venereal plague, and the Scots gave her a stern name "grandgor" which is better suited to this disease than frivolous "syphilis".