Comments on: The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/ Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:13:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Dizzle http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17276 Dizzle Mon, 15 Oct 2012 04:41:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17276 Syphilis was around during ancient rome. Archeologist findings from skeletal remains show the disease was around LONG before Charles VIII. Syphilis was around during ancient rome. Archeologist findings from skeletal remains show the disease was around LONG before Charles VIII.

]]> By: The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease? | The Loom | StigmaBot http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17275 The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease? | The Loom | StigmaBot Sun, 11 Mar 2012 03:12:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17275 [...] Medicine, The Parasite Files, The Tangled Bank, Top posts, Writing Elsewhere | 6 comments | RSS feed | Trackback This entry was posted in Health and tagged health by alex. Bookmark the [...] [...] Medicine, The Parasite Files, The Tangled Bank, Top posts, Writing Elsewhere | 6 comments | RSS feed | Trackback This entry was posted in Health and tagged health by alex. Bookmark the [...]

]]> By: Czyber http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17274 Czyber Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:30:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17274 The Norse inhabited parts of North America almost 500 years or more before Columbus arrived. That is a substantial amount of time for disease to spread. Is there any evidence of syphyllis that may have come via the northern route at an earlier time? <strong>[CZ: No good evidence, according to the authors of the new review. Some folks have claimed that skeletons in England from before 1492 show signs of syphilis, for example, but the evidence doesn't hold up well.]</strong> The Norse inhabited parts of North America almost 500 years or more before Columbus arrived. That is a substantial amount of time for disease to spread. Is there any evidence of syphyllis that may have come via the northern route at an earlier time?

[CZ: No good evidence, according to the authors of the new review. Some folks have claimed that skeletons in England from before 1492 show signs of syphilis, for example, but the evidence doesn't hold up well.]

]]> By: Rolf http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17273 Rolf Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:58:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17273 Like everything else evil in the world, it is the fault of the white christian male. Like everything else evil in the world, it is the fault of the white christian male.

]]> By: DGB http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17272 DGB Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:51:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17272 Very interesting; I've been reading conflicting reports for years. The evidence linking syphillis to theNew World is directly contrary to what we taught biology undergraduates at Cornell back in the late 1970s when I was a graduate student. I wonder if such students ought now be 'recalled' as defective. :-) Very interesting; I’ve been reading conflicting reports for years. The evidence linking syphillis to theNew World is directly contrary to what we taught biology undergraduates at Cornell back in the late 1970s when I was a graduate student. I wonder if such students ought now be ‘recalled’ as defective. :-)

]]> By: John Kwok http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17271 John Kwok Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:16:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17271 @ VZ - Look how rapidly the Bubonic Plague spread from Central Asia into Eastern Europe, and then, Western Europe. It's entirely possible that syphilis' introduction into Europe was as rapid, if not faster. @ VZ -

Look how rapidly the Bubonic Plague spread from Central Asia into Eastern Europe, and then, Western Europe. It’s entirely possible that syphilis’ introduction into Europe was as rapid, if not faster.

]]> By: [LINK] “The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease?” « A Bit More Detail http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17269 [LINK] “The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease?” « A Bit More Detail Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:57:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17269 [...] Loom’s Carl Zimmer writes about the origins of syphillis. Now a STD that’s readily treatable with antibiotics, back [...] [...] Loom’s Carl Zimmer writes about the origins of syphillis. Now a STD that’s readily treatable with antibiotics, back [...]

]]> By: [LINK] “The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease?” « A Bit More Detail http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17270 [LINK] “The French Disease, the Italian Disease, the Christian Disease–the New World Disease?” « A Bit More Detail Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:57:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17270 [...] Loom’s Carl Zimmer writes about the origins of syphillis. Now a STD that’s readily treatable with antibiotics, back [...] [...] Loom’s Carl Zimmer writes about the origins of syphillis. Now a STD that’s readily treatable with antibiotics, back [...]

]]> By: VZ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17268 VZ Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:20:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17268 One thing that was always troubling for me is the fact that Columbus returned from his first voyage in March of 1493 (and he visited Santo Domingo and Cuba, not the continent itself). In the end of February of 1495 Charles VIII's army entered Naples where it apparently picked the disease. I understand how it got from Spain to Naples - King of Naples was a cousin to the King of Aragon and both countries were trading extensively. However, I'm not that familiar with syphilis epidemiology - is it theoretically possible in a matter of two years to become a major epidemics? And if it was brought by Columbus' crew - do any reports suggest that any of them died of this disease? I'm not saying that New World theory is wrong, I'm just not sure of how it could happen in a matter of 23 months? One thing that was always troubling for me is the fact that Columbus returned from his first voyage in March of 1493 (and he visited Santo Domingo and Cuba, not the continent itself). In the end of February of 1495 Charles VIII’s army entered Naples where it apparently picked the disease. I understand how it got from Spain to Naples – King of Naples was a cousin to the King of Aragon and both countries were trading extensively.
However, I’m not that familiar with syphilis epidemiology – is it theoretically possible in a matter of two years to become a major epidemics? And if it was brought by Columbus’ crew – do any reports suggest that any of them died of this disease?

I’m not saying that New World theory is wrong, I’m just not sure of how it could happen in a matter of 23 months?

]]> By: Georg http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/12/19/the-french-disease-the-italian-disease-the-christian-disease-the-new-world-disease/#comment-17267 Georg Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:24:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=5309#comment-17267 Sypillis was much more virulent in the 16th century, when "new" in Europe, compared to 19th century, when one survived for 10 to 20 years after infection typically. This is some "fact" I learned in the sixties, but is it really true? Georg <strong>[CZ: I recall this, too, but I'd need to check some sources to be sure. Certainly, it's not unusual for pathogens to evolve to a differen level of virulence as they adapt to different ecosystems.]</strong> Sypillis was much more virulent in the 16th century, when “new” in Europe,
compared to 19th century, when one survived for 10 to 20 years after
infection typically.
This is some “fact” I learned in the sixties, but is it really true?
Georg

[CZ: I recall this, too, but I'd need to check some sources to be sure. Certainly, it's not unusual for pathogens to evolve to a differen level of virulence as they adapt to different ecosystems.]

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