Death From Syphilis
Death From Syphilis Congenital syphilis is the leading cause of many diseases in humans today. Genome research can be a way to diagnose and prevent many diseases. My grandfather had syphilis, as did many other grandfathers and great-grandfathers a century ago. It was a pandemic for several hundred years. Most of us don't know about it. It was considered shameful and families kept it a secret at all costs. Medical records were transcribed to mask the true diagnosis because of the stigma associated with the diagnosis. I n the process of tracing my family history, I was able to obtain my grandfather's military records from Ottawa, Canada where he served as a medic in 1915 in France for the Canadian Army during WW1. They recorded his military service in detail, including laboratory tests and treatments. He complained of leg and hip pain and was hospitalized. His laboratory blood tests revealed a Wasserman 3. A clear sign of syphilis. He was 38 and got it when he was 18. Now he ...