Syphilis: A Short Biography

Syphilis is an illness with mythology. The story of its origin, dissemination and treatment have all been mired in confusion, a mix of reality and quackery. I have tried to put the organism as the principal protagonist of the story, firmly in an historical focus which centres more on its social impact than on its particular medical management. A diagnosis of Syphilis had personal and community consequence and its impact transcended into the arts. Despite the discovery of an effective treatment to which the organism has fortunately failed to mutate, the restrictions in available management have been social and a result of prejudice towards its victims. This may explain why it is once again on the global rise in places where access to the most basic antibiotics remains limited. This book uniquely considers the sociological sequel of infection, the wider influence extending beyond the physical that has become its legacy.

Department Neuroscience and Anatomy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

The author completed medicine in 1978 at the University of Melbourne and trained as a specialist surgeon in Australia and the United Kingdom. Went on to complete a doctorate in immunology at London University (Imperial College) and then was Professor of Surgery at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus Barbados (2002-2007) and then Professor of Surgery in Israel until 2015

Director of the Diploma of Anatomy University of Otago 2016/ Senior Tutor Undergraduate and Postgraduate Anatomy University of Melbourne 2016-Present