The first step in this direction was the discovery by a French scientist, Shaudin, of a germ producing Syphilis, a germ that he has called Spirocheta pallida. Spirocheta under the microscope looks very much like a corkscrew, and can be easily demonstrated in all fresh Syphilis sores. A finding of Spirocheta at once and absolutely establishes a diagnosis of Syphilis. Another valuable method by which a doubtful or latent case of Syphilis can be recognized is a blood test, known by the name of its discoverer as Wasserman Test. This is a very complicated test, requiring a highly-developed technic, and it can be properly done only in specially equipped laboratories.
The Wasserman test is not as absolutely sure and positive as finding of Spirocheta, yet it is very useful, and indeed indispensable in many cases of latent Syphilis, i. e., Syphilis that does not show any active symptoms like sores, breaking out, etc.
There is one more way to test the blood for Syphilis—luetin test, discovered by a Japanese scientist, Noguchi. Luetin test is made by injection in the skin of a certain substance, and also is very useful in old and latent cases of Syphilis. Recognition of Syphilis by the appearance and character of the sores and skin eruptions is in many cases very difficult, and can be done in doubtful cases only by a physician specially trained in this class of diseases.
Clinical Course of Syphilis.
The clinical course of Syphilis is usually divided, for the sake of convenience of presentation, into three periods.
Primary Period of Syphilis.
The first manifestation of Syphilis in the human body is a primary syphilitic sore, so-called hard chancre. This chancre appears usually two or three weeks after exposure, and this is a very important point to remember. Most men think that every venereal disease shows up a day or two after intercourse, and if a week passes without any signs of infection, they congratulate themselves upon having escaped the penalty of the transgression. Therefore when, two or three weeks after the exposure, they notice a small pimple or nodule on the genital organs, they ascribe it to some accidental cause, and never think of the possibility of it being of a venereal nature. This error of judgment is rendered particularly easy by the fact that the initial syphilitic sore has such a harmless, insignificant appearance, and is commonly so free from any pain, discomfort, or acute distress, that the patient, as a rule, ignores it, believing it will pass away by itself, or applies some ordinary salve. Only after they see that this “pimple” does not disappear, and gets harder and bigger in size, only then they become alarmed and consult a physician. This is the reason that so many patients present themselves to the physician when the syphilitic poison has already spread all over the body and has broken out in a general eruption.
A deceiving appearance and mild clinical course of primary syphilitic chancre that gives to a patient a false feeling of security cannot be too strongly emphasized and warned against. The following injunction seems to be well indicated to all men taking chances with venereal infection: Beware of the little, painless, insignificant pimple on the genital organs, that comes up two or three weeks after exposure and shows a tendency to become firm and hard on touch.
Primary syphilitic chancre may look like a plain pimple or swelling without any sore on it, or it may present a greasy-looking ulcer with a very slight discharge, but all syphilitic chancres have one characteristic feature always present; this is a hard, almost wooden feel and firm consistence on touch.