engleski

Syphilis and Scherlievo in Dalmatia

The authors describe the appearing of syphilis in Dalmatia, the coastal part of Croatia, at the very end of 15th and beginning of the 16th century, its presence up to the 20th century, making reference to the most important physicians that tried to cure the new disease. The archives of Dalmatian towns, their statutes, some literary works, travel writers, physician books, articles of historician of medicine contain data about syphilis in Dalmatia. Syphilis was first observed in Zadar (1500), in Trogir (1501) and in Dubrovnik (1502). Among the first physicians who treated patients in Dubrovnik were Mariano Santo and Amatus Lusitanus. The latter was the first that made a prosthesis for the defect of the palate to cure tertiary syphilis lesions. According to the Statute of the Dalmatian towns each had one or more paid physicians and pharmacists. The Ottoman travel writer Evlija Celebi gave account of syphilis in Dalmatia in the 17-th century. At the end of the 18-th century, and during the 19-th century in Dalmatia appeared the endemic syphilis known as morbus de Scherlievo and morbus Brenensis. Because of the numerous cases observed in the region, new hospitals were opened in the Dalmatian towns, and the patients hospitalized. Among the physicians who were engaged in the fight against syphilis in the 19th century deserve mention Giovanni Battista Cambieri, Nikola Selak and Božo Peričić. They all treated the affected patients and described syphilis and “Scherlievo disease” in Croatian and in other foreign languages. Syphilis was present in the Dalmatian towns during the 15-20th century, and remains a challenge and arousing the interest of nowadays dermatovenerologists as well as other specialists.

Syphilis; Scherlievo; Dalmatia

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