engleski

Venereal diseases in antiquity and medieval times

Venereal diseases, nowadays called sexually transmitted diseases, are in the range of probability, and were present among the ancient populations as well during the medieval times. Clay tablets with cuneiform script from Mesopotamia, Egyptian’s medical and erotic papiry, mythology, painting of erotic scenes, presence of prostitution give sufficiently informations that some form of urethral and vaginal discharge, genital warts, herpes genitalis, and scabies were present among these peoples at that time. Diseases were considered a divine punishment. The Bible and the Talmud say enough about the sexual behaviour of the ancient Hebrews, and the possible presence of some venereal diseases. The writings of Hippocrates, other Greek and Roman physicians, and of some writers and satiric poets (Plautus, Martial, Juvenal) described diverse genital diseases. Celsus described in his De Medicina diseases of the genitals, that he defined parts obscenes. Galen gave a funny description of the female genitals, and coined the term gonorrhoea, i. e. flow of semen. The ancient Chinese and Indian physicians also wrote on some genital diseases in their manuscripts, but the interpretation is still obscure. The sculptures in the temples showed their sexual life.During the Middle Ages , there was a decline of science, arts, economy and medicine.However numerous European physicians and surgeons, as well of Arabian countries described genital chancres, condylomata, urethral and vaginal discharge, and some became aware that the lesions were acquired through sexual intercourse. In spite the fact the Christian church propagated abstinence, the spread of venereal diseases was possible because of the presence of prostitution, communal baths, and wars. The treatment of venereal diseases was mostly futile. During the 19th century certain physicians and historians believed that syphilis was old as mankind, but later authors had dismantled this opinion.

Venereal diseases; sexually transmitted diseases; ancient populations; medieval times

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