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Stories of the Origin of Syphilis in Eighteenth-Century England: Science, Myth, and Prejudice

Stories of the Origin of Syphilis in Eighteenth-Century England: Science, Myth, and Prejudice For the eighteenth century, as for previous ages, the common elements in these debates were credit and blame: enhancing the prestige of EnlightEighteenth-Century Life 24 (Winter 2000): 22–44 © 2000 by The College of William & Mary 23 enment medicine on the one hand and, on the other, deciding which individuals or groups could be held responsible for causing and propagating the pox. This essay looks at eighteenth-century syphilis origin stories and their cultural implications. Such stories appear in both popular and specialized medical texts about venereal disease, and include everything from serious science to the wildest mythmaking. Some, I will argue, strengthened the medical profession by offering theoretical grounds for changing treatment practices and by presenting readers with a vision of medical progress. At the same time, these stories strengthened the commercial market for both mainstream and alternative venereal remedies—a dubious accomplishment, since no remedy from the eighteenth century actually cured the pox. Other tales were more pernicious. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, origin stories already laid blame, dividing the world into a pure “us” and an impure “them” and bearing witness to contemporary national, religious, racial, and gender prejudices. Several eighteenthcentury developments helped reduce http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Eighteenth-Century Life Duke University Press

Stories of the Origin of Syphilis in Eighteenth-Century England: Science, Myth, and Prejudice

McAllister, Marie E.
Eighteenth-Century Life , Volume 24 (1) – Jan 1, 2000
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References (44)

Publisher
Duke University Press
Copyright
Copyright 2000 by Duke University Press
ISSN
0098-2601
eISSN
1086-3192
DOI
10.1215/00982601-24-1-22
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

For the eighteenth century, as for previous ages, the common elements in these debates were credit and blame: enhancing the prestige of EnlightEighteenth-Century Life 24 (Winter 2000): 22–44 © 2000 by The College of William & Mary 23 enment medicine on the one hand and, on the other, deciding which individuals or groups could be held responsible for causing and propagating the pox. This essay looks at eighteenth-century syphilis origin stories and their cultural implications. Such stories appear in both popular and specialized medical texts about venereal disease, and include everything from serious science to the wildest mythmaking. Some, I will argue, strengthened the medical profession by offering theoretical grounds for changing treatment practices and by presenting readers with a vision of medical progress. At the same time, these stories strengthened the commercial market for both mainstream and alternative venereal remedies—a dubious accomplishment, since no remedy from the eighteenth century actually cured the pox. Other tales were more pernicious. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, origin stories already laid blame, dividing the world into a pure “us” and an impure “them” and bearing witness to contemporary national, religious, racial, and gender prejudices. Several eighteenthcentury developments helped reduce

Journal

Eighteenth-Century Life – Duke University Press

Published: Jan 1, 2000

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