Medical and Social Aspects of Syphilis in the Balkans from the mid-19th Century to the Interwar

Abstract

The current study presents some aspects of syphilis in the Balkan Peninsula from the 19th century until the Interwar. Ever since the birth of modern Balkan States (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Serbia), urbanization, poverty and the frequent wars have been considered the major factors conducive to the spread of syphilis. The measures against sex work and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were taken in two aspects, one medical and the other legislative. In this period, numerous hospitals for venereal diseases were established in the Balkan countries. In line with the international diagnostic approach and therapeutic standards, laboratory examinations in these Balkan hospitals included spirochete examination, Wassermann reaction, precipitation reaction and cerebrospinal fluid examination. Despite the strict legislation and the adoption of relevant laws against illegal sex work, public health services were unable to curb the spread of syphilis. Medical and social factors such as poverty, citizen's ignorance of STDs, misguided medical perceptions, lack of sanitary control of prostitution and epidemiological studies, are highlighted in this study. These factors were the major causes that helped syphilis spread in the Balkan countries during the 19th and early 20th century. The value of these aspects as a historic paradigm is diachronic. Failure to comply with the laws and the dysfunction of public services during periods of war or socioeconomic crises are both factors facilitating the spread of STDs.

Estudio ecológico de la sífilis gestacional y congénita en Colombia, 2012-2018

“…Sin embargo, esto puede estar influenciado por la disparidad entre las regiones y factores étnicos, raciales 19 . Por otro lado, la persistencia de sífilis en las regiones estaría relacionado con conflictos armados, lo cual origina fenómenos migratorios, que traen consigo consecuencias a largo plazo, producto de rápida urbanización, como son la pobreza, el trabajo sexual, inaccesibilidad a sistema de salud, lo cual podría estar relacionarse con la persistencia de esta condición patológica 30 .…”

The History of the Greek Refugee Hospital of the Interwar Period in a General Hospital of Nikaia “Agios Panteleimon”

“…However, according to the above archives, serious endemic diseases were recorded, mostly in the countryside, where there were more deaths than in the cities mainly from respiratory diseases; incidents during pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium; and infant and child diseases. In general, infectious diseases were the greatest threat to the public health of the Greek population of that period [11]. It was characteristic that, until 1936, the average life expectancy in Greece was 34 years.…”

“…The Greek economy was also affected by this morbid situation of the citizens as there were many shortages of workers due to illness or even death [12]. According to the cause-of-death statistics records, in the period 1928-1937, most deaths were recorded as a result of infectious diseases: 193,883, of which 50,797 died from malaria and 99,445 from tuberculosis [11].…”