Death by Syphilis

A Case Study: George F Hopf (1880-1960)

Congenital syphilis is the root cause of many diseases in human beings today. Genome research may be a path to diagnosis and prevention of multiple diseases.

My grandfather had syphilis, as did many other grandfathers and great grandfathers a century ago. It was pandemic for several hundred years. Most of us don’t know about it. It was considered terribly shameful and families kept it a secret at any cost. Medical records were rewritten to disguise the true diagnosis because of the stigma associated with the diagnosis.

in the process of tracing my family history, I was able to get my grandfather’s military records from Ottawa, Canada where he served as a medic in 1915 in France for the Canadian Army during World War 1. They recorded his military service in detail including lab tests and treatments.

He complained of pain in his legs and hips and was hospitalized. His laboratory blood tests revealed a Wasserman of 3. A clear indication of syphilis. He was 38 and he got it when he was 18. By now he had had it for about 20 years and it was in the secondary or latent stage. He was treated unsuccessfully with Salverson 600, a lethal intravenous injection cocktail of of arsenic and mercury, given every day for 7 days.

The results were unremarkable with no change in his Wassermann test and he was given a medical discharge disease, and sent back to Canada with instruction to repeat the treatment in Calgary, he didn’t repeat it.

Syphilis is an insidious disease that can affect any and all of systems or structures in the body. Medical students are instructed, “To know syphilis is to know medicine.”

I believe when a person is infected by syphilis and in procreation it causes a genetic mutations to future generations. My grandmother who he infected, died at 55 from uterine cancer, the youngest in her large family to die so young. She had two sons after she was infected. His son, my father had bi-polar disease and was so tormented that he committed suicide at age 44. My youngest brother killed himself at the same age.

She had another son with a different man. This son too had mental problems and died in his 30’s. Both of her sons had a classical symptom of congenital syphilis, soft teeth. Both had dentures as teen agers.

I am the oldest of five. We each have medical problems that I blame on second generation mutations from the syphilis, my grandfather was diagnosed with Myalgia in his discharge documents. I have the modern version, now called restless leg syndrome. I have nieces and nephews with the same affliction.

Some current research shows is a neurological condition, but we don’t yet know what causes it. Some cases may have a genetic cause, but to date this has not been confirmed or studied.

My sister, Lorry was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1937 as the youngest case ever recorder at the time. Today it is called Stills Disease. She had several flare ups and died at 61 crippled with her disease.

One brother Ken, was born in 1939 had congenital Bright’s disease a kidney abnormality and later in life had surgery to relieve his symptoms.

Another sister Susan, 1942 was diagnosed with the blood disease -Porphyria she died at 52.

While each one of us had different diseases. I believe all were congenital and caused life-long medical problems. None were attributed to our Grandfather’s syphilis, because until recently we didn’t know about it. Nor had current research explored or determined a connection to fraternal congenital syphilis.

In 2018 got an extensive DNA report from Tell MeGen in Valencia, Spain the results were remarkable. On the front page marked in bright red said that I was at highest risk for Restless Leg Syndrome. It returned risk factors on 350 other issues and compared my risk factors against my average risk and compared to all average risks. I have an 80.95 % risk for restless leg syndrome. Other risk factors revealed were significant and true.

The documentation was a validation of my suspicions. That we had all inherited mutated DNA or RNA from our father and from his father. Even though it manifested differently in each of us.

Discussion:

Sexually transmitted infection caused by the Treponema pallidum Treponema subspecies pallidum.The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. The primary stage classically presents with sore called a canker. A hard small sore on a man’s penis usually treated with mercury ointment. When a woman was infected she may not realize it, and may have mild flu like symptoms. Syphilis is known as the great imitator. as it may cause symptoms similar to many other diseases.

Syphilis is most commonly spread through sexual activity. Diagnosis is usually made by using blood tests. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommend all pregnant women be tested.

In 2015, about 45 million people were infected with syphilis, with six million new cases. During 2015, it caused about 107,000 deaths, down from 202,000 in 1990.

After decreasing dramatically with the availability of penicillin in the 1940s, rates of infection have increased since the turn of the millennium in many countries, often in combination HIV(human immunodeficiency virus. This is believed to be partly due to increased promiscuity, prostitution, decreasing use of condoms, and unsafe sexual practices among partners.

Congenital syphilis is that which is transmitted during pregnancy or during birth. It is commonly believed that two-thirds of syphilitic infants are born without obvious symptoms. Commonly identified symptoms that develop over the first couple of years of life are Hepatosplenomegaly enlargement of the liver and spleen(70%), rash (70%), fever (40%), neurosyphilis (20%) Pneumonitis lung inflammation(20%).

Many ailment and diseases have unknown causes, therefore limiting specific treatment/s. I propose that many have etiology in family sexually transmitted and uncured diseases like syphilis. I would like scientists to develop tests to determine a genetic code and history of such diseases and a treatment to prevent subsequent generations being afflicted with Treponeme bacteria or the its effect on future generations.

Most people will never have the good fortune as I have had to have documentation of syphilis So, we must rely on another means for such identification. It could be an enormous scientific contribution toward prevention and improved quality of life if a gene or genes would be identified relating to syphilis.