Salvarsan: More than a Solution to Syphilis
Syphilis is perhaps one of the most historically widespread and deadly diseases to exist. While the origins of syphilis are disputed, it is well understood that syphilis has been a deadly disease affecting populations across the globe for hundreds of years (Tampa et al. 2015). Despite its prevalence, very little was understood about the disease until the 20th century; in 1905, the organism that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, was discovered by a Prussian zoologist named Fritz Schaudinn (Souza 2005). Only four years later, in 1909, a German scientist named Paul Ehrlich and the members of his lab discovered a cure for the disease, originally named Ehrlich 606 due to it being the 606th arsenic compound he’d tested, and scientifically known as arsphenamine (Yarnell 2005). Only months after its discovery, Ehrlich 606 began to be mass produced and marketed to the public under its new name, Salvarsan (Yarnell 2005). Salvarsan then became the globally most prescribed drug until the 1940 public release of penicillin (Zaffiri et al. 2012).
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The discovery of Salvarsan not only provided the world with a much-needed cure for syphilis, but also laid the foundation for modern chemotherapy and antibiotics. Paul Ehrlich is credited as the first to theorize that chemical compounds could target and destroy specific unwanted cells within the body without destroying their host (Frith 2013).
This process later became known as chemotherapy, and Salvarsan is credited as being its first form (Lloyd et al. 2005). This provided the basis for modern medicine; nearly every drug released today is discovered in the same manner that Salvarsan was discovered, by testing the reactions of disease-causing organisms to a vast array of chemical compounds (Aminov 2016). Ehrlich was also credited as one of the first to theorize that cells have receptors that allow them bind to specific chemical compounds, a theory considered controversial until the late 1960s (Andreas-Holger 2009). Ehrlich was clearly ahead of his time, but while his discoveries were innovative and vast, some of them are still not entirely
understood. Despite its prevalence, the exact chemical structure of Salvarsan is still a matter of debate. When the formula was first discovered, Ehrlich’s team theorized that part of the drug’s structure was held together by a double arsenic bond (Lloyd et al. 2005). It was later discovered through a developed understanding of organic chemistry that double arsenic bonds could not exist in such a solution, and while many have since studied the drug, no definitive structure has been agreed upon (Lloyd et al. 2005). Since so little about the drug is understood, it is notoriously dangerous and hard to synthesize. When the drug was first being produced in Ehrlich’s lab, about half of the batches synthesized were discarded due to their high toxicity (Lloyd et al. 2005). Successful synthesize of the drug relied on the perfect balance of toxicity: deadly enough to kill unwanted disease cells but not so deadly that the host died in the process. Salvarsan is also tedious to correctly administer, and accidental exposure to air will oxidize the drug and create deadly arsenic cations (Lloyd et al. 2005). Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Salvarsan is one of the biggest discoveries in medicine. It provided not only a cure for syphilis but also knowledge foundational to our modern understanding of biology and medicine. It is impossible to know how many lives Paul Ehrlich saved, but it’s safe to say he was a pretty big deal.
The disease was viewed as a black man’s disease due to its vast spread in the black race community. In this chapter, it is clear that the medical fraternity had formed opinion of the disease even before the start of the experiment. The theme of racial prejudice is brought out clearly in this chapter. The blacks are discriminated from the whites even after learning that syphilis can affect both races alike. The slaves received treatment like their masters just because of economic concerns and not because they were human like their masters. In chapter 3 “Disease Germs Are the Most Democratic Creatures in the World”, the writer points out that the germ theory changed the way syphilis is viewed in the society. It was clear that other emphasis such as sanitation, education and preventative medicine was necessary to combat the disease. The areas inhabited by the blacks were behind in healthcare facilities and service. In this chapter, the theme of unequal distribution of resources is seen. Whereas areas inhabited by the whites had better hospitals and qualified professionals to deal with the
The health care physicians were fully aware of how serious these illnesses appeared. Finally, during World War I, the progressive reformers were able to bypass the Congress in 1918 to create a bill called the Division of Venereal Diseases within the Public Health Service (PHS) (Jones, Bad blood: The Tuskegee syphilis experiment, 1993). As the year progressed, the reformers were preparing to start implementing the study. In 1926, health is seen as inhibiting development and a major health initiative is started. This year, syphilis is seen as a major health problem. Consequently, in 1929, an aggressive treatment approach was initiated with mercury and bismuth that caused severe complications or side effects. As the year progressed, the funds stopped supporting the development projects causing two physicians to follow-up with the untreated men trying to demonstrate a need for treatments (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
In 1932 the United States Public Health Services was responsible for monitoring, identifying, ways to treat sexually transmitted diseases in all US citizens. Public health service was sponsored by Rosenwald Fund; identified Macon County, Alabama had the highest rate of male population infected with the Syphilis. So the Tuskegee Institute was approached to study the effects of untreated syphilis on a black male population for duration of six to nine months and then follow-up with a treatment plan. The research was led by Dr. Taliafero Clark, six hundred Macon County men, 399 with syphilis and 201 who weren’t infected, were enrolled to be part of the study.
Prior to the beginning of the study, the doctors decided to withhold the official diagnosis from their patients. Instead, of telling the patients that they were infected with syphilis they chose to tell them they had bad blood. This was a decision made as a group, however, the provider’s individual reasoning was different. Miss Evers wanted to tell them
Most people in the U.S. learn STDs in their health class in high school. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that causes sores over private parts or all over the body in a later stage. Syphilis is caused by a bacteria called spirochete. The spirochete cannot survive outside the body. The only way to get the disease is by intimate contact, but catching it is rare. Having more than one partner could increase the chances to catch the disease. The spirochete enters in a break in your skin genitals area or mouth. Once in your body, about three weeks it becomes a sore or have multiple sores. The sore looks like a crater on the surface of the skin. In the first stage it can be treated easily with antibiotics or penicillin. The second stage the syphilis spreads to the rest of the body. It is visible in your hand and soles on your feet. It can cause cardio-vascular disease, mental problems, paralysis, blindness and tumors. Syphilis has links to HIV/AIDS. It also attacks your nervous system. After infection it takes 21 to develop any symptoms for other people it takes from 10 to ninety days. It acts like no other disease known. The last stage is the deadliest if ignored, by the person. The damage obtained by syphilis is irreversible. By practicing safe sex (condoms), or having one sex partner can prevent these
Pharmaceuticals have examined and found to ”work by changing the biological functions of the target cells in the body through chemical agents“ (Doweiko, 2015, p. 16). ”Many people in the past have thought that drugs that
In 1987, there was a Syphilis outbreak in a small town Alabama, Tuskegee. Ms. Evers went to seek out African Males that had this disease and did not. They were seeking treatment for this disease, but then the government ran out of money and the only way they can get treatment if they studied. They named this project “The Tuskegee Study of African American Man with Syphilis”, so they can find out where it originated and what will it do to them if go untreated for several months.
Carl Zimmer the guest speaker of this broadcast states that in 1981 doctors described for the first time a new disease, a new syndrome which affected mostly homosexual men. The young men in Los Angeles were dying and the number of cases was growing faster and faster. The number of deaths was increasing from eighty to six hundred and twenty five in just the first few months. After the first few cases in LA, AIDS was declared to be one of the deadliest pandemics the world had ever seen after the plague in the Middle Ages.
Sammy Sosa was born on November 12th 1968, in San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic. Sosa’s father died when he was 7 years old. Sammy had to help support his mother and six sibling’s by doing odd jobs. Sosa moved to the U.S. in 1986 to play on a minor league team in Florida. In 1985 he made it to the major leagues; his debut was with the Texas Rangers on June 16, 1989 against the Yankees. In only a few weeks Sosa was traded to the Chicago White socks where he hit 15 home runs in his first full season. In 1992, Sosa went to play for the Chicago Cubs. In 1997 he signed a contract with the cubs for 42. 5 million dollars. In 1998 Sosa was caught up in a race with Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals to beat Roger Maris’s record for 61
...ell wall synthesis (8). Individuals who are allergic to Penicillin can be treated with alternative oral antibiotics such as Tetracycline or Doxycycline (3). These antibiotics work by inhibiting protein synthesis (8). During the course of treatment the individual should abstain from sexual contact with their partner until there are no sign and symptoms of the disease or confirmation of a negative blood work. Also individuals should be annually tested and receive necessary treatment if needed to reduce the risk of infecting others (6). Syphilis can be prevented in many ways. First and foremost is by being in a mutually monogamous relationship, the correct use of latex condoms if you are not in a monogamous relationship, also by providing education about the damages the disease can cause and how it can be prevented by not spreading the disease with one another (6).
When penicillin was discovered in 1940 and was the only cure for syphilis at that time. The participants form Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment were excluded from many campaigns that were taking place in Macon County, Alabama to eliminate venereal diseases (Person Education, 2007). This experiment lasted forty years and by the end 28 of the men had died directly of syphilis, 100 were dead of related complications, 40 of their wives had been infected, and 19 of their children had been born with congenital syphilis (info please, 2007). The directors of this experiment used ethical, interpersona...
Jerome David Salinger, also known as J. D. Salinger, is a fascinating author best known for his novel, Catcher in the Rye. Although Salinger only published one novel, he wrote several short stories for magazines like The New Yorker and Story. A large number of these stories went on to be compiled into books such as Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Despite the fact Salinger has not published any stories in over 45 years, his reputation is still quite popular. Salinger's stories are studied in high schools and colleges, introducing thousands of individuals to his writing and ultimately increasing his fan base. Catcher in the Rye continues to sale 250,000 copies a year world wide. With increasing popularity, Salinger slowly secluded himself from the world, eventually avoiding all requests for interviews and public appearances. With Salinger unwilling to share personal information and no authorized biography to date, gathering material on him is difficult. To better understand Salinger's life, readers look towards his stories in which Salinger tends to write about familiar territory which incorporates personal experience. In an interview in 1974, referring to his life Salinger stated, “It's all in the books, all you have to do is read them.”(Bloom 16)
Throughout the ages, while the origins to this day continue to be debated, the strength and potency of the disease have rarely been in question. Syphilis, while not viewed as a huge threat due to a decreased number of cases in the mid-late 1990s, needs to be taken more seriously by the public because it is more dangerous than many realize, especially because it is extremely contagious, it is extremely elegant in the symptoms it produces, it has played a larger part in history than many would think, and there is a certain stigma which surrounds the disease, which in turn pushes individuals away from receiving the necessary testing.
In 1929, there were good intentions to help the African Americans. The Julius Rosenwald Fund tried to improve the health illnesses of African Americans by approaching representatives of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). Unfortunately, the Great Depression did not allow for this study to happen because it hit the Fund hard. Since there were no more funds, Dr. Taliaferro Clark, Chief of the USPHS Venereal Disease Division and author of the Rosenwald Study report, suggested that the treatment study could be partly saved by conducting a new study. This study became known as “Study of Untreated Syphilis in Males.”
Yu, Edward. "Tuskegee Syphilis Study." 12 November 2008. The Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. Web. 2 April 2012. .