Syphilis In addition, the Dutch called it the “Spanish disease”, the Russians called it the “Polish disease”, the Turks called it the “Christian disease” or “Frank disease” (frengi) and the Tahitians called it the “British disease”. These ‘national’ names are due to the disease often being present among invading armies or sea crews, due to the high instance of unprotected sexual contact with prostitutes. It was also called “Great pox” in the 16th century to distinguish it from smallpox. The signs and symptoms of syphilis are numerous; before the advent of serological testing, precise diagnosis was very difficult. In fact, the disease was dubbed the “Great Imitator” because it was often confused with other diseases, particularly in its tertiary stage.
Home / Questions / Until it was named for a character in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, what deadly disease had been called the ‘French disease’ in Italy and Germany, and the ‘Italian disease’ in France? Guess nobody wanted to associate themselves with it!