Episode 74: Syphilis [1]
“This is it.”
“Are you alright, man and horse alike?”
“Chin up, little brother.”
Soon after, I was showered with some not-so-welcome words of consolation.
Why were all these lunatics like this… especially Brother Liston? He was the ultimate big-brother type.
“The sizes are quite a bit different from what I expected.”
Maybe it was because of what I had seen earlier, but even a minor comment like that felt like a stab to the gut.
“That’s right. From very small people to very large ones…”
“I don’t even know what size to aim for.”
Wait a second. Was that a jab at me?
Robert Liston probably didn’t mean anything by it, but the other two… yes, I could feel the shade. Especially Alfred. He was technically my senior, but the way he said “very small” definitely came with a glance in my direction.
“Pyeong. Why did you suddenly go quiet?”
Liston pulled me out of my thoughts like someone yanked from a coffin.
Were these people always this savage?
And not to mention, what was with this terrible quality? When it came to condoms, why were they only talking about size? Sure, it mattered from a business standpoint, but there was something more important.
“I was thinking about birth control and preventing venereal disease.”
“Ah… really?”
“What… you mean that?”
“No, no, ha ha ha.”
Liston laughed it off casually, but then his expression turned serious.
“Of course, birth control is important, but so are venereal diseases.”
“You mean syphilis?” Alfred cut in.
Syphilis. Right. That was no joke.
I honestly couldn’t understand why people in this era were so reluctant to wash. Especially those who didn’t own a bathtub. They simply avoided bathing altogether. One of the main reasons was syphilis. Even though it was sexually transmitted, people feared catching it in public bathhouses. By the sixteenth century, there was a widespread belief that bathing could kill you, and that belief persisted all the way into the nineteenth century.
“Yes, syphilis. Treating it is incredibly difficult.”
“Right. Some people say it’s God’s punishment.”
Joseph Lister, ever the pious one, chimed in. He looked a bit displeased.
Well, it was true that promiscuity increased the risk of venereal disease. As a Quaker, Joseph followed strict doctrine. Maybe some Quakers did believe it was divine punishment. But Joseph, the doctor, didn’t seem to buy into that idea.
“Don’t say that. Even if the patient’s choices led to it, once they’re suffering, they’re still a patient. It’s not a doctor’s place to judge.”
“Ah… sorry.”
Surprisingly, Liston was the real deal in that regard.
If he built up enough medical knowledge, he would probably be recognized even in modern medicine.
“Anyway, that’s why prevention is key.”
“Right. But shouldn’t we first figure out whether this actually prevents it?”
As Joseph apologized, Liston patted him on the shoulder. Alfred, meanwhile, dropped a line that made everyone tense.
Prevention… well, obviously. Venereal diseases were spread through mucous membrane contact, and condoms blocked that. They prevented pregnancy, so why wouldn’t they also prevent disease?
“Oh, I see. I guess that makes sense. That’s a great point.”
What? Don’t just agree like that, you maniac.
I looked at Liston, confused. He turned to look right back at me.
Please… don’t tell me they’re going to run a field test by handing these out to people with syphilis…
His face was serious. Too serious.
Was he really about to say something that insane?
“This is easy to test. Didn’t you say the manufacturing cost was minimal?”
“Ah… Yes. Yes.”
Contrary to what I feared, Liston’s suggestion was fairly reasonable.
Maybe Alfred, who handled the family’s finances, didn’t love the idea, but from a medical standpoint, there was no issue with it.
“But we’ll be selling it at a premium price.”
“Yes… that’s true.”
“It’s almost summer. There’ll be a flood of social gatherings around the suburbs.”
“Ah…”
London was a miserable city by any standard. Not to mention the slums.
Just look at the sky. Black and grimy. The air? Absolutely toxic. These people thought things were fine as long as there was no bad smell, but the smell was very much there. Go near the Thames, and you would get hit by something foul enough to kill.
“All sorts of things happen at those gatherings.”
“Are you going too, Professor?”
“Me? I don’t come from a family that throws such parties. And I’ve got no interest in charming some noble lady and ruining my life.”
Instead, the rich and well-connected gathered at villas just outside the city. I had never been, but I had heard enough. Extravagance, decadence… even elephants, apparently. India hadn’t even been fully colonized yet, and they were already bringing in elephants.
Anyway, these so-called social gatherings were really more like matchmaking expos. And apparently, a lot of strange things happened there.
“But one of my friends goes every year with that exact goal in mind.”
“Who?”
“Blundell.”
“Wait. Professor Blundell is single?”
“What kind of rude question is that? Of course he is.”
“And…”
“He thinks he’s quite handsome, and he attends every year. I’ll be going this time too. I’m thinking of giving him some condoms to pass around. Let’s see if this thing really prevents disease. Though honestly, preventing pregnancy is the bigger concern.”
Liston’s words made me want to smack my knee in realization.
This… this was marketing. Wasn’t this literally marketing?
It was like a free trial campaign. Let likely customers try the product first.
The problem was that people needed to know these were disposable.
…Wait. No way. That has to be common sense… right?
I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to stir anything up.
But before long, the walking condom spokesperson himself arrived: Blundell.
“Perfect timing. Can you measure my size?”
“Huh?”
He had already been humiliated before.
“What kind of nonsense is this!”
“I’ve gone every year, but now I finally understand why nothing worked. I never imagined there was a smaller size.”
“What… what…”
I gently patted his shoulder as he turned red and sputtered in embarrassment.
More… I warned you.
Poor guy. He was clearly struggling in many ways, and not just with hair loss.
“Anyway, what are you doing here? What brings you today?”
I quickly changed the subject before this whole thing got any worse.
Drawing it out would only hurt us both. I knew from experience.
“Oh, it’s about syphilis.”
“You caught it?”
“No! It’s not me!”
“Oh, sure.”
“Why does that still sound insulting…?”
My efforts didn’t help. He was digging his own grave.
“Not like that!”
Like a proper doctor, he got straight to the point. He wasn’t talking to Liston. He was looking at me.
“There’s a syphilis patient causing quite a bit of trouble. It’s been getting hotter lately, and this one man seems to be the source.”
“Yes? What do you mean?”
Honestly, I felt this kind of report should go to Liston or Alfred.
Joseph was too religious, and… okay, fine, I was religious too, but still…
“The number of syphilis patients I’ve seen recently has skyrocketed. All early-stage. When I looked into it further, it seemed one person was the source.”
“That is interesting,” Liston cut in.
I turned my head and saw his face light up with curiosity.
“Very interesting. Syphilis is incurable. We need to catch it early and act fast. Ordinary women are now… huh?”
“If you’re trying to catch him, you should go to the police, not Pyeong.”
“The police can’t help. Many of the patients are married women.”
“Ah…”
It was a tangled mess.
From the conversation around me, it sounded like some playboy was infecting dozens of women, and the victims couldn’t even report it.
“What about the husbands?”
“Complete chaos. Some families have already moved away… though that’s not really a good thing. The people who were infected don’t even know they have it yet.”
“How many people are we talking about?”
“More than ten confirmed cases.”
“Oh… and that’s just the ones who came in?”
There was no way everyone with symptoms had gone to a doctor.
I had said it again and again. People back then saw hospitals as places where the dying went.
And the ulcers from stage-one syphilis were usually painless.
The real number could be several times higher… Is this man doing it on purpose? Is he a psychopath?
Medical knowledge in this era was lacking, but syphilis was one exception.
It had existed since at least the late fifteenth century and was already widespread by the sixteenth. And since the rich were just as vulnerable, it had been extensively studied.
If it’s stage two, he might have papules on his hands and feet. You’d be able to tell if you looked closely. But if it’s stage one… ulcers on the genitals. And what could you even say then?
I hoped it would resolve itself, but that didn’t seem likely.
“But how are we supposed to find him from that? Any description?”
“Old dark-blue suit, worn shoes, thick beard. Irish accent. Smells like alcohol. Probably a sailor.”
“That’s… not very helpful. Are men like that popular now?”
“Oh, he’s very handsome.”
“Right.”
The two were deep in discussion, but they were missing the most important clue: papules.
Did they not know what to look for?
“But how many Irish sailors are in London? How do we even start?”
“Ask the patients?”
“Are you crazy? Of course she knows where they met! The place is packed.”
“And that’s the problem.”
I couldn’t just sit by anymore.
There was no treatment for syphilis in this era. Prevention was the only hope. And this lunatic seemed determined to infect as many as possible.
“Excuse me.”
“Huh?”
I decided to speak up and clear up some medical misconceptions.
“Excuse me” wasn’t quite the right phrase…
But it was time to say something.
“The country next to Joseon, Japan… anyway, they’re seeing a lot of syphilis there…”
Translator’s Notes
Condom — A contraceptive barrier device. In this context, Pyeong is also considering its use in preventing venereal disease.
Birth control — Methods used to prevent pregnancy.
Venereal disease — Older term for sexually transmitted infections or diseases.
Syphilis — A sexually transmitted bacterial infection. In the nineteenth century, it was difficult to treat and often became severe or chronic.
Mucous membrane — Moist tissue lining areas such as the mouth, genitals, and rectum. Many sexually transmitted diseases spread through contact with these tissues.
Stage-one syphilis — Early syphilis, usually marked by a painless sore or ulcer at the infection site.
Stage-two syphilis — Later stage that can cause rashes, papules, fever, and other systemic symptoms.
Papules — Small raised bumps on the skin. In syphilis, they can appear during the secondary stage.
Ulcer — An open sore on the skin or mucous membrane.
Quaker — Member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian group known for plain living, moral discipline, and pacifist principles.