CONTRIBUTIONS TO PATHOLOGIC ANATOMY OF SYPHILIS

Abstract

No problem in pathology has caused so much interest, discussion and controversy in the last few decades as the syphilitic affections of the aorta. The pathologic anatomists were foremost among those who endeavored to throw more light on this question. Ignorance concerning the etiologic agent of syphilis, and the difficulty of morphologic diagnosis postmortem have prevented and delayed the ultimate solution of this problem. First I shall attempt to present a brief historical survey in order to show with what zeal and with what perseverance the solution was pursued. The oldest experiences concerned observations and descriptions of the aortic aneurysms. The first fact which the old observers thereby determined was the occurrence of aneurysms of the aorta in comparatively young persons at a time when the changes of aortic intima due to increasing age cannot bring about any serious damages to the aortic tube. Therefore the atheromatous changes of the