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A Brief History of Gonorrhea
The disease got its name as ‘The Clap’, as per historians, because of the fact that the infected person would usually experience a ‘clapping’ sensation whenever they would urinate. This is however contested by other historians. They are of the opinion that the name was derived from the way in which the disease would have to be dealt with. According to them, the name came from the way in which the pus-like discharge had to be removed from the penis, which required a ‘clapping’ on both sides of the organ.
Then again, there are others who believe that the term ‘The Clap’ is derived from French brothels, which were known as ‘Les Clapiers’, where the disease was often rampant. Men who visited it often ended up getting infected with the disease.
It is hard to get a timeline regarding the disease in specific. As a start, it’s important to note that it has been known to medical literature for several centuries. In addition to this, there has been anecdotal evidence about it elsewhere.
The earliest known legal records of the disease date back to around 1611, when a law was enacted by the English parliament to halt the spread of the disease. It aimed to ensure that Gonorrhea would slowly be brought to a decline and ultimately removed from all sections of society. The fact that this law was enacted is a great way to adequately understand the overall severity of the infection and the magnitude of its effect on English society. Despite all of this, the actual cause of the disease wasn’t known and wouldn’t be known for quite a long time; the people were only aware of the overall problem and nothing else beyond this.
An earlier mention of this in the legal texts can be found in France. As per historians and political scholars, the French King Louis IX also passed a similar law in 1256, in an effort to control and ultimately halt the spread of Gonorrhea across French society.
It would take another 200 years or so for the actual cause of Gonorrhea to be discovered. The credit for this discovery goes to Neisser, who discovered the Gonococcus or Neisseria Gonorrhoeaea, the cause of Gonorrhea. It would soon be proven as the causative factor of the disease in all those who had it. Neisser demonstrated though experiments that the disease was always prevalent in those who had it and exhibited its symptoms. In addition to this, he also showed that the discharge from Gonococci cultures caused Gonorrhea when introduced into the urethra of healthy men.
As a whole, Gonorrhea is one of the most common and prevalent sexually transmitted disease in modern society. It has been well known throughout human history and medical literature for hundreds of years. It is perhaps one of the most well known sexually transmitted diseases of the modern era.
It is important that society is made to be aware about this disease, as well as ways in which it can be prevented and ultimately eradicated.