Hallmarks in history of syphilis therapeutics.

At the end of the 15th century syphilis appeared in Europe as a devastating epidemic. For nearly four centuries mercury was regarded as a remedy of first-rate importance along with guaiac and potassium iodide. In the early 20th century, two new substances were added to syphilis therapeutics, namely arsenobenzol and bismuth. The absence of treponemal serum tests and the erroneous attribution of the positive Wassermann reaction exclusively to Treponema pallidum infection resulted in prolonged and non-proven effective treatments. In 1943 John Mahoney introduced penicillin, revolutionizing the treatment of syphilis.