In 1876, Dr. James Marion Sims, the father of gynecology, then president of the American Medical Association,

called syphilis a terrible scourge, which begins with lamb-like mildness and ends with lion-like rage

that ruthlessly destroys everything in its way. Syphilis was once a death sentence for many who were

infected, and physicians from the 15th to the 19th centuries in the West

struggled to understand its cause and treatment,

and indigenous doctors in the Americas previously did their best

with folk medicines used quite likely for centuries before the arrival of European colonizers.

The affliction has thought by most to have been unknown outside the Americas prior to

the 15th century. Most experts currently believe that Christopher Columbus and his crew brought the

STI back to Europe following their initial voyages west. Finally, in the early 20th century, some massive

advancements in medicine led to a cure. For many years leading up to it, there have been treatments

that may have lessened the symptoms for some, but also made the affliction definitely worse for many others.

But then in 1928, a scientist in London named Alexander Fleming made a curious and incredible

discovery. He returned to his lab after a month away and saw that one of his bacteria

samples had mold on it, and much more importantly,

that the bacteria around that mold had been destroyed. This was the beginning of the journey

to creating the game-changing antibiotic of penicillin. Fleming tried to extract penicillin

from the penicillium mold, but was unsuccessful. It would take several more years before some others developed

a usable antibiotic. Meanwhile, across the pond in the U.S., a study had begun in rural Alabama in

1932. Signs were posted that read free blood test, free treatment by county health department and

government doctors. You may feel well and still have bad blood. Come and bring all your family.

Hundreds of black men in Macon County, Alabama were recruited for this new study. They were only told

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