Syphilis Magnets

perfect for work play or church

Well, I knew that title would get your attention! This is Guaiacum officinale, or Lignum-vitae. Very hard and very dense (the source of ironwood), it was also thought in the 16th and 17th centuries to provide a cure for syphilis (as an infectious diseases doc, always a fascinating disease during my career). Maybe it could be used to club the treponemes to death, but it was found not to be medicinally useful. This specimen is in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, California. I have added links below to Wikipedia pages for your reading pleasure. I actually have a deskplate made of lignum vitae, made for me by a Cuban refugee when I was stationed in Guantanamo Bay in my early Navy career in the 1970s. <a href...

As old as creation - Syphilis is now curable - Consult your physician - vintage WWII era propaganda poster promoting healthy behaviors.

This is a restored copy of an original poster created by the WPA in approximately 1941 to spread public awareness of syphilis and the symptoms it can cause. During this time, the war was just getting started and many soldiers were coming and going to the warfronts around the world. With this increase in movement, sexually transmitted diseases also began to increase. Many states began to produce posters in order to make the public more aware of the disease as well as its symptoms.

This is a restored copy of an original poster created by the WPA in approximately 1941 to spread public awareness of syphilis and the symptoms it can cause. During this time, the war was just getting started and many soldiers were coming and going to the warfronts around the world. With this increase in movement, sexually transmitted diseases also began to increase. Many states began to produce posters in order to make the public more aware of the disease as well as symptoms it had.

Thank you Sammy!!

This is a restored copy of an original poster created by the WPA in approximately 1941 to spread public awareness of syphilis and the symptoms it can cause. During this time, the war was just getting started and many soldiers were coming and going to the warfronts around the world. With this increase in movement, sexually transmitted diseases also began to increase. Many states began to produce posters in order to make the public more aware of the disease as well as symptoms it had.

The phoenix is an immortal bird associated with Greek mythology (with analogs in many cultures) that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again.