History Quote by Hans Zinsser
![“Medical historians have cited many observations which they regarded as indicating the ancient existence of syphilis; but most of these, on close scrutiny, turn out to be unconvincing […] Ozanam quotes two sonnets from a Florentine poet—one entitled ‘De Matrona,’ the other 'Ad Priapum'—which he…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f5/hans-zinsser-34557_history_medical-historians-have-cited-many-obser_1854315.jpg)
““Medical historians have cited many observations which they regarded as indicating the ancient existence of syphilis; but most of these, on close scrutiny, turn out to be unconvincing […] Ozanam quotes two sonnets from a Florentine poet—one entitled ‘De Matrona,’ the other 'Ad Priapum'—which he accepts as definite proof that syphilis existed in 1480, when the poems were written. Careful translation of these sonnets, with particular scrutiny of the expressions in them which are diagnostically significant, leads to the conclusion that they are merely very nasty poems, with no precise reference to the disease.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The History of Syphilis, Hans Zinsser, 1935
Historical claims of early syphilis are often based on misinterpreted literary sources lacking medical evidence.
In simple terms: Old poems are unreliable disease evidence.
Key Takeaway
Scrutinize sources before accepting historical medical claims.
Themes
history
medicine
critical analysis
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
historical
critical
When to use this quote
- medical research
- historical scholarship
- literature review
Key Concepts
diagnostic criteria
literary interpretation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we differentiate poetic metaphor from clinical description?
- What standards should guide historical disease identification?
A Different Perspective
Literary texts may be metaphorical, not literal medical records.
![“It is with the [head louse and body louse] that we are chiefly concerned, and they are so closely related that, even now, by an occasional mésalliance resulting from the meetings of young people about the neck band, a body louse may go native and interbreed with a head louse. The crab louse we may…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7d6/hans-zinsser-34557_young-people_it-is-with-the-head-louse-and-body-louse_1442761.jpg)
![“... [I]nfectious disease is merely a disagreeable instance of a widely prevalent tendency of all living creatures to save themselves the bother of building, by their own efforts, the things they require. Whenever they find it possible to take advantage of the constructive labors of others, this is…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c7/hans-zinsser-34557_advantage_i-nfectious-disease-is-merely-a-disagree_1503200.jpg)
![“The Archbishop [Thomas Becket] was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on the evening of the twenty-ninth of December. The body lay in the Cathedral all night, and was prepared for burial on the following day. The Archbishop was dressed in an extraordinary collection of clothes. He had on a large…” quote by Hans Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ff/hans-zinsser-34557_archbishop_the-archbishop-thomas-becket-was-murdere_2861244.jpg)
