The Author, a Jewish Physician, seeks to prove that the Moors did not suffer from Venereal Disease, because they as Martyrs of their Faith, could not therefore be dissolute, immoral men, because (Deuteronomy, Ch. 33. v. 17.) excesses in love, especially with Gentiles (Nehemiah Ch. X. vv. 29, 30) are strictly forbidden, finally because _Don Isac Abarbanel_, born 1437, in his Exposition of the Prophets (printed 1650), on Zachariah Ch. XIV. v. 12. says expressly, that the Disease “Zarfosim” occurs only amongst the “Goiem” (Gentiles) and not amongst the Jews. The Author promises eventually to issue a Treatise on Syphilis which he has in hand on a larger scale; but to our knowledge it has not appeared.
35) _H. Spitta_, Beitrag zur Geschichte der Verbreitung der Lustseuche in Europa. In _Heckers_ lit. Annalen 1826. Bd. IV. S. 371-374.
(_H. Spitta_, “Contribution to the History of the Spread of the Venereal Disease in Europe.” In _Hecker’s_ Lit. Annalen 1826. Vol. IV. pp. 371-374).
The contribution is a passage from the following book: “Libro que trata de las cosas, que traen de las Indias Occidentales, que sirven al uso de medicina, y de la orden qui se ha de tener en tomar la Rayz de Mechoacan etc. Hecho y copilado por el Doctor _Monardes_, medico de Sevilla. 1565.” (Book treating of Substances imported from the East Indies and used in Medicine, and of the Course to be observed in taking the Mechoacan Root, etc. Written and compiled by _Dr. Monardes_, Physician of Seville. 1565). This work treats of the drug “Guajac”, and lays down the American origin of Venereal Disease as confidently as if the Author had been on the spot when it happened! The value of the whole argument may be judged from this passage, “Our Creator willed that from that same country whence Venereal Disease (el mal de las buvas,—the malady of buboes) came, should come also the Means of its cure.”
36) _Pet. de Jurgenew_, Luis venereae apud veteres vestigia. Diss. inaug. Dorpati Livon. 1826. 54 S. 8.
(_Pet. de Jurgenew_, “Traces of the Venereal Disease amongst the Ancients.” Medical Graduation Exercise, Dorpat (in Livonia) 1826. pp. 54. 8vo.).
An industrious, partly critical, Collection of the passages connected with this subject down to Peter Martyr in chronological order, of which however perhaps only those given on given p. 11, though these are incomplete, from the “Lusus in Priapum” or “Priapeia” had not previously been noted. Comp. Recension by _Struver_ in _Rust’s_ and _Casper’s_ Krit. Repertor. Vol. XX. p. 141.