The enormous number of cases of late syphilis and parasyphilis prove that the classical treatment of lues by the old remedies, as usually employed, is inadequate. This cannot altogether be attributed to a lack of potency on the part of the drugs, but rather to a combination of factors referable to the physician or the patient, or both. It is not my desire to discuss the shortcomings of my colleagues, but rather to call attention to some of the causes which contribute to the failure to control this disease. Of these, there are two which should be especially emphasized, namely, the tendency to regard syphilis as a mild infection with laxity in carrying out its treatment, and secondly, the lack of familiarity with the possibilities of the specific drugs.
For years it was taught in one of our large institutions that the malady is an insignificant one. The dissemination of