[Steadfast and unconvincible : The eventful life and legacy of Heinrich Dreuw (1874-1934)]. / Unbeugsam und unbelehrbar : Das bewegte (Nach)leben des Heinrich Dreuw (1874­1934).

Syphilis is not a deadly disease anymore, thanks to antibiotics. But before their discovery, Paul Ehrlich presented the drug Salvarsan. Its efficacy was doubted and there were many disputes about it. The Berlin physician Heinrich Dreuw had been the most influential opponent-contemporaries and historians described him as being an antisemitic quack, but maybe they were wrong.

[Evolution of treatment of syphilis through history]. / Evolución del tratamiento de la sífilis a lo largo de la historia.

In this article, we present a historical revision of syphilis treatment since the end of the XV century up until the current days. For centuries, it was understood that syphilis had been brought to Spain by Columbus after coming back from America. It became an epidemic soon after. Later on, it was spread all over Europe. The chronologic and geographic origin of this illness have been debated in recent years, however, there has been no agreement about it as yet. Mercury was the main used therapy for four and a half centuries, until the discovery of penicillin in 1943. This discovery changed the therapeutic approach to syphilis since then. Other remedies were used during this period. Guaiacum was one of them, but it was dismissed in the mid-sixteenth century. Iodides were also used, especially in the tertiary symptoms of the disease. The discovery of arsphenamine (Salvarsan) at the beginning of the XX century, used by itself at its onset and associated to mercury or bismuth later on, was a significant therapeutic contribution. Bismuth was in itself a great therapeutic asset. It displaced the use of mercury in an important way until 1943, when the appearance of penicillin became the treatment of choice.

Medical and Social Aspects of Syphilis in the Balkans from the mid-19th Century to the Interwar.

The current study presents some aspects of syphilis in the Balkan Peninsula from the 19th century until the Interwar. Ever since the birth of modern Balkan States (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Serbia), urbanization, poverty and the frequent wars have been considered the major factors conducive to the spread of syphilis. The measures against sex work and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were taken in two aspects, one medical and the other legislative. In this period, numerous hospitals for venereal diseases were established in the Balkan countries. In line with the international diagnostic approach and therapeutic standards, laboratory examinations in these Balkan hospitals included spirochete examination, Wassermann reaction, precipitation reaction and cerebrospinal fluid examination. Despite the strict legislation and the adoption of relevant laws against illegal sex work, public health services were unable to curb the spread of syphilis. Medical and social factors such as poverty, citizen's ignorance of STDs, misguided medical perceptions, lack of sanitary control of prostitution and epidemiological studies, are highlighted in this study. These factors were the major causes that helped syphilis spread in the Balkan countries during the 19th and early 20th century. The value of these aspects as a historic paradigm is diachronic. Failure to comply with the laws and the dysfunction of public services during periods of war or socioeconomic crises are both factors facilitating the spread of STDs.

Respuesta de los autores: La bala mágica en la prensa / Author’s reply: The magic bullet in the press

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[Position hopeless lost--Heinrich Dreuw's lonely struggle against syphilis and Salvarsan]. / Auf verlorenem Posten--der einsame Kampf des Heinrich Dreuw gegen Syphilis und Salvarsan.

The invention of Salvarsan (Triaminotrihydroxy-arsenobenzol) in 1910 meant a revolution in the medical treatment. Chemotherapy was born and its founder Paul Ehrlich is still famous for his experimental work. In medical history mostly successes, not widespread discussions about misuse or failing of the new drug were. The Berlin doctor Heinrich Dreuw was a key figure in these debates. He and his colleagues presented evidence that Salvarsan was not an effective drug and just an expensive placebo, which helped pharmaceutical trusts earning more money. Dreuw even attacked state medical branches for infringement against patients. At last doubts about Salvarsan never disappeared.

Cien años de la bala mágica del Dr. Ehrlich (1909–2009) / 100 years of Dr. Ehrlich's magic bullet (1909–2009)

El objetivo de este artículo es recordar a Paul Ehrlich y sus aportaciones, particularmente las referentes a la quimioterapia antimicrobiana, al final de una década pródiga en celebraciones en torno a su persona y a su obra, especialmente porque en 2009 se conmemoró el centenario del descubrimiento de la actividad antitreponémica experimental del salvarsán y de los primeros estudios clínicos que demostraron su efectividad en la sífilis. Esta aproximación y homenaje se hace presentando algunos datos biográficos y sus logros científicos más importantes partiendo de sus publicaciones originales y analizando la película Dr. Ehrlich Magic Bullet (1940) de Willian Dieterle (AU)

The aim of this article is to pay tribute to Paul Ehrlich and his contributions to science, in particular those related to antimicrobial therapy, at the end of a prodigious decade of celebrations to fête his person and work. The year 2009 marks the centenary of the discovery of the experimental anti-syphilitic activity of Salvarsan and the first clinical studies showing its efficacy against syphilis. This homage is conveyed through the presentation of bibliographic data, mention of his most important scientific achievements based on his original publications, and by analyzing the film Dr. Ehrlich′s Magic Bullet (1940) by William Dieterle (AU)

[100 years of Dr. Ehrlich's magic bullet (1909-2009)]. / Cien años de la bala mágica del Dr. Ehrlich (1909-2009).

The aim of this article is to pay tribute to Paul Ehrlich and his contributions to science, in particular those related to antimicrobial therapy, at the end of a prodigious decade of celebrations to fête his person and work. The year 2009 marks the centenary of the discovery of the experimental anti-syphilitic activity of Salvarsan and the first clinical studies showing its efficacy against syphilis. This homage is conveyed through the presentation of bibliographic data, mention of his most important scientific achievements based on his original publications, and by analyzing the film Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940) by William Dieterle.