<P> The history of syphilis has been well studied, but the origin of the disease remains unknown . There are two primary hypotheses: one proposes that syphilis was carried to Europe from the Americas by the crew (s) of Christopher Columbus as a byproduct of the Columbian exchange, while the other proposes that syphilis previously existed in Europe but went unrecognized . These are referred to as the "Columbian" and "pre-Columbian" hypotheses . </P> <P> The first recorded outbreak of syphilis in Europe occurred in 1494 / 1495 in Naples, Italy, during a French invasion . Because it was spread by returning French troops, the disease was known as "French disease", and it was not until 1530 that the term "syphilis" was first applied by the Italian physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro . The causative organism, Treponema pallidum, was first identified by Fritz Schaudinn and Erich Hoffmann in 1905 . The first effective treatment, Salvarsan, was developed in 1910 by Sahachirō Hata in the laboratory of Paul Ehrlich . It was followed by the introduction of penicillin in 1943 . </P> <P> Many well - known historical figures, including Scott Joplin, Franz Schubert, Al Capone, and Édouard Manet are believed to have had the disease . </P>

When was penicillin discovered as a cure for syphilis