Abstract

Syphilis became a problem at the beginning of the eighteenth century when a virulent microbe was brought to Norway. This new disease was called "radesyken", a Nordic name for "the wicked disease". "Rade" hospitals were built and this was the beginning of the Norwegian hospital system. Professor Caesar Boeck refused to use mercury in the treatment of syphilis; 2000 of his patients were included in the Oslo study of untreated syphilis. With the use of penicillin and other antibiotics, syphilis and gonorrhoea decreased. More frequent now are the viral diseases, herpes genitalis and condylomata acuminata. HIV is seldom found in the STD clinic in Oslo: only 5-6 HIV-positive persons per year; that is, about 0.09% of all new patients.