Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 69-70. (Budapest, 1973)

TANULMÁNYOK - Berde Károly: Volt-e Bolyai Jánosnak syphilise?

December 8 1854 in Péterfi's casebook saying "Herpes syphiliticum anamn." and a week later the diagnosis "Exanthema syphiliticum". The diagnosis is debatable as his diary does not contain any reference to anamnesis or early syphilitic symptoms. On the other hand the father, Farkas Bolyai recorded that his son had skin affections already in his childhood which were considered to be of impetiginous character. Later, too, various cutaneous lesions developed on him occasionally, but they were never considered to be syphilis by the consulting doctors. They can be explained by the exsudative character of János Bolyai. This is born out by the strong attacks of itching which is never found in cases of syphilitic cutaneous symptoms. By analysing the diary of Péterfi and the other relating writings we arrive at the conclusion that the cutaneous disease of Bolyai was not syphilis. Dermatological terminology was unfortunately so unsettled when Bolyai lived that the terms used could refer to processes having extremely different pathological origin.