What happens when you die of syphilis?

[Cadugan]

Hello all,
I'm just writing to ask how exactly one dies of syphilis? Like how does it work, in what stages. This is because I am writing a story in which the main character has some debilitating deisease, and syphilis fits the story. I would like him to be almost wasting away, able to walk around but very weak, and preferably with some gruesome side effects like coughing up blood. Does anything like this happen with syphilis? If not, could you suggest diseases that do? (prefereably STD/STI, as it fits the character/context).

[Zeuhl]

According to a recent televised 'post mortem' on Henry VIIII, he did not have syphilis but in his latter years did have a number of suppurating sores and ulcers on his legs from jousting injuries that wouldn't heal.

[Sqad]

Zeuhl......I agree,,,,,by the time syphilis becomes into the final stages (tertiary syphilis), the sores are long gone and often forgotten.

[penelope2]

Hi Squad. I'd forgotten about Tabes Dorsales. GPI was quite prevalent in the 1960's following untreated syphilis contracted in WW2. In the tertiary stages, antibiotics were of limited use as the spirochaete was to well established. I was involved with the administration of Malarial Therapy which was another form of treatment (not particularly successful). Guess the most tragic case I met was of a patient with Congenital Syphilis, that being my definition of bad luck.

[Sqad]

pene....LOL........interesting........I was at the London hospital in Whitechapel in the 60's and the routine was that the merchant seamen got a "dose" in Port Said and by the time they got to the London Docks and then to the VDclinic, their sore were weeping..........

Were you working in a VD clinic?

[penelope2]

Squad..... No not working in a VD clinic but in a Mental Hospital (as they were called in those days). The GPI's were often committed to the Mental Hospitals in those days because of their extreme behaviours and, quite frankly, because there was nowhere else to go. Similarly with people with Huntingtons Chorea, they were committed to Mental Hospitals again because there were no other facilities. How things have changed.

[jomifl]

This kind of subject really brings out the best in ABers :-)

[jomifl]

So no farewell kiss then?

[Sqad]

pene.....quite interesting.

jomifl....;-)

[penelope2]

jomifl......Watch and learn.