Racial Variations in Immunity to Syphilis

This study offers an extensive statistical analysis of the manifestations of acquired syphilis in the Chinese, White, and Negro races in regard to the distribution of the major stages, the incidence of neural and extra-neural phenomena, and the specific localizations in the various stages. The populations investigated (Chinese at Peiping Union Medical College, and White and Negro at Tohns Hopkins Hospital) are nicely comparable, offering a sound basis J p for comparison. While emphasizing that the nature of syphilitic infection in the three races and in both sexes is essentially the same, the authors demonstrate that there are differences in the relative frequency of disease phenomena. In general, the mildest forms of the disease are encountered in the females of each race, and, in the Chinese male the disease approaches the female type. The possible influence of the emphasis in man's "bisexual amalgam" is discussed in evaluating these differences. Little attempt is made to explain the possible extra-racial causes of racial differences in the disease. However, in this connection, dietary factors are considered at some length. -H. E. BOWEN