The physiognomy of the unfortunates whose faces were adorned with lumps and whose foreheads bore the sadly characteristic _corona veneris_, has been well described in the following verses by Jean Lemaire, of Belgium, a poet and historical writer of fifteenth century. The portrait is exact: “But in the end, when the venom is ripe, Sprout out big warts of a scarlet type, Persistent, spreading over the face, Leaving the brand of shame and disgrace, An injury left after passion’s rude storm, Fair human nature thus to deform. High forehead, neck, round chin and nose Many a warty sore disclose; And the venom, with deadly pain, Runs through the system in every vein, Causing innumerable ailments, no doubt, From itch to the ever-tormenting gout,” etc. Meantime, the symptoms of syphilis were not long in losing some of their acute features. Already, in 1540, Antoine Lecocq noted this fact in France:[44] “Sometimes,” says he, “the virus seems to expend its strength on the groins in tumefaction of the glands; and, if this bubo suppurates, it is well. This tumor we call bubo; others call it _poulain_ (colt or filly) for mischief’s sake, as those who are thus attacked separate their legs while walking, horse style.” Fernel declared that the venereal disease at the end of the sixteenth century so little resembled that of his early days that he could scarcely believe it the same. He remarks: “This disease has lost much of its ferocity and acuteness.” On his part, Fracastor remarked, in 1546, that “For six years past the malady has changed considerably. We now notice pustules on but few patients, and they have but few pains, and these are generally slight; but more gummy tumors are observed. A thing that astonishes the world is the falling out of the hair of the head and baldness in other portions of the body. It sometimes happens that in the worst cases the teeth become loose and even fall out.”[45] These phenomena were evidently due to the action of mercurial ointment, which was much used in Italy from the time it was recommended by Hugo, of Boulogne, in the _malum mortuum_, or malignant leprosy of the Occident. In France guaiac was much used, or holy wood, which was then known as _sanctum lignum_, when only the Latin equivalent was in vogue. Besides, mention is made of mercurial stomatitis following inunctions with the so-called Neapolitain ointment in the Prologue of _Pantagruel_, by Rabelais. This passage from Dr. Francis Rabelais[46] leads us to think that physicians were undecided about caring for syphilitic patients in the fifteenth century, almost all doctors, in fact, refusing to examine into the character of a disease of which they knew nothing; a disease whose infecting centers were the most degraded and ignoble public places; a malady not described in the works of Hippocrates nor Galen.