SACHS, and so far as I know he was the first to express this opinion openly, holds as a fully established conclusion that the Venereal Disease of the XVth. Century owed the characteristics it then possessed merely to the prevailing _Genius epidemicus typhodes_; though at the same time I cannot favour his assumption of a leprous-syphilitic Diathesis (general condition of body) as already existent. Nothing is better fitted to give a clear insight into these earlier conditions than a knowledge of the period of the Thirty Years’ War and of the Typhus epidemics at the beginning of the present Century. Would it had happened to any of those heroes of the healing art who played an active part in the great Drama of that time to have crowned his day’s-work by leaving us a more detailed medical recital of the incidents. The number of men qualified for the task grows daily fewer, the possibility of gathering the material required daily harder of realization; and, though it is not so yet, the work may later on be impracticable[2]. In conclusion—may I be allowed hereby to offer my sincere thanks to all who in any way have granted me active support in the course my enquiries. I should be glad to give their names, did I not fear they might dislike seeing themselves recorded in connection with a History of Venereal Disease. In spite of this scruple I feel compelled to make an exception in the case of one of them, viz. my friend, Dr. ECKSTEIN, Headmaster of the Royal High-School (Pädagogium) of Halle. He shared with me the exceedingly laborious duty of correcting the proofs; and both myself and my readers into the bargain owe him a debt of warmest gratitude for so doing. Written on the birth-day of C. SPRENGEL. CONTENTS AND GENERAL INTRODUCTION. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. INTRODUCTION: PAGE CONCEPTION AND CONTENTS OF THE HISTORY OF A DISEASE IN GENERAL XXV POSSIBILITY OF THE HISTORY OF A DISEASE IN GENERAL AND OF VENEREAL DISEASE IN PARTICULAR XXVIII ABSTRACT OF OPINIONS XXXI GENERAL SCHEME OF TREATMENT XXXIV FIRST PART. Venereal Disease in Antiquity. AUTHORITIES DISCUSSED 3 FIRST SECTION INFLUENCES WHICH PROMOTED THE GENERATION OF DISEASE CONSEQUENT UPON USE OR MISUSE OF THE GENITAL ORGANS 10 THE CULT OF VENUS 12 THE LINGAM AND PHALLIC WORSHIP 33 MALADIES OF THE GENITAL ORGANS AT ATHENS 39