Nineteenth-century Egyptian medical terminology blurred distinct venereal diseases

Evidence

Although strictly meaning syphilis, frengi seems to have been used to refer to a variety of venereal diseases. At the same time, syphilis was also referred to as mubārak and “goats’ disease”; Clot Bey, Aperçu, II, p. 370. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1224

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

• DEFINE: Clarifies that ‘frengi’ (from ‘Frank’/European) was a catch-all for venereal disease, and syphilis itself had Arabic names.