[NEW CLASS] For 500 years syphilis was the scourge of Europe; the incurable epidemic with its high mortality struck fear as it spread from country to country. The population, from peasants to kings, died not just from the disease but the side effects of its caustic remedies. Though people from all social classes became ill, this talk will concentrate on those historic 19th century artists, composers, and writers who struggled with the devastating stages of known or suspected syphilis and its attached social stigma. Audio/Visual, Lecture