Physician Daniel Turner (1667-1741) described a patient who had an irrational fear that he had contracted syphilis. The patient was concerned "not so much on his own account but for that he had given the same to his wife and child," writes Turner. Obsessions about syphilis were common enough that they were given medical names, syphilophobia and syphilomania.
A tradesman in good business, of a thoughtful temper, or inclining to melancholy, having, in his younger days, been too familiar with a wench living in the same house as a servant, grew soon after very pensive, as fancying he had got the foul disease, upon a belief, as it seemed, that every woman playing the whore must surely be distempered. Under these jealousies he continued for some years, without making his complaint to any one, till at length happening to marry, his discontent of mind soon after increased, which was observed in his family; yet his wife could get nothing out of him, but that he had been a wicked man, and had ruined her and her child.... At length matters were brought to that pass, that not caring to come into his shop, he betook himself to his chamber, where he was usually poring on some books of devotion, and desired not to see his old acquaintance.... This poor crazy-headed person came one evening to my house, and desired a word in private.... He sat down and feel into tears, wringing his hands, and telling me he was ruined, that he had got an ill disease; and his concern was not so much on his own account but for that he had given the same to his wife and child. I asked him how long it was since he was clap'd [infected with syphilis]; he answered me, nine years.... I now wanted to know the symptoms [and] asked him whether he had any running, with heat of urine, or breakings out, after he had been concerned with the woman, who he said gave him the distemper; to which he replied, neither the first, nor the last....
I now plainly perceived it was all delusion... I told him... that he was free entirely from any such disease, and stood in no need of my assistance upon that account.... After this I advised him to go home and mind his business, and between whiles to single out some cheerful companion, with whom he should drink almost a pint of wine at least every day, such as he liked best.... He then said, that his errand was to desire I would flux him [a kind of medical treatment for syphilis], as I had done his neighbor, upon the like occasion. I advised him once again to be easy; told him that his neighbor's case and his were different, and assured him, that any such remedies would, instead of helping, do him farther mischief.... But little good was to be done; his imagination, by the long-continued melancholy, was so clouded and impressed by the old idea, that his head was still full of these conundrums.... [and eventually] he got into some quack's house, where he was laid down in a salivation [a medical treatment for syphilis]; whence after five weeks time, he returned like a skeleton....
[Sometime later] his wife sent earnestly again for me to visit him. I now found him in bed, lamenting his hard lot, that nothing could be done to stop the disease. I perceived plainly there was no jesting with his misery, nor laughing him out of his conceits, and therefore now giving a little into the same, I told him... that I had a secret I believed would cure him, as it had several, after fluxing: At which he rejoiced, and I sent him from his apothecary an elleborism [some type of potion], to be taken twice a day for a fortnight... [yet] he could not be convinced....