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Syphilis has been called by many names: "The Great Pox" and "The Great Imitator" among them, the latter because so many of its signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases. Werchniak, an Instructor with Harvard Medical School, explains here the remarkable persistence of syphilis, from Charles VIII's invasion of France in 1494 to the Tuskegee Syphilis Study of the 20th century. He spotlights the sordid history of this disease, with its stories of sex, power, tragedy, betrayal, and heroism. Charles VIII, Al Capone, Adolph Hitler, and painter Paul Gauguin all suffered from syphilis; Friedrich Nietzsche was among many believed driven insane by the disease. More than 500 years later, syphilis is still a problem worldwide. New, drug-resistant strains are developing, but syphilis remains somewhat of a medical mystery.