Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 1994, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (04): 294-299.
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Zhang Zhenbiao
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Abstract: The skeletal materials of the leprosy and the syphilis in this study have been collected from the burial sites of Han Dynasty (200 B.C.-200 A.D.) in Shanzi province and Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) in Fujiang province. The symptoms of these cases are as follows.Case 1 is a skull of adult female (30-35 of age) from Han Dynasty in Pinglu county. The leprosy lesion is located mainly on the hard palate and the nasal region. There is a large penetrating damage in canter portion of the hard palate. It shows the destruction of the hard palate and perforation of ossa palatine. In addition, the anterior nasal spine is atrophied. The upper incisos possible antemortem lost.Case 2 is a female skull from the burial site of Song Dynasty in Dong Shan county, Fujiang province. The syphilis lesion is located on the glahella region and the right half of the frontal bone. The external surface of the frontal nd parietal bones shows many very extensive irregular traces of the gummatous destruction and produces the typical "worm eaten" appearance.Case 3 is a complete left femur of female adult from the burial site of Han Dynasty in Shouzhou city, Shanxi province. The outer surface of the diaphysis is generally smooth with isolated region of slight porosity. The gross lesion consists of thickening isolated plaques. The anterior surface of the diaphysis shows raised tumor-like enlargements on the affected bony regions, but there are no the cloaca.Case 4 is a right distal shaft of tibia, probably from the same individual of case 2. The outer surface of the tibia shaft is rough and exhibits eatansive porous gummatous periotitis, and slight raised bony spiculis over superficial blood vessels in the lateral side of the distal end.These skeletal specimens of pathological changes as mentioned above are the first evidence of human leprosy and syphilis in ancient China. These findings indicate that the leprosy and syphilis have exhibited in China for 2000 years. But, the author believes that the history of both leprosy and syphilis in Chinese may be traced back to Neolithic period.
Key words: Paleopathology; Leprosy; Syphilis; Ancient China
Zhang Zhenbiao. The skeletal evidence of human leprosy and syphilis in Ancient China[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 1994, 13(04): 294-299.
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