The ‘Frankish Disease’ and Its Treatments in the Indian Ocean World

Abstract

Much historical literature on syphilis has focused on the debate over its possible American origins. Here, I focus instead on how the disease known as farangi, firingi or parangi (derived from terms for ‘Frank’ or European) was understood in the Indian Ocean World (IOW) from its appearance in the late fifteenth century onwards. I show that the disease was often associated with social outsiders, including foreigners and prostitutes. In several societies around the region, it prompted discussions on the role of contagion in the transmission of disease. However, humoral and environmental explanations also remained important in describing the new condition. Three treatments for the disease achieved global acceptance: guaiacum, smilax, and mercury. The use and conceptualization of each of these treatments within the IOW suggest that the region can be understood as a distinct space for the making of medical knowledge, while also participating in global exchanges. By the nineteenth century, European colonial authorities in several parts of the IOW blamed syphilis epidemics on native populations and especially prostitutes. However, it is likely that European armies themselves played a role in the transmission of venereal disease in this period.