syphilis is a daughter of leprosy

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An historical example of metaphor:

"…syphilis… which is the consequence of contagious and leprous affections of the genitals, is a daughter of leprosy and can in certain circumstances in turn become the mother of leprosy."

Friedrich Alexander Simon

Friedrich Alexander Simon (1793- 1869, German physician) quoted in Fleck, L. (1979). Genesis and Development of a Scientific Fact [Entstehung und Entwicklung einer wissenschaftlichen Tatsache. Einführung in die Lehre vom Denkstil und Denkkollektiv] (F. Bradley & T. J. Trenn, Trans.; T. J. Trenn & R. K. Merton, Eds.). The University of Chicago Press. (1935)

[Please be aware that a word may have different nuances, or even a different meaning, according to context.]« Back to Index