The problem expressed in the title of this paper has been given little consideration in modern syphilologic literature. Among the modern textbooks only that by Stokes1 gives adequate consideration to a discussion of the paramount necessity of rest as an adjunct to specific treatment, while others have little or nothing to say. Even less can be found about the general effect of specific treatment on the patient. Yet the distinct influence which antisyphilitic treatment has on the patient's general well-being must be apparent to every experienced syphilologist. To a certain extent this influence can be objectively evaluated, for example, by the increase in the patient's weight. There is, however, a less tangible, but none-the-less important, change which can be observed in the majority of the patients, namely, a distinct improvement in the subjective feeling of well-being. In cases of latent syphilis the difference between the way the patient