Spirochaeta pallida is known to affect every organ in the human body. It has been found in practically every organ in stillborn syphilitic infants and in newborn infants that have died of syphilis. The presence of S. pallida in the newborn on necropsy has been amply demonstrated by McCord1 and others. Apparently these lesions heal rapidly if anti-syphilitic treatment is instituted early in life. It is for this reason that one does not see later in life some of the stigmas of syphilitic infection observed in young children. This is especially true of the heart and the circulatory system.
While the occurrence of syphilitic aortitis in young children is of great interest to the clinician, no one has yet reported an authentic case of syphilis of the large vessels in early life diagnosed on clinical examination. Only on necropsy has it been possible to prove definitely that syphilis attacks