Yaws and Syphilis

To the Editor:— In The Journal, January 13, page 148, was a communication from Dr. C. S. Butler of New York dealing with the much debated topic of yaws and syphilis. With reference to a critical review that I made of the subject, which appeared in the Tropical Diseases Bulletin, the statement is made that Blacklock proves the proposition that yaws and syphilis are the same thing. This appears to be a misapprehension on the the part of Dr. Butler.My incentive in endeavoring to appraise the significance of the usual diagnostic points by which yaws is said to be distinguishable from syphilis was the necessity for putting the matter as clearly as possible for students. All that emerged was that the usual differential points will not in fact serve as diagnostic; this, however, doesnot appear to warrant the conclusion that I have proved that yaws and syphilis are the