Paleopathological study on infectious diseases in Japan • 137 



Figure 8. Typical demonstrable case of cra- 

 nial syphilis from an Ainu skeletal remains 

 (originally reported by Y. Koganei in 1894). 



Figure 9. Typical demonstrable case of cra- 

 nial syphilis from the Muromachi (medieval) 

 skeletal remains (originally reported by H. 

 Suzuki in 1963). 



Figure 10. Two typical demonstrable cases of cranial syphilis from the Edo (latest medieval/earliest modem) skeletal 

 remains (originally reported by the author in 1984.) 



Hokkaido has been reported by the author (Suzuki 1984c). 

 Furthermore, on the subject of the epidemic of syphilis dur- 

 ing the Edo period, 50 of 923 (5.4%) Edo skulls could be 

 diagnosed as demonstrable cases of osseous syphilis (Figure 

 10) and in the biocultural background of the Edo people and 

 its society these were interpreted as proving a high preva- 

 lence of syphilis (Suzuki 1984a). 



Another major specific disease that affects the skeletal 

 system, particularly the facial and foot bones (M^llcr- 

 Christensen 1964), is leprosy. Recently some archeological 



Zagreb Paleopathology Symp. 1988 



cases from the medieval and early modem periods have been 

 thought to be possible cases of leprosy in this country, though 

 to date they have not been published. There are also no cases 

 of leprosy found in the Jomon skeletal series. 



Nonvenereal fomis of trcponematosis such as yaws (fram- 

 besia) and pinta must be dilTerentiatcd from venereal osseous 

 syphilis if these two diseases coexist in the same area. In 

 Japan, however, there has been no evidence of the existence 

 of such tropical, endemic, nonvenereal infections either in 

 the past or at the present time. 



