Dr. Kumar’s Take
This fascinating historical study reveals how gout was once seen not as a disease to be feared, but as something to be admired. From the 16th to 18th centuries, gout was glorified as a mark of wealth, a protector against other illnesses, and even a booster of sexual vitality. While we now know gout is a painful and dangerous form of arthritis caused by uric acid crystals, it is striking to see how culture once reframed suffering into a symbol of status and strength.
Key Takeaways:
✔ Gout was called the “disease of lords” and linked with nobility and indulgence.
✔ It was viewed as protective, thought to prevent worse diseases like stroke or cancer.
✔ Some writers claimed gout enhanced sexual performance.
✔ Cultural beliefs once reshaped pain into prestige, showing how medical meaning evolves.
Actionable Health Tip
Do not romanticize gout. Today, we know gout is linked to metabolic syndrome, kidney disease, and cardiovascular risk. The best action is to maintain a balanced diet, keep uric acid levels in check, and prevent flares through lifestyle and, if needed, medication.
Study Summary
This review, published in CMAJ (2008), analyzed how gout appeared in European literature from the 16th to 18th centuries. Writers and physicians often praised gout as a sign of high social standing, a safeguard against other illnesses, and even an aphrodisiac.
Study Design
The study is not a clinical trial but a historical analysis of literary and cultural sources. It examined poems, essays, fables, and letters that referenced gout and revealed how disease perception was shaped by cultural context.
Results: What Literature Said About Gout
- Nobility and Status: Gout was known as morbus dominorum et dominus morborum (“the disease of lords, and lord of diseases”) oai_citation:1‡20081007s00026p804.pdf.
- A Good-Luck Disease: Writers like Jonathan Swift and Horace Walpole claimed gout prolonged life by preventing worse illnesses oai_citation:2‡20081007s00026p804.pdf.
- An Aphrodisiac: Some Renaissance thinkers suggested gout enhanced sexual prowess due to enforced rest and redirected vitality oai_citation:3‡20081007s00026p804.pdf.
- Cultural Desire: Physicians even sent patients with other illnesses to mineral baths in hopes they might “catch” gout and be cured of their original disease oai_citation:4‡20081007s00026p804.pdf.
Why People Once Believed Gout Was Beneficial
In an age before modern medicine, diseases were often seen as mutually exclusive. If one had gout, it was thought they would be spared from more fatal conditions. Linking gout with wine, food, and love made it seem almost divine, a painful privilege of abundance.
Related Studies and Research
History of Gout and Its Treatment – Explores the shifting perception of gout from ancient times to modern medicine.
Ancient Uricase and Evolutionary Loss – Investigates the evolutionary reasons humans lost the uricase enzyme.
Vitamin C, Coffee, and Milk: Gout Risk Study – Evaluates dietary elements that influence uric acid and gout outcomes.
Podcast: How to Make Gout Disappear from Your Life – A comprehensive look at modern and ancient gout science—and how to beat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was gout associated with nobility?
Because rich diets high in meat, alcohol, and sugar were mostly available to the wealthy, gout became a visible “badge” of affluence.
Did people really want to get gout?
Surprisingly, yes. Some sick patients were advised to try to “catch” gout, as it was thought to drive out other illnesses.
How could gout be seen as an aphrodisiac?
Writers claimed that bed rest redirected energy to sexual vitality and that gout patients had more “reserve” for intimacy.
Is there any truth to these old beliefs?
No. Today we know gout is harmful to joints and overall health. While historically seen as protective, modern science shows it increases risk of heart disease and kidney damage.
Conclusion
The glorification of gout is a striking example of how cultural beliefs can redefine suffering. What was once praised as noble and protective is now recognized as a preventable and treatable disease. Understanding this history should inspire us to question present-day medical assumptions, just as future generations may question ours.