Syphilis in the Civil War [View all]

I obtained my great-grandfather's Civil War medical records from the National Archives. An unmarried man in his early thirties during the war, he was a sergeant in the Union Army artillery. The records show that for five weeks in the autumn of 1863 he was hospitalized and treated for syphilis.

I've read that Union soldiers with syphilis were discharged, but my great-grandfather returned to duty, whereupon he transferred to the 22nd NY Cavalry, retaining his high character evaluations from his Artillery superiors. He was immediately commissioned to 2nd lieutenant in the 22nd, then shortly thereafter to 1st lieutenant. He remained in the 22nd NY Cavalry until the end of the war.

He married my great-grandmother soon after the war, and they had two healthy children who lived to be in their late sixties. My great-grandmother died young, of consumption (tuberculosis), but my great-grandfather lived to be 62, dying of heart disease at Sawtelle Veterans Hospital.

I cannot help but wonder how my great-grandfather was able to remain in the Union Army, and in good standing, if he had ( or had had, or was at least treated for) syphilis, and how, if he had, or had had, syphilis, he managed to live a healthy life thereafter, and without infecting his wife with syphilis or having syphilitic babies. Anyone know how this could be? Thanks in advance for information!