Syphilis information posters. Historical artwork of a Paris urinal covered in public information posters about the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. Syphilis is caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. The disease has three stages, first an ulcer at the site of infection followed several weeks later by a systemic skin rash. The third stage, which follows a latency period that can last for years, involves spread to the organs and nervous system and can cause mental illness and death. Syphilis can be treated with penicillin if caught early. Illustration first printed in 1903.