Venereal Disease

A sexually transmitted disease. Symptoms are a discharge from the penis or vagina, pain while urinating, swelling, or painless sores or blisters around the mouth or sex organs. Going to a VD Clinic might not be a bad idea.

The term "venereal disease" comes from "Venus", the Roman goddess of love. This is the subject of a scene in Voltaire's satirical novel Candide, in which the protagonist finds his mentor, the doggedly optimistic Doctor Pangloss, rotting away from syphillis. Pangloss points out the etymology of the term, and extolls the beauty of having a persistent physical reminder of love's sweet ecstacies.