Ancient medical texts called syphilis 'dàchuāng' (the great sore).
Tips
history
Syphilis arrived in China in the early 16th century via Guangdong, and Ming-era doctors coined 大疮 (great sore) for it. The modern medical term is 梅毒; 大疮 survives as a folk / historical name.
register
Old-fashioned and somewhat coarse. Use 梅毒 in clinical or polite contexts.
