7 Illnesses That Are Clearly Superpowers In Disguise

2. Tertiary Neurosyphilis - Syphilis That Turns You Into A Genius

Gone untreated, syphilis will wreck the body. It eventually becomes tertiary, which can cause terrible side effects like paralysis, blindness, dementia, seizures, tremors and a host of other disgusting images I never want to see on the Internet ever again. But it has long been believed that tertiary neurosyphilis can actually make you a creative genius. You know, before the whole paralysis thing kicks in. This condition is described as a euphoric creativity that dawns on the person before the disease breaks them. It's been described as how a light bulb begins to burn brightly before going out. This has been seen in artists who have suffered from syphilis, including Beethoven (yes, we're bringing him up again). His hearing was destroyed by syphilis, but some of his best work, including the 9th Symphony, was developed shortly before the disease finished off the rest of his body. In other words, it's possible that, for a brief time period, the negative effects of syphilis can actually heighten the senses and propel the victim to produce grandiose works of art. That said, I don't encourage anyone to try contracting syphilis in order produce their best Vine.