 One such 18th-century researcher, John Hunter, tried to settle the debate in 1767 by inoculating a man with pus taken from a patient with gonorrhea.He erroneously concluded that both syphilis and gonorrhea were indeed the same disease when the man developed the copper-colored rash that is classic for syphilis.Although many sources repeat that Hunter inoculated himself, others have argued that it was in fact another man.