Über die Haut und Hautkrankheiten

Abstract

Galenic medicine (2nd century) was concerned with diseases according to body parts, considering an order from head to feet. Acute and chronic diseases were differentiated. Most of the symptoms on the skin were not considered to be skin diseases in the sense of „vitia”. Isidor of Seville (560 - 636) compiled acute and chronic diseases. He extended this classification to „diseases of the body surface” in the 8 th chapter of the 4 th book „De medicina” in his famous „Etymologies”. Names of skin diseases and efflorescences are mentioned in this chapter. In early modern times, skin came to the focus of learned physicians and specialists in anatomy and surgery. This development was seen in Padua first. Jessenius a Jessen, who finished his studies in Padua with a scientific disputation in 1591, became a protagonist on this field in Germany. Being professor at the University of Wittenberg, he was presenting university lessons on dermatologic matters 1600 - 1601 and was praeses in a scientific dispute with his student Cogeler in 1601. Contrary to Galen's position, the development of skin diseases was considered. Academic publications about the skin and skin diseases, all written in latin, increased in the 17 th century. In 1690, the first book concerning the skin and treatment of skin diseases was published in German language by T. Vogel (Curioser Haut = Diener) prior to the first English book on this subject by D. Turner 1714 (De morbis cutaneis. A treatise of diseases incident to the skin).