Daniel Turner (1667-1740)

Abstract

Daniel Turner (1667-1740) is credited with having written the first book in English on the diagnosis and treatment of skin disease. In De Morbis Cutaneis, Turner distinguishes two types of skin conditions: those that affect the inside of the body but are symptomatic on the surface, and those that are of an outward origin. Turner also underlines the necessity for prophylaxis against venereal diseases. Turner’s book Syphilis. A Practical Dissertation on the Venereal Disease contains the first description of the “condum,” a word that derives from the Latin condio, condo and means “to preserve.” Turner should be remembered as a champion of his era for advocating that each patient should be viewed as an individual and for heralding the importance of observing the skin as part of a routine physical examination. Turner may be considered to be the father of British dermatology.