Dermatitis Herpetiformis: A Commentary

• Published in: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 250; no. 2; pp. 217 - 221
• Main Authors: Kalis, John B, Malkinson, Frederick D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL American Medical Association 08-07-1983
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Bullous diseases of the skin; Dermatology; Medical sciences; Dermatitis herpetiformis
• ISSN: 0098-7484; 1538-3598
• DOI: 10.1001/jama.1983.03340020033030

The early 19th century marked the birth of dermatology as a specialty in Europe. Postgraduate training in dermatology was available only in the European capitals. When Louis Duhring returned to his native Philadelphia after two years of specialty training in London, Paris, and Vienna, he established a private practice and a public dispensary devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders. Duhring's keen clinical sense, pragmatic approach, clarity of prose, and thorough knowledge of the literature soon gained him local recognition. In 1873, he was appointed as a lecturer on skin disorders at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. In 1875, at the age of 35 years, he was appointed the first professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, a post he held for 35 years. His excellent textbooks, widely read here and in Europe, and his establishment of dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) as a distinct disease entity soon led