A manual of dermatology

Front matter

UNITED STATES OP AMERICA.

A MANUAL

OF

Preface

This volume is intended to be the basis of a future much larger, more pretentious, and more original work. In its present form an effort has been made, not so much to write a distinctively original work, as to present — in as concise a manner as possible — the subject of Dermatology in its modern aspect.

The original intention was to give a concise and yet complete description of the symptoms, histology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the different diseases, in a work of about three hundred to three hundred and fifty pages ; but it was found that that was impossible, if any justice was to be done to the subject. Even with the present size I have had to curtail the matter much beyond my desire, and consequently the histology and treatment are in many cases not so complete as they might be.

Although I have done a great amount of work during the last ten years on the histology of the lesions of many of the skin-diseases, as may be perceived by a glance at the number of original drawings accompanying the text, yet, on account of the limited space at my disposal, I have not been able, as a rule, to give more than a brief description of the result of these studies. At some future time I expect to do this part of the subject much more justice.

As regards the treatment of the different diseases, much more could have been written, and the mode of application of many of the local measures recommended rendered more intelligible, perhaps, by a more lengthened description of the exact manner in which they are to be employed ; but not only would space not permit, but, furthermore, I believe that for the intelligent, thinking physician, a statement of principles and indications is of much more service than a long list of formulae.

IV PREFACE.

As the object of the publication is to present the subject of Dermatology in its modern aspect, and as the day is past when one can write wholly original articles on the majority of skin or other diseases, I have drawn freely from other writers, and am especially indebted to the excellent works of Duhring, Hyde, Wilson, Tilbury Fox, Hebra, Neumann, Kaposi, and " Handbuch der Haut-Krankheiten " edited by H. von Ziemssen. The description of a number of the diseases is more or less copied from one or other of these sources, as individual experience alone would never enable one to write a complete original work on diseases of the skin, owing to the fact that some forms are very rare, and may never be observed by a dermatologist with a very large practice, extending over many years.

Some diseases, as myxcedema, etc., which more properly belong to internal medicine, have not been described in the present volume. Miliaria (prickly heat) does not appear as a separate disease, as histological studies have convinced me that it is only a form of eczema. The same is true of lichen simplex. Sixty-five of the illustrations are original, and are either woodcuts or reproductions by the photo-engraving process.

This volume was announced to appear one year ago, but, owing to illness and numerous professional engagements, both public and private, it was impossible to complete the work within the specified time, and it would not even yet have been ready, had I not received great assistance from Dr. Gottheil, my clinical assistant at the New York Polyclinic, who has written the greater portion of a considerable number of articles. I am also indebted to Dr. S. M. Roberts and Dr. H. D. Chapin for assistance in preparing the manuscript, and to Dr. W. L. C. Forrester for proof-reading and preparation of the contents and index.

With a full knowledge of the defects and incompleteness of the volume, I hope it possesses sufficient merit, and contains enough original work, to justify the publication.

356 West Forty-second Street, January, 1885.

Contents

PAGE.

Symptomatology 35

Etiology of skin diseases 47