History of Latin American Dermatology

HISTORY OFDERMATOLOGYAMONG ARGENTINEINDIGENOUSCULTURESLUIS DAVID PIERINITo the memory of my father, Luis E. Pierini, who was pleasedthat my specialized field was related to the ectoderm.«The empires of the future will be based on knowledge.» Albert Einstein■ Introduction«The book is the most surprising among man’s many instruments. The others areextensions of his body. The microscope, the telescope, are extensions of his sight;the telephone, an extension of his voice; but the book is something else – the bookis an extension of memory and of the imagination. It is one of the possibilities forhappiness that is open to us humans.» Jorge Luis BorgesArgentine dermatology begins to emerge with the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.They infect others with their illnesses, bring in sick slaves and, in turn, develop endemiccutaneous diseases.Indigenous medicine, with its lights and shadows, met the needs of large populationgroups. Employing magic, religion and empiricism, they created systems of assistancethat helped against illnesses and chronic epidemics.The Spaniards expressed admiration for certain techniques and methods employed bythe Indians, often making use of the therapeutic properties of valuable vegetable specieswhich they later sent to Spain. In this regard, the work carried out by Nicolás Monardesis held in high regard. Monardes classified plants with pharmacological applicationswhich were used very successfully in Europe after the colonial venture.Nicolás V. Greco and Marcial Ignacio Quiroga are regarded as the first historians ofArgentine dermatology. Both promoted knowledge regarding this field, its teachings, itspractitioners, as well as the study of leprosy in our country.In his universal critical analysis of 1944, Nicolás V. Greco describes the vicissitudes of19