History of Latin American Dermatology

ELBIO FLORES-CEVALLOS, LUIS FLORES-CEVALLOS, ZUÑO BURSTEINFigure 1. Potterypiece of theMochica culture inthe Víctor LarcoHerrera Museum inLima: a patient isshown with hisbare buttocks fullof lesions caused byflat syphiliticcondylomasFigure 2. Potterypiece of the Chimúculture in the samemuseum: a nakedmale patient isshown lying on hisback, with his legsapart, with manypapillomas on theskin of the penisand abdomen,undoubtedly acharacteristic ofsecondary syphilisFigure 3. Potteryitem of the Chimúculture from Dr.Hugo Vizcarra’scollection. Theentire skin of thebody presents aseries of nodules,small excrescencesand large molestheir lungs (bofes) to make their diagnoses. Many other fortune-tellers used coca leaves:“They take them in one piece, lay them out on a blanket on the floor, mutter some words,breathe on the leaves and throw them up in the air. They then observe how they fall onthe blanket in order to determine the diagnosis and prognosis”; this rite is still carriedout in some villages of the Peruvian sierra 3 .There were many oracles in the places where the Inca had idols or totems. The mostfamous of these was that of Pachacámac, near Lima. They resorted to these oracles forhelp in the healing of their diseases, to pray for the health of the Inca, etc., just like theancient Greeks did at the Delphic oracle.The splendor of Inca medicine occurred under the rule of the Inca Pachacútec, whoprovided very advanced legislation. The dermatological diseases that were present in theInca Empire were the same as those present in the different cultures that conqueredthem.DERMATOLOGICAL DISEASES IN PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMESSyphilisSyphilis was one of the most widespread dermatological diseases among the variouscivilizations of ancient Peru. The pottery pieces of the Moche-Chimú culture, inparticular, show clear graphic huaco examples of syphilitic lesions (Figures 1and 2). The Peruvian archeologist Julio C. Tello along with Hunter Williamsfound the typical lesions of syphilis in their osteopathological studies in 1929.Syphilis in the Inca era affected not only the people but also the highest socialclasses of the Empire.George E. Eaton, a U.S. osteologist who was member of the Hiram Binghamexpedition that discovered Machu Picchu in 1911, found in a cemetery in thearea “in a very spectacular location”, the grave of the supreme priestess, orMamacona, prioress of the convent of selected virgins who were in charge ofweaving beautiful cloth and making chicha (corn liquor) for the Inca and thenobility. In the osteopathological examination that he carried out, he foundthat the priestess “unfortunately had syphilis.” This lady had been buried in abeautiful spot, with great riches that spoke of her importance 2 .Ancient Peruvians treated syphilis (huanthi, a word which in Quechua-Aymara304