History of Latin American Dermatology

PABLO A. VIGLIOGLIA, ALBERTO WOSCOFFFigure 2. Prof.MaximilianoAberasturyFigure 3. Prof.Enrique Fidanza(currently Ramos Mejía) and continued his work as a teacher up to hisdeath in 1918. Sommer, inspired by the Viennese school of Von Hebra(1816-1880)and influenced by French dermatologists of the standingof Gaucher, Fournier, Darier, Gougerot and Civatte, taught with patientsand moulages of the Wax Molds Museum, the only one of its typein Latin America in those years. Among Sommer’s disciples were thebrilliant physicians Aberastury (Figure 2), Greco, Baliña, Ragusin,Jonquières, Uriburu and Fidanza (Figure 3).As an anecdote we recall an old lady who showed up weekly at theDermatology office at the Hospital de Clínicas and remained a fewminutes in front of Sommer’s portrait. Upon being asked, in the year 2000, about heridentity, she surprised us with her answer: “I am Sommer’s granddaughter. Before, Iused to come with my mother.”This was a golden era in Argentine Dermatology, and included syphilis and other venerealdiseases and likewise leprosy. All of this bore fruit in 1907, with the founding of whatwas then called the Argentine Dermatological Society, with headquarters at the San RoqueHospital. The first president was Sommer, accompanied by the other founding members:M. Aberastury, P. Díaz, P. Baliña, Cisneros, Greco, Seminario, J. Uriburu, A. Giménez,Loche, E. Polito, M. Moyano, J. Farini, F. Mario, J. Arce y Almanza and N. Ragusin.In 1908, publication began of the Society’s organ of dissemination, the Revista Argentinade Dermatología, later Revista de la Asociación Argentina de Dermatología ySifilografía, the first dermatology publication in Latin America.Sommer was succeeded in the chair by Pacífico Díaz and Maximiliano Aberastury, thelatter the author of the Argentine law to fight leprosy that bears his name (1926). In 1927the Society changed its name to that of the Argentine Association of Dermatology andSyphilography; its president was Prof. Pedro Baliña, later replaced by Neocle Ragusin.In 1934, a group of dermatologists headed by Nicolás Greco, a disciple of Sommer’s,decided to found a new entity which was called Society of Dermatology, Syphilographyand Venereology and that was part of the Argentine Medical Association. The historicalfacts are skimpy with regard to the reasons that led to this split — in fact, it is contradictory— but there is no doubt, given the moral and scientific ranking of the leaders andmembers of both dermatological groupings, that principles and conceptions held primacyover personal wishes.Other founding members of this new Society were C. Oriol Arias, M. A. Mazzini (secretary),A. A. Fernández, A. Bigatti, S. Rosner, D. Biagini, L. Trepat, A. Muschietti, R.Wernicke, E. Otahz, C. Bancalari, J. R. Houler, A. Schneidewind, S. Sovin, O. Camaño, J.Capurro, E. Cortelezzi, F. de Biase, E. Solari, S. Ponce de León and E. del Vecchio. Laterit was called Argentine Society of Dermatology.Since then (1934) there have been two societies representing Argentina: the ArgentineAssociation of Dermatology, with its official organ, Revista Argentina de Dermatología(founded in 1908) and the Argentine Society of Dermatology (which left the ArgentineMedical Association), with its official organ, Dermatología Argentina (founded in 1995).Both groupings have branch associations, sections and members in all provinces.■ The The era of Baliña and and Greco GrecoThe split between the dermatology groupings generated a scientific rivalry, leading tothe training of brilliant dermatologists in each of them who left their mark on noteworthyperiods within Argentine Dermatology.The Argentine Association of Dermatology, set up at the Chair of Dermatosyphilographyof the University of Buenos Aires, with headquarters at Ramos Mejía Hospital, was32