History of Latin American Dermatology

Dermatology — art and culturework of Baron Ernest Von Feuchtersleben titled Medical Psychology, in which he states, “Fearparticularly causes enuresis, diarrhea, pollutions, erysipelas and outbreaks on the lips; it easesthe reception of contagion and miasmas; disturbs crises and worsens disorders” 14 .According to Guerra, suggestion takes part in medical actions in the healing of illness19 ; it is the most important process and is so because of the action in itself. In theview of Laín Entralgo 11 it is in itself an entire therapeutic system; it has value as a vehiclefor catharsis.The fact has been recorded that on many occasions the patient’s improvement is noted immediatelyafter interrogation or semiotic operations. Pérgola, for his part, states that “medicalaction entails an entire ritual content which has from antiquity equated the physicianwhich gods, saints, legendary kings capable of healing with the mere laying on of hands” 14 .In a later text this author writes that “the presence of the physician constitutesmedicine. He sets in motion the magical thinking of self-healing, an inherent aspect ofthe doctor-patient relationship. What is the key to this? The clinical doctor is, in his relationshipof maintenance – according the P. Schneider’s classification – closer to the patient;he runs the latter’s own risk, ‘melds’ with him in the classical semiotic operations:observation, palpation, percussion, auscultation. He establishes a contact and that contactgenerates the highest sense of solidarity. When the patient notices a dehumanizationof the relationship, he does so by noting the lack of semiotic closeness” 3 .The same author notes that we must not be frightened of comparing the physicianand the medicine man; and, quoting Sigerist, adds that the primitive medicine man ismuch more than the ancestor of the modern doctor; he is likewise so of the majority ofour professions. “He knows more than other people regarding the transcendental world,to the extent of having power over it” 20 .Robinson has said that the candidate to become a medicine man had to have someunusual feature, extraordinary strength or wisdom, exhibit some deformity or sufferepileptic fits, have a predisposition to fall into trances, be clumsy in the handling ofweapons, be a ventriloquist, having been the subject of a dream by his elders, or feel amarked inclination for meditation and solitary walks through the forest. Sometimes ayouth with natural aptitude, preferring science to the hunt, would choose to enroll as astudent of a renowned witch doctor. Study was lengthy, hard and costly; it was necessaryto learn many tricks, be knowledgeable about many herbs, an infinity of rites and a precisebedside manner. The medicine man couldn’t be like others; he had to be a manapart. His clothing, habits and thoughts needed to be different. He couldn’t share in thedaily routines of his neighbors; he needed always to be a mysterious person. As ceremoniesbecame more complicated and consecrated by tradition, the medicine man graduallyturned into the prophet and priest of his people 21 .Wax molds. Photography■ Wax molds. PhotographyOn March 18, 1892, the Chair on Venereal Diseases and Skin was created; the first fullprofessor was Dr. Baldomero Sommer, trained in the Viennese school, where he receivedthe teaching of Kaposi, and who was later influenced by the French school (Gaucher,Fournier, Darier) 6 . His working space was the San Roque Hospital (currently Ramos Mejía).He created the museum of wax molds, made by the master Walter S., which depictedthe morphology of skin diseases to make their study easier. In the inventory carried outin 1915, a total of 116 items were recorded, which included sporotricosis, blastomycosis,spider bites, scleroderma, syphilis, pityriasis lichenoides chronica, leprosy, liquen simplexchronicus, Kaposi’s sarcoma, psoriasis, venereal granuloma. For teaching purposes,illustrations from dermatological atlases were employed 22, 23 . Additionally, Sommergathered photographs recording his patients’ ailments 6 .53