title: History of self-experimentation in dermatology: should we go first--sometimes?
abstract: Because of its availability, the skin has been used over the years for self-experimentation. Many examples can be cited, including the heroic self-experiments of Carrión of Peru with verruga peruana and those of Goldberger with pellagra and Pediculoides ventricosus. My personal self-experimentation began with sensitization to Japanese lacquer. From that starting point I experimented with chemical warfare agents, cortisone versus hydrocortisone, bites of various arthropods, and finally, experiments with lasers. Some dermatologists will continue to do self-experimentation when they acquire infections from their patients. I believe that sometimes, for their patients' benefit, they should go first.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D032762:Autoexperimentation; D003880:Dermatology / Q000266:history*; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D033281:Nontherapeutic Human Experimentation; D018579:Patient Selection; D012106:Research / Q000266:history*; D035842:Research Subjects