title: How did dermatology develop in the United States?
abstract: Dermatology began to appear as a specialty in the United States in the post-Civil War period, when there was a dramatic increase in medical knowledge, as well as in the population. The horrors of the Civil War called attention to many skin diseases. Ophthalmology and otolaryngology developed due mostly to the introduction of instrumentation, whereas dermatology grew based on observation. With the increase in urban populations, the opportunity for medical specialization and, in particular, dermatology, appeared and would be accepted.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 1760 Market Street, Suite 301, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. larryderm@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Lawrence Charles
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Parish
mesh_terms: D047831:American Civil War; D003880:Dermatology / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D014481:United States