Louis Adolphus Duhring (December 23, 1845,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

– May 8, 1913, Philadelphia) was an American physician and professor of

dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the Human skin, skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, ...

at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. He is best remembered for having delineated

dermatitis herpetiformis Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a chronic autoimmune blistering skin condition, characterised by intensely itchy blisters filled with a watery fluid. DH is a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease, although the exact causal mechanism is not ...

(also known as Duhring's disease); but he also described pruritus hiemalis ("winter itch"), and

seborrheic dermatitis Seborrhoeic dermatitis (also spelled seborrheic dermatitis in American English) is a long-term skin disorder. Symptoms include flaky, scaly, greasy, and occasionally itchy and inflamed skin. Areas of the skin rich in sebum, oil-producing gland ...

. After a stint with the 32nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Duhring enrolled at Penn's Medical School, graduating in 1867. During his time in medical school, he became a lecturer of dermatological diseases in 1865 at the

. From 1868 he continued his studies in

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and

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, returning to Philadelphia in 1870, where he established the Dispensary for Skin Diseases. He was director of the dispensary until 1880. In the meantime he became a visiting dermatologist at the department of skin diseases at Blockley Hospital (1876-1887). In 1875 he gained his clinical professorship at Penn, becoming a full professor in 1891. In 1876 he was a founding member of the American Dermatological Association (twice serving as its president). He was the author of two major works, ''Atlas of Skin Diseases'' (1876–80) and ''A Practical Treatise on Diseases of the Skin'' (1877). The latter book established Duhring as a top authority in American dermatology. He also authored the encyclopedic ''Cutaneous Medicine'', of which only two of several planned volumes were published, in 1895 and 1898. Duhring died on May 8, 1913, due to an

intestinal obstruction Bowel obstruction, also known as intestinal obstruction, is a mechanical or functional obstruction of the intestines which prevents the normal movement of the products of digestion. Either the small bowel or large bowel may be affected. Signs ...

and resulting

peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and covering of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One pa ...

. He was interred at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery, also called Laurel Hill East to distinguish it from the affiliated West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Bala Cynwyd, is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls, Philadelphia, East Falls neighborhood ...

in Philadelphia. Upon his death, a significant sum was bequeathed to Penn. In 1915, the During Wing of the Fisher Fine Arts Library was erected in his honor.

References

Louis Adolphus Duhring (1845-1912), University of Pennsylvania
Penn Biographies

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duhring, Louis Adolphus American dermatologists 1845 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American physicians Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania faculty Physicians from Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania faculty