Erasmus Wilson on Ringworm *

Erasmus Wilson, whose book entitled A Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Diagnosis, Pathology, and Treatment of Diseases of the Skin16 was published just one hundred years ago, needs no advocate. No apology need be offered for any of his writings or teachings, as is attested by the fame which he attained in many fields. He began his professional career as an anatomist, and he published both alone and in collaboration with Dr. Jones Quain several works on anatomy. Wilson was a subeditor of the Lancet, and it was Mr. Thomas Wakley, the editor of that journal, who induced him to take up the specialty of dermatology. It was in this connection that his greatest contributions to medicine were made. He published several ambitious works, among them "Diseases of the Skin,"'6 "Portraits of Diseases of the Skin,"24 "Lectures on Ekzema,"27 and "Lectures on Dermatology."28 He described trichorrhexis nodosa, erythiema nodosum, and universal exfoliative dermatitis. His book on the "Healthy Skin"26 was credited with having increased the popularity of the bath in England and another one "The Eastern or Turkish Bath"25 gave impetus to the establishment and spread of that form of bathing in England. Wilson's greatest service to dermatology probably was the assembling of the various manifestations of lichen planus into one category. Indeed, many text-books of dermatology still speak of lichen ruber planus of Wilson. Aside from his professional life Wilson travelled extensively and became intensely interested in Egyptian lore. He wrote two books on Egyptology and personally gave the sum of ten thousand pounds to transport to London and erect on the Thames Embankment the obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle. Rewards for all this ability were great. Besides being knighted, he was elected a Fellow of the College of Surgeons and also of the Royal Society. He enjoyed a large and lucrative practice, became very wealthy, and was definitely the foremost British dermatologist