The work we chose for this issue of the Newsletter has several reasons to be admired, starting with its own dimensions: 55 cm and about 5 kg in weight.
Indeed, this edition of the Description des maladies de la peau… is one of the basic texts of contemporary dermatology, and its author, Jean Louis Alibert (1768-1837), is one of the main people responsible for it becoming a specialty.
Since in dermatology it is essential to use graphic representation, as rigorous as possible, of the symptoms of skin diseases, the fact that this French doctor was a pioneer not only in the methodical observation of these diseases, but also in the creation of medical atlases which, like this one, include hand-coloured prints, is relevant. It should be remembered that photography appeared in the first half of the 19th century, but it had a long way to go before reaching the faithful, colour representations we have today.
ALIBERT, Jean Louis, 1768-183
Description des maladies de la peau observées à l'hôpital Saint-Louis, et exposition des meilleures méthodes suivies pour leur traitement / par J.L. Alibert. - Paris : chez Barrois l'ainé et fils, 1806. - [4], XXII, 286 p., 53 print. : il. ; 55 cm. - 53 coloured prints
FML Library-IDC Reference: RES. 1862
André Silva
Library and Information Area
andresilva@medicina.ulisboa.pt
