author

Henry Weightman Stelwagon

1853–1919

Best known for clear, practical dermatology textbooks, this Philadelphia physician helped shape how generations of medical students learned about diseases of the skin. His books stayed in use for years and became standard references in early twentieth-century medicine.

1 Audiobook

Essentials of Diseases of the Skin Including the Syphilodermata Arranged in the Form of Questions and Answers Prepared Especially for Students of Medicine

Essentials of Diseases of the Skin Including the Syphilodermata Arranged in the Form of Questions and Answers Prepared Especially for Students of Medicine

by Henry Weightman Stelwagon

About the author

Henry Weightman Stelwagon was an American physician and medical writer who lived from 1853 to 1919. He is chiefly remembered for major works on dermatology, including Essentials of Diseases of the Skin and A Treatise on Diseases of the Skin, books that were widely published and repeatedly reissued.

Contemporary editions of his books identify him as a professor of dermatology at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and also connect him with the Woman's Medical College as well as the Howard and Philadelphia Hospitals. That combination of teaching and hospital work helps explain the tone of his writing: detailed enough for practitioners, but especially useful for students who needed a practical guide.

Today, Stelwagon's work offers a window into the history of dermatology at a time when the field was becoming more formalized as a medical specialty. Even when the science has aged, his books still show the ambition of an educator trying to organize a complex subject clearly for everyday medical use.