author
John H. (John Hinchman) Stokes
1885–1961
A pioneering dermatologist and syphilologist, he wrote clearly for both doctors and everyday readers at a time when public health education was urgently needed. His best-known books helped explain syphilis and venereal disease prevention in direct, practical language.
1 Audiobook
The Third Great Plague A Discussion of Syphilis for Everyday People
by John H. (John Hinchman) Stokes
About the author
Born in 1885, John Hinchman Stokes became an influential American physician specializing in dermatology and syphilology. He earned his M.D. at the University of Michigan in 1912, then taught and practiced before going on to major roles at the Mayo Clinic and later the University of Pennsylvania.
At the Mayo Clinic, he organized and led the Section on Dermatology and Syphilology beginning in 1916. He was especially known for combining clinical work, teaching, and public health concerns, and he later served as Professor of Dermatology and Syphilology at the University of Pennsylvania.
As an author, he wrote for more than one audience. Works such as The Third Great Plague and To-day's World Problem in Disease Prevention aimed to make difficult and often stigmatized subjects understandable, while his medical writing helped shape modern clinical thinking about syphilis and related diseases. He died in 1961.