Louis Adolphus Duhring was the leading dermatologist to the newly opened department of skin diseases at the Philadelphia Hospital.
Background
Louis Adolphus Duhring was born on December 23. He was the son of Henry Duhring of Mecklenburg, Germany, and Caroline (Oberteuffer) Duhring of St. Gall, Switzerland, who migrated to the United States in 1818. They were thrifty, and educated, and the father, who had been moderately successful at home, became a prominent merchant in Philadelphia and gained considerable wealth. The family was particularly interested in music and Duhring devoted many of its evenings to concerts at home with friends.
Education
The boy’s early education was obtained in Philadelphia private schools; in 1861 he entered the freshman class of the college department of the University of Pennsylvania.
At the end of his third year he enlisted, in July 1863, in the 32nd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers; after serving for three months he was honorably discharged, and entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated after three years. He then became an interne in the Philadelphia Llospital (Blockley) where he remained fifteen months. In the summer of 1868 he went for further instruction to Vienna, where he studied under the brilliant Ferdinand Hebra, who was developing dermatology as a special branch of medicine.
Career
After two years, Duhring returned to Philadelphia and began practise as a dermatologist. He immediately organized and opened the “Dispensary for Skin Diseases, ” with the eminent surgeon, Prof. Samuel D. Gross, as president of the board of trustees. With this institution Duhring retained connection until 1890, being a consultant after 1880.
In 1871 he was made lecturer on skin diseases in the University of Pennsylvania. At this time he was twenty-six years old. In 1876 he published the first part of his Atlas of Skin Diseases, a water-color portrayal of diseases with descriptive text. This was the first effort of the kind in the United States and gained for its author considerable distinction. Since the work was not of a remunerative character, Duhring was obliged to draw upon his own purse to finance the venture. In the same year he became visiting dermatologist to the newly opened department of skin diseases at the Philadelphia Hospital (Blockley), continuing in this capacity until 1887.
In 1877, he published a Practical Treatise on Diseases of the Skin. This was the first American text-book on the subject and served to establish its writer as the leader of his specialty in America. The excellence of the work led to second and third editions within a few years, and the book was later translated into French, Italian, and Russian. After years of experience as a dermatologist he published Cutaneous Medicine (1895, 1898). He was a frequent contributor to medical journals and his articles disclosed a keen insight into the subjects with which he dealt. His most important articles were on what he called “dermatitis herpetiformis, ” which was closely related to an extremely fatal dermatosis known as pemphigus. Although the great Viennese dermatologist Kaposi and others took opposite sides of the controversy, Duhring successfully maintained his position and trenchantly established dermatitis herpetiformis as a separate clinical entity. Throughout the world this is known today as Duhring’s Disease, and sufferers from this disease have a far better chance of recovery than from the fatal pemphigus. About the time of his graduation, however, a shadow was cast upon his lighter nature by the death of a young lady who was looked upon as his fiancee. This caused him to withdraw from social contacts and become increasingly absorbed in his professional labors.
The deaths of his two brothers and more particularly that of his beloved sister, in 1892, further saddened his life, and he became more and more an isolated recluse. He lived alone in his domicile and, although many could claim acquaintance with him, no one had the privilege of his intimacy or friendship. As a result of judicious investments he acquired for his time considerable wealth. His estate which was largely bequeathed to the University of Pennsylvania and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, amounted to more than a million and a quarter dollars.
Personality
Louis was studious, quiet, and retiring in manner and had considerable taste. He developed certain eccentricities of manner. He was diffident, retiring, and secretive in conversation, very parsimonious, and expended little upon himself.