This text is both a history of skin disease and a history of dermatology, telling the human historical experience of skin disease and how we have come to know what we know about the skin and its myriad diseases over the course of four millennia, looking at key figures in life and literature and key events such as the Black Death and the eradication of smallpox.

*Examines how the history of skin disease fits into the larger picture of the history of each age

*Provides dermatological insight into major events and personalities from history

*Offers a unique perspective on the history of each age