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From the Life of Julius Bettinger, the Anonymous Palatinate

From the Life of Julius Bettinger, the Anonymous Palatinate Box Section Ref ID The Journal of Cutaneous Diseases February 1914 REVIEW OF DERMATOLOGY AND SYPHILIS * * * FROM THE LIFE OF JULIUS BETTINGER, THE ANONYMOUS PALATINATE. E. Hoffmann, p. 220. This article is of historical interest only. J Cutan Dis. 1914;32(2):160. In 1855, a paper was delivered to the Medical Society of the Palatinate.* The author of this controversial report, which claimed that secondary syphilis was contagious, chose to remain anonymous. Why he did so can be summed up in 2 words: Philippe Ricord. Ricord was brilliant, witty, and generous. He single-handedly turned l’Hôpital du Midi into Europe’s center for the study of venereal diseases. On publication in 1838, his book, Traité pratique des maladies vénériennes, was universally proclaimed a masterpiece. Ricord formulated the 3 stages of syphilis. He revived the distinction between syphilis and gonorrhea. An ardent advocate for unflinchingly thorough examination, Ricord popularized the vaginal speculum and was particularly pleased whenever he detected an anal chancre overlooked by less diligent doctors. Ricord was also notoriously vainglorious; even Queen Victoria was flabbergasted by his ostentatious display of medals. His ready wit could turn rapier sharp in sarcasm if anyone dared to contradict him. Worst, for a self-professed man of science, Ricord refused to ever admit error. Long after other venereologists recognized the difference between hard (luetic) and soft (chancroidal) chancres, Ricord insisted on their unity. He stubbornly supported his mode of diagnosis, autoinoculation, despite overwhelming evidence against its utility. A central tenet of Ricord’s dogma was that secondary syphilis was not contagious. When William Waller in 1851 first published evidence to the contrary, Ricord blithely dismissed his experiments as unethical. That same year, one of Ricord’s own staff at the Midi, Vidal de Cassis, confirmed Waller’s findings. Ricord charged his junior colleague with being clinically inept and morally base. Obviously, to challenge Ricord on this point was to invite the wrath and ridicule of the world’s greatest syphilologist. No wonder the anonymous author declined credit for his report. Postscript: While conducting his own researches into syphilis, Erich Hoffmann deduced that the anonymous Palatinate was Julius Bettinger. Bettinger (1802-1887) was the respected chief of the Cantonal Hospital in Frankenthal, Palatinate. During his lifetime he was awarded one of Bavaria’s highest honors, the Cross of the Order of St Michael. Posthumously, Frankenthal named a tiny, 1-block street in his memory. When confronted with Hoffmann’s suspicion, Bettinger’s son confirmed that his father was indeed the anonymous Palatinate. *The Palatinate was then a region within the Kingdom of Bavaria. Section Editor: Mark Bernhardt, MD. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png JAMA Dermatology American Medical Association

From the Life of Julius Bettinger, the Anonymous Palatinate

Bernhardt, Mark
JAMA Dermatology , Volume 150 (2) – Feb 1, 2014
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From the Life of Julius Bettinger, the Anonymous Palatinate

Abstract

Box Section Ref ID The Journal of Cutaneous Diseases February 1914 REVIEW OF DERMATOLOGY AND SYPHILIS * * * FROM THE LIFE OF JULIUS BETTINGER, THE ANONYMOUS PALATINATE. E. Hoffmann, p. 220. This article is of historical interest only. J Cutan Dis. 1914;32(2):160. In 1855, a paper was delivered to the Medical Society of the Palatinate.* The author of this controversial report, which claimed that secondary syphilis was contagious, chose to remain anonymous. Why he did so can be summed up in 2...
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Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
2168-6068
eISSN
2168-6084
DOI
10.1001/jamadermatol.2013.8016
Publisher site
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Abstract

Box Section Ref ID The Journal of Cutaneous Diseases February 1914 REVIEW OF DERMATOLOGY AND SYPHILIS * * * FROM THE LIFE OF JULIUS BETTINGER, THE ANONYMOUS PALATINATE. E. Hoffmann, p. 220. This article is of historical interest only. J Cutan Dis. 1914;32(2):160. In 1855, a paper was delivered to the Medical Society of the Palatinate.* The author of this controversial report, which claimed that secondary syphilis was contagious, chose to remain anonymous. Why he did so can be summed up in 2 words: Philippe Ricord. Ricord was brilliant, witty, and generous. He single-handedly turned l’Hôpital du Midi into Europe’s center for the study of venereal diseases. On publication in 1838, his book, Traité pratique des maladies vénériennes, was universally proclaimed a masterpiece. Ricord formulated the 3 stages of syphilis. He revived the distinction between syphilis and gonorrhea. An ardent advocate for unflinchingly thorough examination, Ricord popularized the vaginal speculum and was particularly pleased whenever he detected an anal chancre overlooked by less diligent doctors. Ricord was also notoriously vainglorious; even Queen Victoria was flabbergasted by his ostentatious display of medals. His ready wit could turn rapier sharp in sarcasm if anyone dared to contradict him. Worst, for a self-professed man of science, Ricord refused to ever admit error. Long after other venereologists recognized the difference between hard (luetic) and soft (chancroidal) chancres, Ricord insisted on their unity. He stubbornly supported his mode of diagnosis, autoinoculation, despite overwhelming evidence against its utility. A central tenet of Ricord’s dogma was that secondary syphilis was not contagious. When William Waller in 1851 first published evidence to the contrary, Ricord blithely dismissed his experiments as unethical. That same year, one of Ricord’s own staff at the Midi, Vidal de Cassis, confirmed Waller’s findings. Ricord charged his junior colleague with being clinically inept and morally base. Obviously, to challenge Ricord on this point was to invite the wrath and ridicule of the world’s greatest syphilologist. No wonder the anonymous author declined credit for his report. Postscript: While conducting his own researches into syphilis, Erich Hoffmann deduced that the anonymous Palatinate was Julius Bettinger. Bettinger (1802-1887) was the respected chief of the Cantonal Hospital in Frankenthal, Palatinate. During his lifetime he was awarded one of Bavaria’s highest honors, the Cross of the Order of St Michael. Posthumously, Frankenthal named a tiny, 1-block street in his memory. When confronted with Hoffmann’s suspicion, Bettinger’s son confirmed that his father was indeed the anonymous Palatinate. *The Palatinate was then a region within the Kingdom of Bavaria. Section Editor: Mark Bernhardt, MD.

Journal

JAMA Dermatology – American Medical Association

Published: Feb 1, 2014

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