Dermatosurgery

Dermatosurgery cannot readily be therefore be to impart the knowledge assigned to anyone branch of medical that gives the dermatologist this free- science, and as with any borderline dom of choice. This involves the teach- case, this assignation is a matter of con- ing not only of the basic principles of troversy. Since the end of the last cen- dermatosurgery but also of the ability tury, the place of the subject in the field to discriminate according to the most of dermatology has been firmly estab- varied criteria. In this field, technical lished. This is hardly surprising, since knowledge, motivation, and enthusi- a number of specialists in dermatology asm are not enough; talent is also re- spent the first part of their professional quired. C. Moncorps was engaged in work life as surgeons: for example, E. Lang of Vienna, famous for his treatment of on a monograph on dermatosurgery lupus by plastic surgery; and K. Linser (unfortunately nowhere near comple- of Tiibingen, one of the originators of tion) at the time of his death. As a for- varicose-vein stripping. H. T. Schreus mer pupil and long-standing colleague and C. Moncorps were distinguished of his, it is particularly gratifying to me to see colleagues past and present con- members of a later generation of sur- gery-oriented dermatologists; the der- tinuing a tradition in their work.