Paul Gerson Unna facts for kids
Paul Gerson Unna (born September 8, 1850, in Hamburg, Germany – died January 29, 1929, in Hamburg) was a German doctor. He was a specialist in dermatology, which is the study of skin diseases. He was also one of the first people to study skin diseases very closely, even looking at them under a microscope to understand how they work.
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Paul Unna's Early Life and Education
Paul Unna was born in Hamburg, Germany. His parents were Moritz Adolph Unna, who was also a physician (a doctor), and Ida Gerson. His family had many doctors in it!
Paul went to a school called the Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums. He started studying medicine at the University of Heidelberg. But he had to stop his studies for a while to fight in the Franco-Prussian war. He was badly hurt during the war.
In 1871, he went back to studying medicine at Heidelberg. Later, he studied at the University of Leipzig. He finally earned his doctorate (a high-level degree for doctors) in Strasbourg in 1876. His special project for his doctorate was about the histology (the study of tissues) and development of the epidermis, which is the outer layer of your skin. At first, his ideas were not easily accepted, but after some changes, they became very important.
Training to Become a Skin Doctor
After finishing his studies, Paul Unna went to Vienna to get special training in dermatology. He worked with other famous skin doctors like Ferdinand von Hebra and Moritz Kaposi.
Paul Unna's Work and Discoveries
When Paul Unna returned to Hamburg, he first worked with his father and then at a hospital called Sankt Georg. But he was most interested in skin diseases.
In 1881, he opened his own clinic in Hamburg just for skin problems. Then, in 1884, he opened a private skin hospital called Dermatologikum. This allowed him to focus completely on studying and treating skin diseases.
Important Books and Treatments
In 1884, Unna published his first book, Histopathologie der Hautkrankheiten. This book was very important because it shared all the knowledge about skin diseases at that time. It made him one of the most well-known skin doctors. In his book, he described many known skin diseases and also suggested new ways to treat them. For example, in 1886, he suggested using medicines called ichthyol and resorcinol to help with skin conditions.
Studying the Skin Up Close
Paul Unna also studied the chemical processes happening in the skin. He was the first to describe the stratum granulosum, which is a specific layer within your skin. In 1894, he introduced a method called "layer projection" to study the different layers of the skin more closely.
Becoming a Professor
In 1907, he was given the title of professor by the Hamburg government. The next year, he became the chief doctor at the Eppendorf hospital. In 1919, he became a professor at the University of Hamburg, where he held the first special position for dermatology.
Diseases and Treatments Named After Him
Paul Unna described several medical conditions and treatments that are now named after him:
- Unna's disease: This is a long-lasting skin condition that causes oily skin on the scalp and other areas of the face and body.
- Unna–Thost syndrome: This is a rare skin disease that you can inherit from your parents. It mainly affects the skin on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
- Unna's boot: This is a special bandage used to help treat problems with veins in the legs.
Paul Unna's Lasting Legacy
For many years, Paul Unna worked closely with a pharmacist named Paul Beiersdorf. The company Beiersdorf, which makes many skin care products, has a street in Hamburg named Unnastrasse in his honor. This shows how important his work was!
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See also
In Spanish: Paul Gerson Unna para niños
