Tag: dermatitis herpetiformis
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Another look at the medical problems of Jean-Paul Marat: Searching for a unitary diagnosis
Howard FischerUppsala, Sweden Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793) was a practicing physician, scientist, and a leader of the French Revolution. He also suffered from a chronic, intractable skin condition, which troubled the last five years of his life. A tormenting itch caused him to spend whole days1 in his custom-made bathtub, from which he wrote revolutionary articles…
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The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David
This famous painting shows the death of the radical politician of the French Revolution, Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793). Suffering from a chronic skin disease, perhaps dermatitis herpetiformis, he was soaking himself in a medicinal bath when stabbed to death by Charlotte Corday. He may have contracted the disease while hiding in the sewers for safety. It…