Molecular genetic investigations on Austria's patron saint Leopold III.

The successful marriage policy of margrave Leopold III increased the importance of the House of Babenberg in late medieval Austria (12th century). Historical documentation is inconclusive in providing evidence whether or not his eldest son Adalbert derived from an earlier relationship or from the marriage with King Henry IV's daughter Agnes of Waiblingen, with whom Leopold is considered to have had 17 children. As a matter of fact Adalbert was ignored in the line of succession in favor of a younger brother, Leopold IV, which has led to long term historical discussions.

Entities and eponyms: two each, and a painter--"175" years on.

Time frames are always dictated by the calendar. Kaposi was born 175 years ago, Carl Heitzmann one year before, and lupus erythematosus (LE) just one year later. Strawberry Hill and its lord played not too small a role in unraveling some details of LE and the "hemorrhagic sarcoma to-be.

Skin and sensibility: the story of bullae on the human surface.

This review presents a concise delineation of the historical roots of nomenclature and first reports of entities recognized today as immunoblistering dermatoses. The scope of the perspective of terminology is the time from Hippocrates BC to past mid-twentieth century AD, and pemphigus is the core of the matter. Researchers in this field may find these important historic facts interesting and useful as a quick reference.

A historical interlock: Danube and Fuji-San, early 19th to late 20th century.

The face of the world changed quite a lot within the past two centuries. In this article, I looked around the relation between Austria and Japan from medical, political and cultural aspects and describe it briefly in a sketch style. Each sketch presents, at one time a scholar, another time a political or cultural situation, but finally focuses on dermatological relations between Austria and Japan.

Jean-Claude Bystryn 1938-2010. An obituary.

Jean-Claude Bystryn, M.D., passed away on 19 August, 2010.

David Gruby 1810-1898: unveiling of a portrait bust in his birthplace.

David Gruby (1810-1898) was an early mycologist, the most prominent between Agostino Bassi (1773-1856) who discovered the fungus on silk worms and Raymond Sabouraud (1864-1938) who wrote the first textbook in the field.

Beauty: soul or surface?

It is proposed that beauty can be external or internal or both. External or physical beauty is immediately visible. Internal or inner beauty is not always immediately visible.