Acrosclerosis and Systemic Sclerosis

Progress in medicine in the first half of this century has been remarkable and, with other scientific advances, proceeds at an increasing speed. One facet which concerns us is the fertilization of general medicine by dermatological conceptions. We have seen it particularly with regard to sarcoidosis, lupus erythematosus, and, now, systemic sclerosis. This is profitable to both sides but only demonstrates the great value of specialization while emphasizing its natural history. That, as Jonathan Hutchinson declared, is for the specialty to merge again into the general and to stress the total and single character of medicine, which is the same for all systems, with local variations. It is all the more important, therefore, that we should be precise and clear in our use of terms and definitions and should know what we mean by these terms. In the skin, more easily than in other organs, we learn