How did dermatology develop in the United States?

Abstract Dermatology began to appear as a specialty in the United States in the post-Civil War period, when there was a dramatic increase in medical knowledge, as well as in the population. The horrors of the Civil War called attention to many skin diseases. Ophthalmology and otolaryngology developed due mostly to the introduction of instrumentation, whereas dermatology grew based on observation. With the increase in urban populations, the opportunity for medical specialization and, in particular, dermatology, appeared and would be accepted.