KAPOSI (Kohn), MORITZ

KAPOSI (Kohn), MORITZ (1837–1902), dermatologist. Born in Kaposvar, Hungary, he became assistant to Ferdinand Hebra at the dermatological hospital, Vienna, in 1879, and the collaboration with the famous pathologist proved most fruitful. Kaposi completed Hebra's studies on the anatomical-pathological aspects of dermatology by new findings in chemistry and bacteriology. Together they were the first to describe several diseases. In 1875 Kaposi, a convert to Christianity, was appointed professor of dermatology at Vienna University. Kaposi was an outstanding diagnostician and teacher as well as a prolific author. He wrote Pathologie und Therapie der Hautkrankheiten (1879) and Handatlas der Hautkrankheiten (1898–1900) which included the most complete descriptions and illustrations of skin diseases at that time. He was the first to describe multiple idiopathic hemorrhagic sarcoma, called Kaposi's sarcoma, and xeroderma pigmentosum, called Kaposi's disease. He wrote many articles in the field of dermatology and syphilology. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Biographisches Lexikon der hervorragenden Aerzte, 3 (1931), S.V.; S.R. Kagan, Jewish Medicine (1952), 414–5. (Suessmann Muntner)