Friday, November 19, 2004

The Historical Picture of Psoriasis

Psoriasis was mentioned in Greek mythology more than 2,500 years ago. It was considered a curse from the gods.

The Bible refers to psoriasis but mistakenly calls it leprosy. For hundreds of years, people with the disease were ostracized and forced to wander as homeless beggars. Some had to wear warning bells so others could avoid their paths. Some suffered the same fate as lepers, who were burned at the stake in the 14th century.

"Amazingly, psoriasis was a disease that had been misunderstood for more than 2,000 years before it was clearly defined (in the early 1800s) and named what we know it as today."