Alfred Biesiadecki (1839-1889) and his place in the history of dermatology.

Modern dermatology, as a separate branch of medicine, came into being in the 19th century. Alfred Biesiadecki was an outstanding anatomic pathologist and the pioneer in the histopathologic examination of the skin. Biesiadecki was the first to describe the exact distribution of lymphatic vessels in the skin. He dealt with the histopathologic mechanisms of dermatitis and skin grafts, and his work was the forerunner of studies of neoplasms in the skin vasculature. His scientific achievements secured him a prominent place in the history of dermatology in Europe and around the globe. The present work outlines a biography of Alfred Biesiadecki and his most important studies of both dermatology and other branches of medicine.