Ferdinand Bol
24 June 1616, Dordrecht – 24 August 1680, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Ferdinand Bol studied in Rembrandt’s studio around 1635. The master had a strong influence on the young artist.
♦ The trustees of the leprosy hospital in Amsterdam (1649) ♦
The doctors are wearing the typical attire of doctors of that era. Before they were admitted to the hospital and banished from society, candidates had to appear before a council of physicians. Here, a father is asking for his son to be admitted due to a silvery skin condition.
♦ Diagnosis
Main symptoms: Thick, greyish-white, mortar-like crust on the skull.
Additional symptoms: A young boy from a poor family?
Clinical diagnosis: Favus
♦ Definition: favus (scalp infection)
Favus is also known as ‘honeycomb’ or ‘chatterbox’. It is a skin condition caused by a fungus and is highly contagious.
Favus falls under the category of Tinea Capitis: scalp fungal infections, which are mainly seen in children.
It is caused by Trichophyton schoenleini, T. violaceum or Microsporum gypseum.
The condition is characterised by the presence of a round, sulphur-yellow, cone-shaped scab with a distinctive mouse-like odour.
♦ Discussion
Favus is a fungal infection of the scalp, occurring in children before puberty. It causes bald patches and atrophy, meaning that the hair in those areas does not grow back, whilst a characteristic ‘mousey’ odour is noticeable.
The fungus forms small, yellow, saucer-shaped, confluent scabs, which give the appearance of a honeycomb. Cure requires the removal of all hair, which can be achieved in various ways.
Thanks to improved hygiene, this fungal infection is now rarely seen.
The term ‘Lepra Favosa’ refers to the fact that children with favus were isolated in leper colonies.
Favus was the first disease in which a fungus was discovered by J.L. Schönlein in 1839. The discovery was published in a brief note of twenty lines in that year’s *Millers Archive* (p. 82).
Poor personal hygiene is an almost essential factor in the development of favus, but anyone in poor health can contract it.
Jan Dequeker