If the dermatologic community were to present an award to the person who has done the most to advance and promote the specialty in the past year, I would like to nominate the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
Reagan's health has been the biggest continuing news story of 1985. As every person in the civilized world must know, in July, the President underwent surgery for cancer of the colon. In the media festival that followed, we were told more about Ronald Reagan's colon than we really wanted or needed to know. With characteristic resilience, the President seemed to mend quickly and was soon back on the job (half days at first).
Then, on Aug 1, while Reagan was appearing before a group of religious broadcasters and writers in the White House East Room, reporters and photographers noticed a small blemish or scar on the right side of Reagan's