The history of Dupuytren's contracture.

In 1833 Dupuytren described what he referred to as an "affectation" of the palmar aponeurosis. This disorder continues to bear his name a century and a half later despite the fact that Dupuytren was not the first to describe it. The author contemplates the contributions of Felix Platter, Henry Cline, and Sir Astley Cooper in the management of this "maladie."