Johann Lukas Schönlein (30 November 1793 – 23 January 1864) was a German naturalist, and professor of medicine, born in Bamberg. He studied medicine at Landshut, Jena, Göttingen, and Würzburg. After teaching at Würzburg and Zurich, he was called to Berlin in 1839, where he taught therapeutics and pathology. He served as physician to Frederick William IV.

Work

He was one of the first German medical professors to lecture in the vernacular tongue instead of Latin. Schönlein described purpura rheumatica (Schönlein's disease) an allergic non-thrombopenic purpura rash that became known as Henoch–Schönlein purpura, though now known as IgA vasculitis. He also discovered the parasitic cause of ringworm or favus (Trichophyton schönleinii). J. L. Schönlein first published the name "tuberculosis" (German: Tuberkulose) in 1832. Prior to Schönlein's designation, tuberculosis had been called "consumption".

Taxon named in his honor