[Moulages--wax models in dermatology].

Wax models have been used for more than 2,000 years. In the 17th century, wax moulages--besides anatomical drawings--became more and more important as three-dimensional illustrations in the training of medical students and physicians. During the 19th century, dermatological and venereological diseases, too, were imitated by colored wax models. When new procedures of pictorial representation such as photography and film were introduced, the wax models temporarily lost their instructive value. Since then, we have gradually discovered their historical significance, as well as their importance as works of art. Our article deals with the development of moulages from Roman death masks up to the modern models of medical instruction and is illustrated by quotations from reknowned moulage artists.