when did doctors discover athlete's foot?

Hello

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) was first reported in 1888, by
Pellizzari. In 1908 a British doctor, Whitfield, wrote about it but
there are no mentions of athlete's foot in the USA until 1920.  It may
have been brought back from Europe by troops returning from World War
I.

I must say I was surprised to find athlete's foot has not been with us
for ever and ever. As the doctors who wrote this article say:
"Pellizzari described the first case of tinea pedis in 1888. This fact
is surprising because the disease is so common that many would assume
that it had been around for centuries."

'Tinea Pedis', by Martin and Elewski
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic470.htm

I hope this information is useful. Please feel free to ask if anything
is unclear.

Regards - Leli

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