Publisher's Synopsis
This biography of Dr Richard Bright presents him as the most outstanding English phsician of the first half of the 19th century. He contributed to many aspects of medicine, and in particular he was known for his work on clinico-pathological aspects of renal disorders - the eponymously titled "Bright's Disease".;In addition to his work in the field of medicine, Bright was also a writer, linguist, geologist and painter. He was very conscious of the terrible effects of poverty, overcrowding and poor sanitation, and sought to help wherever he could. In his years at Guy's Hospital, he worked constantly among the poor and on many occasions treated them freely, paid their hospital fees or provided additional food to poverty-stricken patients.;He also used his influence among the more wealthy members of society to try to change the social imbalance. As a teacher and lecturer, he was popular for his clarity and succinctness. He advised his students to develop delicacy in the handling of patients - "the touch of a blind man is your duty to acquire", and he also encouraged compassion, warning his students of the danger of their feelings becoming - "too obtusely blunted against the sufferings, both mental and corporeal to which we are necessarily rendered familiar".
