Bright, Richard (1789-1858), an English physician, won recognition in 1827 when he pointed out the connection between diseased kidneys, albumin in the urine, and dropsy. This led him to define clearly the condition that became known as Bright’s disease, now called nephritis (see Nephritis ).
Bright was appointed to the medical staff of Guy’s Hospital in 1820, and began to practice in London. He spent many hours every day studying hospital patients and examining the diseased organs after death. His two volumes of Reports of Medical Cases (1827-1831) contain accurate descriptions of many conditions, including tuberculosis of the larynx, cerebral hemorrhage, and typhoid fever. This work helped influence English physicians to conduct research in disease in the early 1800’s. Bright was born on Sept. 28, 1789, in Bristol, and graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He died on Dec. 16, 1858.
