Bell, Sir Charles (1774-1842), a Scottish surgeon, is famous for his pioneering work on the human brain and nervous system. Bell was the first surgeon to discover that nerves have distinct functions. His books include The Anatomy of the Brain (1811) and The Nervous System of the Human Body (1826). Bell was born in November 1774 in Edinburgh and educated there. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he was knighted in 1829. In 1836, he became professor of surgery at Edinburgh University. He died on April 28, 1842.
