In September 2024, the 235th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding researcher, physician, and anatomist – the British scientist Professor Richard Bright – was celebrated. The phenomenon of Bright as a scientist is an example of a pioneering scientist who first created a systematic approach to comparing clinical and laboratory manifestations of a disease, identified during the patient’s lifetime, with the pathological anatomical changes of the organ after death. The scientist, for the first time, surpassing the dogmas of 19th-century medicine, substantiated the relationship between fluid retention in the patient’s body and the appearance of protein in the urine (edema and albuminuria) as a kidney disease. Thanks to this innovative approach, he linked it to pathologicoanatomical, and later to pathohistological changes in the organ, thereby laying the foundation for a scientific approach to the study of renal pathology; he identified the main morphological forms of kidney diseases. Clinician Bright first described the clinical picture of nephritis (glomerulonephritis with nephritic syndrome), indicated the causes of its development, therapeutic approaches, and the possibility of prevention. By assessing the relationship between myocardial hypertrophy, developing as a result of hypertension, and kidney pathology, he laid the foundation for future studies of pathophysiological connections in cardiorenal syndrome. For the first time, in collaboration with chemists, Bright established pathognomonic paraclinical signs in edema syndrome – renal dropsy (hypoproteinemia, lipidemia) and uremia (accumulation of nitrogenous waste in the blood serum, hyposthenuria). It was Richard Bright who created the world’s first nephrological department with wards for men and women with a capacity of 42 beds. The purpose of this review was to summarize data on the life, scientific research, and work of the outstanding English physician and scientist – Richard Bright. The literature search was carried out in Russian and English in the Pubmed databases and open access Internet using key word combinations.
history of nephrology, nephritis, Bright’s disease, scientist Richard Bright, biography
1. Young R. H. Dr Richard Bright - father of medical renal disease. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2009 Sep;133(9):1365. doi:https://doi.org/10.5858/133.9.1365.
2. Jay V. Richard Bright — physician extraordinaire. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2000 Sep;124(9):1262–1263. doi:https://doi.org/10.5858/2000-1241262-rbpe.
3. Bright P. Dr. Richard Bright, (1789–1858). London: Bodley Head Ltd; 1983.
4. MacKenzie J. C. Dr Richard Bright - a man of many parts. His bicentenary year - 1789-1858. Bristol Med Chir J. 1989 Aug;104(3):63-7.
5. Yarmohammadi H., Dalfardi B., Ghanizadeh A., Feili A. Richard Bright (1789-1858). J Neurol. 2013 Aug 3;261(7):1449-1450. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415013-7062-4.
6. Ellis H. Richard Bright (17891858): pioneer of nephrology. Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2008;69(12):705. doi:https://doi.org/10.12968/hmed.2008.69.12.705.
7. Tareev E. M. Richard Bright (on the 150th anniversary of the publication, which started nephrology). Clinical nephrology. 2009;1:41-43. (In Russ.).
8. Morgoshiya T. S., Sergeeva G.P., Ryzhova A.M. Professor Richard Bright (1789-1858) - the ounder of clinical nephrology and a prominent scientist (on the 230th anniversary of his birth). Clinical nephrology. 2019;2:76-
9. Martyanova T. A. Life and scientific work of Richard Bright (1789-1858). Clinical medicine. 1959;37(7):138-142. (In Russ.).
10. Shultsev G. P., Burtsev V. I. Richard Bright - the founder of the doctrine of kidney diseases. Urology and Nephrology. 1970;4:60-63. (In Russ.).
11. Bright R. Clinical memoirs on abdominal tumours and intumescence. Reprinted from the Guy s Hospital Reports. Edited by G. Hilaro Barlow. New Sydenham Society, London; 1860.
12. Cameron H. C. Richard Bright at Guy’s. Guys Hosp Rep. 1958;107(4):263-93.
13. Bright R., Addison T. Elements of the Practice of Medicine. Legare Street Press, USA; 2018.
14. Hale-White W. Bright’s observations other than those on renal disease. Guy’s Hospital Reports. London; 1921.
15. Bright, R. Cases and Observations connected with diseases of the pancreas and duodenum. MedicoChirurgical Transactions. 1833;18:1-56.
16. Bright R. Reports of medical cases selected with a view of illustrating symptoms and cure of diseases by a reference to morbid anatomy; 1827.
17. Osman A. A: Original papers of Richard Bright on renal disease. London: Oxford University Press; 1937
18. Bright R. Reports of Medical Cases selected with a view of illustrating the Symptoms and Cure of Diseases with a reference to Morbid Anatomy. Vol. 11. Disease of the brain and nervous system. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown
19. Weller R. O, Nester B. Histological reassessment of three kidneys originally described by Richard Bright in 1827-36. Br Med J. 1972 Jun 24;2(5816):761-3. doihttps://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.5816.761.
20. Cameron J. S, Becker E. L. Richard Bright and observations in renal histology. Guys Hosp Rep. 1964;113:159-171.
21. Mackenzie, Sir George S. Travels in the Island of Iceland. Archibald Constable: Edinburgh; 1811.
22. Bright R. Travel from Vienna through Lower Hungary; with some remarks on the state of Vienna during the Congress in the year 1814. Archibald Constable: Edinburgh; 1818.
23. Nagy J., Sonkodi S. Richard Bright in Hungary: a reevaluation. Am J Nephrol. 1997;17(34):387-91. doihttps://doi.org/10.1159/000169126.
24. Chance B. Richard Bright, Traveller and Artist. Bulletin of the History of Medicine. 1940;8:909-933.
25. Berry D., Mackenzie C. Richard Bright 17891858: Physician in an Age of Revolution and Reform: (Eponymists in Medicine). London: Royal Society of Medicine Services; 1992
