Bright’s conclusions were based only on macroscopic appearances in the kidneys. But by 1840 three UK pathologists had made microscopic descriptions of the kidneys:
Bright’s observations and conclusions were not long in being affirmed. Robert Christison (1797-1882) in Edinburgh confirmed all the findings of Bright and Bostock, and also described relapsing nephrotic syndrome [1].
By 1875 the entity of acute post-infectious nephritis had also been well described most notable by William Howship Dickinson (1832-1913) at Great Ormond St , whose observations were mostly in scarlatina (i.e. streptococcal scarlet fever) . Dickinson 1867 – Acute nephritis 50 years after Bright
There was also by the end of the 1800s growing understanding of settings where proteinuria did not indicate kidney disease – for example postural proteinuria exertional haematuria and proteinuria.
[1] Cameron JS. Sir Robert Christison (1797-1882): the man, his times, and his contributions to nephrology. J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 2007 Jun;37(2):155-72.
Last Updated on January 7, 2025 by neilturn