Richard Bright and the discovery of kidney disease

Nephrology is born, 1827 Fig 1 from Bright 1827.  (Wellcome Images) Richard Bright (1789-1858), is widely regarded as the founder of the spe...

The perils of Salt

Dialysis finally forced recognition of its importance in kidney disease The Amazonian Yanomami Indians famously manage on only 50mg (1 mmol...

The Korean War 1950-3: acute dialysis finds its place

War medicine tests science and dialysis In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. After a rapid advance, their army was repulsed by Ame...

Hepatitis outbreaks run through renal units: 1964-72

Staff as well as patients die, and new patients are turned down in affected centres From about 1964 there was increasing excitement that dia...

The birth of home dialysis

The first home haemodialysis, 1964 In the early 1960s dialysis was still a very new technology. It was high-tech, life-saving and dramatic. ...