The last several years have seen the publication of many excellent books dealing with renal disease. Each of these pays homage to Richard Bright for his observations of the gross pathology of the kidney and for his correlation of this pathology with clinical disease. Unfortunately, few readers know the original writings, which are so illuminating, particularly of the personalities of Bright and his collaborators.
Of particular interest in D.A.K. Black's fine book on renal disease is the reference to J. Bostock, one of these collaborators, in the chapter on proteinuria by Squire, Hardwicke and Soothill. So often the names and deeds of such collaborators are lost in the recording and the transcribing of history. In his original papers, Bright points out that he was assisted by his friend, Dr. Bostock, who examined 28 specimens of morbid urine to illustrate the pathological observations. Dr. Bostock noted high specific gravities of the