Bright's disease is a historical classification of
kidney diseases that are described in
modern medicine as
acute or
chronic nephritis.
It was characterized by swelling and the presence of
albumin
Albumin is a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. All of the proteins of the albumin family are water- soluble, moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experience heat denaturation. Alb ...
in the urine. It was frequently accompanied by
high blood pressure
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms itself. It is, however, a major ri ...
and
heart disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
.
Signs and symptoms
The
symptom
Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition.
Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences.
A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...
s and signs of Bright's disease were first described in 1827 by the English physician
Richard Bright, after whom the disease was named. In his ''Reports of Medical Cases'',
he described 25 cases of
dropsy (
edema
Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...
) which he attributed to kidney disease. Symptoms and signs included:
inflammation
Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...
of
serous membrane
The serous membrane (or serosa) is a smooth epithelial membrane of mesothelium lining the contents and inner walls of body cavity, body cavities, which secrete serous fluid to allow lubricated sliding (motion), sliding movements between opposing ...
s,
haemorrhages,
apoplexy,
convulsion
A convulsion is a medical condition where the body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking. Because epileptic seizures typically include convulsions, the term ''convulsion'' is often used as a synony ...
s,
blindness
Visual or vision impairment (VI or VIP) is the partial or total inability of visual perception. In the absence of treatment such as corrective eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment, visual impairment may cause the individual difficul ...
and
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...
.
Many of these cases were found to have
albumin
Albumin is a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. All of the proteins of the albumin family are water- soluble, moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experience heat denaturation. Alb ...
in their urine (detected by the spoon and candle-heat coagulation), and showed striking morbid changes of the kidneys
post-mortem
An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...
.
The triad of dropsy, albumin in the urine and kidney disease came to be regarded as characteristic of Bright's disease.
Subsequent work by Bright and others indicated an association with
cardiac hypertrophy, which Bright attributed to stimulation of the heart.
Frederick Akbar Mahomed showed that a rise in blood pressure could precede the appearance of albumin in the urine, and the rise in blood pressure and increased resistance to flow was believed to explain the cardiac hypertrophy.
It is today known that Bright's disease is caused by a wide and diverse range of kidney diseases;
thus, the term ''Bright's disease'' is retained for historical application but not in modern diagnosis.
The disease was diagnosed frequently in
diabetic patients;
at least some of these cases would probably correspond to a modern diagnosis of
diabetic nephropathy.
Treatment
Bright's disease was historically treated with warm baths,
blood-letting,
squill,
digitalis
''Digitalis'' ( or ) is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennial plants, shrubs, and Biennial plant, biennials, commonly called foxgloves.
''Digitalis'' is native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The flowers are ...
,
mercuric compounds,
opium
Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...
,
diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...
s,
laxatives
and
dietary therapy, including abstinence from
alcoholic drink
Drinks containing alcohol (drug), alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and Distilled beverage, spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered Non-al ...
s,
cheese
Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...
and
red meat.
Arnold Ehret was diagnosed with Bright's disease and pronounced incurable by 24 of Europe's most respected doctors; he designed ''The Mucusless Diet Healing System'', which apparently cured his illness.
William Howard Hay had the illness and, it is claimed, cured himself using the
Hay diet.
Society and culture
List of people diagnosed with Bright's disease
*
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel ( ; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history", "one of the 19th-century engi ...
, 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859, an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history"
*
Isaac Albéniz, Spanish composer, began suffering from Bright's disease in 1900, and died on 18 May 1909.
*
Paul Anderson, American
Olympic gold medalist weightlifter, died 15 August 1994. In 1961, he and his wife Glenda founded the Paul Anderson Youth Home in
Vidalia, Georgia.
*
Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the United States, died 18 November 1886.
*
Francis C. Barlow, Union general who had played an important role in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, died on 11 January 1896.
*
Charles Bendire, soldier and ornithologist, died in 1897.
*
Mathew B. Brady, early American photographer, died on 15 January 1896.
*
John Bunny, comic star of the early motion picture era, died on 26 April 1915.
*
George-Étienne Cartier
Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, (pronounced ; September 6, 1814May 20, 1873) was a Canadians, Canadian statesman and Fathers of Confederation, Father of Confederation.
The English spelling of the name—George, instead of Georges, th ...
, Canadian
Father of Confederation, died on 20 May 1873.
*
Katherine Jane Chase, socialite and daughter of Chief Justice of the United States
Salmon P. Chase, died on 31 July 1899.
*
Charles B. Clark, a US Representative from Wisconsin and one of the founders of the
Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
*
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
,
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
member and
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
center fielder, was diagnosed with a list of ailments, including Bright's disease, in 1959, and died on 17 July 1961.
* Sir
Muthu Coomaraswamy, barrister and parliamentarian, died on 4 May 1879.
*
Larry Corcoran, American
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher, died on 14 October 1891.
*
Charles Cotton
Charles Cotton (28 April 1630 – 16 February 1687) was an English poet and writer, best known for translating the work of Michel de Montaigne from French, for his contributions to ''The Compleat Angler'', and for the influential ''The Complea ...
, English footballer, died on 3 January 1910.
*
John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, Victorian aristocrat and industrial magnate whose vast expenditure on buildings makes him the pre-eminent architectural patron of the 19th century; diagnosed with Bright's disease and died after multiple strokes on 9 October 1900.
*
Marcus Daly, Irish immigrant; Copper King of Butte, Montana; discoverer of copper riches in the Anaconda mine and founder of Anaconda, Montana; first president of Amalgamated/Anaconda Copper Company; died on 12 November 1900.
*
Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...
, poet, died on 15 May 1886.
*
Catherine Eddowes, victim of
Jack the Ripper in 1888, was found to be in the advanced stages of Bright's disease when she died.
*
John Ericsson
John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American engineer and inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive Novelty (lo ...
, Swedish-American mechanical engineer most famous for designing , died on 8 March 1889.
*
Frederick William Faber, Catholic priest and author, died on 26 September 1863.
*
Roswell Eaton Goodell, American politician and businessman, died on 9 October 1903.
*
Sydney Greenstreet
Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British and American actor. While he did not begin his career in films until the age of 61, he had a run of significant motion pictures in a Hollywood career lasting t ...
, British actor, died on 18 January 1954. He is remembered for the films ''
The Maltese Falcon'', ''
Casablanca
Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
'' and ''
Passage to Marseille
''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt (screenwriter), Jack Moffitt from the novel ...
''.
*
Lizzie Halliday, Irish-American serial killer, died on 28 June 1918 after spending nearly half her life in a mental asylum.
*
Alice Harrison, 19th-century stage actress, died in 1896.
*
James J. Hogan, Yale football captain and three-time
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
, died on 10 March 1910.
*
Winifred Holtby, British writer, died on 29 September 1935. She is remembered for ''
South Riding'', her biography of Virginia Woolf, and her journalism and feminist writings.
*
Caroline Miskel Hoyt, actress, died on 2 October 1898, after childbirth.
*
Martin Nelson Johnson, US Senator from North Dakota, died on 21 October 1909.
*
Warren S. Johnson
Warren Seymour Johnson (November 6, 1847 – December 5, 1911) was an American college professor who, frustrated by his inability to regulate individual classroom temperatures, invented a multi-zone pneumatic control system for this purpose. John ...
, founder of
Johnson Controls, died on 5 December 1911, at the age of 64.
*
James McHenry Jones, African American educator, school administrator, businessperson, and minister, died on 22 September 1909.
*
Okakura Kakuzo, Japanese scholar, died on 2 September 1913.
*
Kitty Kiernan, fiancée of Irish revolutionary
Michael Collins, died of complications thought to be related to Bright's disease on 25 July 1945.
*
Rowland Hussey Macy Sr., an American businessman and founder of the department store chain
R.H. Macy & Company, died on 29 March 1877.
*
Gregor Mendel
Gregor Johann Mendel Order of Saint Augustine, OSA (; ; ; 20 July 1822 – 6 January 1884) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian biologist, meteorologist, mathematician, Augustinians, Augustinian friar and abbot of St Thomas's Abbey, Brno, St. Thom ...
, Austrian scientist, teacher and Augustinian friar, died on 6 January 1884.
*
Henry Chapman Mercer, a famous tile-maker, archeologist, and collector from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, died on 9 March 1930.
*
Billy Miske, American light heavyweight and heavyweight boxer, who once fought
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926.
One of the most iconic athl ...
for the World Heavyweight Boxing title, died on 1 January 1924.
*
Helena Modjeska, Victorian actress, died on 8 April 1909.
*
Wayne Munn, professional wrestler and collegiate football player, died in 1931.
*
Commodore Nutt
George Washington Morrison Nutt (April 1, 1848 – May 25, 1881), better known by his stage name Commodore Nutt, was an American Dwarfism#Classification, dwarf and an entertainer associated with P. T. Barnum. In 1861, Nutt was touring New Engla ...
, the famous dwarf, died on 25 May 1881.
*
Ouray, Tabeguache Ute chief, died on 24 August 1880.
*
Mary Ewing Outerbridge, American tennis pioneer, died on 3 May 1886.
*
Isaac C. Parker, US federal judge known as "The Hanging Judge," died on 17 November 1896.
*
Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator, Painting, painter, and author, primarily of books for young people. He was a native of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, Delaware, and he spent the last year of his life ...
, American illustrator, died on 9 November 1911.
*
Thomas Brackett Reed, American politician from Maine and 32nd Speaker of the US House of Representatives, died on 7 December 1902.
*
Bass Reeves, Old West lawman; his death in 1910 was attributed to Bright's disease.
*
Henry Hobson Richardson, prominent North American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque, died on 27 April 1886.
*
Albert Charles "Al" Ringling, eldest of the
Ringling brothers, died on 1 January 1916.
*
Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, first wife of
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
, died on 14 February 1884 due to kidney failure caused by Bright's disease that was worsened due to pregnancy.
*
Paddy Ryan, American bare-knuckle boxing heavyweight champion, died on 14 December 1900. Bright's disease was a disease among some early boxers who took frequent pounding to the abdomen in their bouts.
*
Richard Warren Sears
Richard Warren Sears (December 7, 1863 – September 28, 1914) was an American businessman who co-founded the department store Sears, Roebuck and Company with his partner Alvah Curtis Roebuck.
Early life
Sears was born in Stewartville, Minnes ...
, an American businessman and co-founder of the department store chain
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
, died on 28 September 1914.
*
Jimmy Sebring
James Dennison Sebring (March 22, 1882 – December 22, 1909) was an American professional baseball player who played outfield from 1902 to 1909. He attended college at Bucknell University. He played in the 1903 World Series with the Pittsburgh ...
, who played in the 1903 World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was the first player in World Series history to hit a home run, died on 22 December 1909.
*
Charles Sumner Sedgwick, architect based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, died in 1922.
* Louis "
French Louie" Seymour, woodsman, died on 28 February 1915.
*
Kate Shelley, railroad heroine and the first woman in the United States to have a bridge named after her, the
Kate Shelley High Bridge, died on 21 January 1912.
*
James S. Sherman
James Schoolcraft Sherman (October 24, 1855 – October 30, 1912) was the 27th vice president of the United States, serving from 1909 until his death in 1912, under President William Howard Taft. A member of the Republican Party (United States), ...
, Vice President of the United States from 1909 until his death on 30 October 1912.
*
Luke Short, famed
gunfighter, was diagnosed with Bright's disease in early 1893, but died on 8 September of that year due to
edema
Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...
.
*
Charles H. Spurgeon, London pastor known as "The Prince of Preachers", died in 1892.
*
Robert Stroud, "the Birdman of
Alcatraz," was diagnosed with Bright's disease at Fort Leavenworth Pentitentiary shortly after he began his original sentence, but lived on until 21 November 1963.
*
Alfred H. Terry, an important Union Major General and, later, commanding officer of Lt. Colonel
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
Custer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point ...
, died on 16 December 1890.
* Virgilio Tojetti, Italian-American painter and the son of
Domenico Tojetti, died on 27 March 1901.
*
Victor Trumper, Australian cricketer, died in June 1915.
*
Booker T. Washington, founder of
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU; formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute) is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was founded as a normal school for teachers on July 4, 1881, by the ...
, died on 14 November 1915.
*
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
had it as a child, resulting from diphtheria. He was unable to walk for a long time.
*
Ellen Axson Wilson, first wife of
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
, died on 6 August 1914.
*
Ross Youngs
Ross Middlebrook "Pep" Youngs (April 10, 1897 – October 22, 1927) was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Pep", he played ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants (NL), New York Giants from 1917 through 19 ...
,
Baseball Hall of Famer, died on 22 October 1927.
References
{{Reflist
Kidney diseases
Obsolete medical terms
1827 in science