Robert Bell | |
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 Bell in 1921 | |
| Born | Robert Bell (1845-01-06)6 January 1845 Alnwick, Northumberland, England |
| Died | 20 January 1926(1926-01-20) (aged 81) Kensington, London, England |
| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
| Occupation(s) | Physician, medical writer |
| Years active | 1868–1924 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Medical career | |
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| Sub-specialties | Gynaecology,oncology |
Robert BellFRFPS (6 January 1845 – 21 January 1926) was an English physician and medical writer. He specialised ingynaecology andoncology and was vice-president of the International Cancer Research Society. He was also anaturopath and published several books on cancer and other diseases. Bell was an advocate foralternative cancer treatments, includingraw foodism,fruitarianism, andvegetarianism. In 1912, he was accused in theBritish Medical Journal of quackery. He successfully sued them for libel and was awarded £2000 damages.
Bell was born inAlnwick, Northumberland, on 6 January 1845.[1] His parents were Scottish[2] and his father was atanner.[3]
Bell was educated at Alnwick Grammar School.[2] At the age of 15, he was apprenticed to a local medical practitioner.[3] He went on to study for aM.B. andM.D. at theUniversity of Glasgow.[2] He also studied inParis.[4]
During his time at university, studied under highly esteemed individuals, includingLord Kelvin andJoseph Lister. As he transitioned to clinical practice, he took on the role of a dresser in one of Lister's wards.[3]
Bell started practicing medicine inGlasgow in 1868.[4] In 1870 he was elected aFellow of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow,[3] and was also aLicentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.[2]
In 1876, he founded the Glasgow Hospital for Diseases Peculiar to Women (later the Glasgow Hospital for Women).[2][5] He worked there for 21 years as a senior physician.[5]
In the 1870s, Dr. Bell gained recognition for pioneering a new technique for treatingdiphtheria and creating a method to addresssmallpox that prevented the occurrence of secondary fever. By the 1880s, he identified a link between constipation and illness, coining the term "autotoxemia" to describe the absorption of toxins into the bloodstream.[6]
Bell moved toLondon in 1904.[7] In 1909, he declined an offer of abaronetcy fromKing Edward VII, who had a strong interest in the problem of cancer and who had read one of Bell's books on the subject.[8] In the same year, Bell gave a speech on the benefits of afruitarian diet at the newly opened international headquarters of theOrder of the Golden Age in London.[9] He also served as a council member of the Order[10] and as vice president of the International Cancer Research Society.[4]
From 1910, Bell led cancer research atBattersea Anti-Vivisection Hospital.[8] He worked there to publicise his view that surgical treatment for cancer was unnecessary and that cancer was preventable by dietetic and hygienic measures.[7][11] He recommended his cancer patients fresh air and avegetarian diet ofuncooked vegetables and fruit, nuts, and dairy products.[5][12]
His advocacy for such treatments led to a sharp critique in 1912, when theBritish Medical Journal published an article titled "Cancer, Credulity, and Quackery" accusing him of promoting pseudoscience. Bell successfully sued the journal for libel and was awarded £2000 in damages.[8]
In 1923, Bell was charged with an allegation of breaching medical etiquette. The charge was that he had prescribed treatment for and attended to a woman with cancer without having seen her in person. However, he was cleared of these charges.[3]
Bell pioneered a form ofmicrography, crafting his own camera and persevering through significant challenges. One micrograph, captured in 1872, required a minimum exposure time of three-quarters of an hour, as dry plates were not yet available.[8] He included a selection of his micrographs in his autobiography.[13]: xi–xii
In 1893, Bell published a collection of poetry titledA Physician's Poems, which led to him being featured in David Herschell'sOne Hundred Modern Scottish Poets. The feature included a biographical notice and selection of Bell's poems.[2]
Bell married three times. His first marriage was to Christina Catherine Alexander in 1869 inGovan, Scotland.[14] They had five children,[15][16] before her death in 1891.[17] In 1893, he married Mary Allan Dobie at the parish church inKeir, Scotland,[18] who died in 1899.[19] His third marriage was to Clara Ellen Ross (née Sims) atSt Mary Abbotts inKensington, in 1900.[13]: 178
Bell published his autobiography in 1924,Reminiscences of an Old Physician.[13] He died at his home inKensington, London, on 20 January 1926, at the age of 81.[8] His funeral was held on 25 January atGolders Green Crematorium.[3]
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