Percivall Pott (1713-1788): Father of Orthopaedics and Pioneer of Occupational Medicine (2024)

Type of publication:

Journal article

Author(s):

*Forster, Seth.

Citation:

Cureus. 16(10):e70608, 2024 Oct.

Abstract:

Percivall Pott was an eighteenth-century English surgeon best known for three eponymous diseases: Pott's fracture, Pott's puffy tumour and Pott's disease of the spine. He wrote extensively, with treatises covering a wide range of surgical subjects, including cataracts, cranial trauma, hernias
and neurology. Pott's practice came at a time when surgery was being transformed from the work of barbers into a scientific study. His publications had a wide-reaching impact, influencing contemporary practice and setting out building blocks for the work of those who came after him. This article aims to explore the life and career of Percivall Pott, looking in particular at his influence on the subjects of orthopaedics and occupational medicine.