Scientific surgeon of the Enlightenment or ‘plagiarist in everything’: a reappraisal of Benjamin Bell (1749–1806)

The Edinburgh surgeon Benjamin Bell has been regarded as a scientific thinker in the Enlightenment tradition, despite being accused during his lifetime of both plagiarism and a failure to be innovative. Yet subsequent historical accounts regard him much more favourably. A review of his life and work discusses possible explanations for this apparent lack of concordance.

Scientific surgeon of the Enlightenment or ‘plagiarist in everything’: a reappraisal of Benjamin Bell (1749–1806)

The Edinburgh surgeon Benjamin Bell has been regarded as a scientific thinker in the Enlightenment tradition, despite being accused during his lifetime of both plagiarism and a failure to be innovative. Yet subsequent historical accounts regard him much more favourably. A review of his life and work discusses possible explanations for this apparent lack of concordance.

Keywords Benjamin Bell, reappraisal, scientific surgeon, A system of surgery