The Body: A Guide for Occupants

Bryson, born in the U.S. in 1951, emigrated as a young man to England and adopted it as his home. There, he developed his careers as a journalist and author. For a time, he also was chancellor of Durham University. Bryson’s best-known works include A Short History of Nearly Everything, lauded for its clear explanations of scientific topics, and A Walk in the Woods, made into a film starring Robert Redford.

Dr. Jackson (1865-1958) was a pioneer in laryngology who specialized in removing items accidentally swallowed or inhaled. He developed many of the instruments used to extract foreign objects and collected 2,374 dislodged items, which today are housed in a museum at Philadelphia’s College of Physicians. Though considered cold and remote by those who knew him, Jackson saved hundreds of lives and is regarded as a giant of medicine.

Three doctors who worked at Guy’s Hospital in 1830s London made major contributions to medicine and are called the “Three Greats.” Thomas Addison figured out appendicitis, was an expert on anemia, and has five diseases named after him, including Addison’s Disease, a degeneration of the adrenal glands, the most famous sufferer of which was U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Richard Bright discovered Bright’s Disease, or nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys.