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Review
. 2025 Feb 7;17(2):e78663.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.78663. eCollection 2025 Feb.

Sir Percivall Pott: A Stalwart Contributor to the World of Surgery

Jagdish U Patil  1 , Mukesh O Phalak  1 , Ajinkya K Chaudhari  1 , Tushar Chaudhari  1
Affiliations
Review

Sir Percivall Pott: A Stalwart Contributor to the World of Surgery

Jagdish U Patil et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Sir Percivall Pott (1714-1788) was a prominent English surgeon renowned for his substantial contributions to surgery and orthopedics. His career began with the preparation of cadavers for dissection under Edward Nourse, where he studied anatomy. Among his many significant contributions, Pott advocated for limb-preserving techniques over radical methods such as amputation. He was the first to identify an environmental carcinogen and link it to cancer. His well-known account of sustaining a bimalleolar ankle fracture from a horse fall, which was managed conservatively without any residual deformity and later became known as Pott's fracture. Additionally, his research on spinal tuberculosis, now referred to as Pott's disease, is widely recognized in the medical community. Pott authored numerous publications that encompass both surgical and orthopedic advancements. This review aims to pay tribute to this eminent figure, highlighting his groundbreaking discoveries that have laid the foundation for several concepts in surgical sciences.

Keywords: biographical memoir; historical vignette; medical pioneer; percivall pott; pott; sir percivall pott.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Percivall Pott, engraved from an original picture by Nathaniel Dance-Holland
Source: National Library of Medicine [4]. This image is in the public domain.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Pott's fracture
This image shows the clinical deformity of the fracture at the ankle joint and the diagrammatic depiction of the fracture. Source: [7]; Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal
Figure 3
Figure 3. An MRI depicting tuberculosis of the spine
T2 weighted sagittal MRI cut of the lumbosacral spine, red arrow depicting discal and paradiscal involvement of the L1-L2 disc and endplates of L1 and L2 with compression of posterior neural structures most probably due to infective etiology due to tuberculosis of the spine (Pott's spine) This image is from the authors' institution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Percivall Pott. Dobson J. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2388056/ Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1972;50:54–65. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rogers K. Sir Percivall Pott. Sir Percivall Pott." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 3. [ May; 2024 ]. 2024. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Percivall-Pott https://www.britannica.com/biography/Percivall-Pott
    1. Abboud C. Percivall Pott (1714-1788) Embryo Project Encyclopedia. 2017. https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/percivall-pott-1714-1788 https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/percivall-pott-1714-1788
    1. Percivall Pott, F.R.S. http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101439744 http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101439744
    1. Sir Percival Pott. Johnston E. Bull R Coll Surg Engl. 2011;93:66–67.

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