Surgeon Joseph Bell’s diagnostic skill inspired Sherlock Holmes

Joseph Bell, a surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, became known for diagnosing patients by closely observing their appearance, mannerisms and clothing. His demonstrations impressed medical student Arthur Conan Doyle, who drew on Bell’s deductive approach when creating Sherlock Holmes, linking medical diagnosis with detective work.

Bell inferred details about people’s occupations from clues such as marks on their hands and wear on their clothes; in one demonstration, he identified a man as a deserter by a tattoo. Holmes has since appeared in more than 250 film and television portrayals and holds a Guinness record as the most portrayed literary human character. The article says the comparisons with Holmes came to trouble Bell, while Conan Doyle also struggled to escape the fame of his creation.