“Work itself is a pleasure.” 200th anniversary of the birth of James Paget (1814-1899)

The year 2014 marked the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of James Paget (1814-1899), one of the most famous of English surgeons. Paget was considered an excellent clinician in his own lifetime and was careful in his scientific observations. Rarely did he ever work fewer than 16 hours a day. Not only did he contribute to the development of surgery, but he also made important dermatologic observations. In addition to describing cases of bone deformations, now called Paget’s disease of the bone, he also described chronic ulceration of the nipple associated with breast cancer, additionally known as Paget’s disease.