Was the real Sherlock Holmes a pediatric surgeon?

PurposeThis article reviews the pioneering efforts of Joseph Bell, the model for Sherlock Holmes, in the surgical care of children during the antiseptic era.MethodsI reviewed biographies of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; the biography of Joseph Bell; his surgical textbook, Edinburgh Medical Journals; and the history of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children.ResultsDr Bell was a colleague of Joseph Lister and one of the first surgeons to apply antiseptic methods to operations involving children. He was the surgeon appointed to the first surgical ward of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children; in that role, he cared for many children with surgical diseases.ConclusionsDr Joseph Bell, by his compassion for children and his surgical skill, was indeed a pioneer pediatric surgeon.