Bright, Richard, 1789-1858, English physician. In London he was the leading consultant of his time, and he contributed many important clinical observations. He was the author of the significant Reports of Medical Cases (Vol. I, 1827). This contained his description of certain forms of nephritis, or kidney disease, known generally as Bright's disease, and of dropsy resulting from kidney disease, as distinct from cardiac dropsy. Bright was a physician at Guy's Hospital.