- 2000 BC: Where does urine come from, the bladder?
- 460−375 BC: Examination of urine holds important clues.
- 1st−2nd centuries AD: Urine comes from the kidneys.
- 8th−14th centuries AD: Examining urine
- 17th century: The glorious glomerulus discovered
- 18th century: Proteinuria defined
- 19th century: Putting it all together: Kidney disease
- 19th century: Glomerulonephritis defined
- 20th century: Kidney pathology emerged to begin to define distinct entities.
- References
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Glomerular Disease Corner: The Birth of Understanding Glomerulonephritis
Hippocrates. Engraving based on drawing by Peter Paul Rubens. National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD (CC by 4.0).
Portrait of Richard Bright from Thomas Joseph Pettigrew, Medical Portrait Gallery, vol. 2 (1838).
Nephrology is a relatively young specialty. It emerged in the second half of the 20th century, with the rise of kidney biopsy, dialysis, and transplantation. Although kidneys have been studied since antiquity, stones and obstruction were a dominant focus. Urology books from 1739 mention the only treatment of anuria as bladder catheterization
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