Dr Richard Russell achieved fame for his advocacy of sea-bathing, and drinking seawater, as a medical cure for many ailments.

He was born the son of a surgeon, Nathaniel Russell, at Lewes in Sussex on 26 November 1687. He began practicing medicine in Lewes in 1725 and adopted the arguments of Sir John Floyer’s History of Cold Bathing (1702; five editions by 1722) which were already beginning to be fashionable and seeded the early development of sea-bathing at Scarborough, Margate and Brighton in the 1730s.

He was born the son of a surgeon, Nathaniel Russell, at Lewes in Sussex on 26 November 1687. He began practicing medicine in Lewes in 1725 and adopted the arguments of Sir John Floyer’s

History of Cold Bathing

(1702; five editions by 1722) which were already beginning to be…

244 words

Citation: Clark, Robert. "Richard Russell". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 February 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13315, accessed 29 March 2024.]

13315 Richard Russell 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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