{
  "id": 16663600,
  "title": "Meet the real-life Scottish surgeon who inspired Sherlock Holmes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/meet-the-real-life-scottish-surgeon-who-inspired-sherlock-holmes",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-26T20:15:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica Science",
    "slug": "ars-technica-science",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/10/meet-the-real-life-scottish-surgeon-who-inspired-sherlock-holmes/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, drew inspiration from a real-life surgeon named Joseph Bell, who studied at the University of Edinburgh alongside the young author. A new biography titled \"Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes\" by medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris delves into the life and impact of Bell. Fitzharris, known for her science communication and interest in the medically macabre, previously wrote a biography about Joseph Lister, a Scottish surgical pioneer, in 2017. Fitzharris has also explored medical history through her documentary for the Smithsonian Channel and an illustrated children's book.",
  "summary": "Lindsey Fitzharris chats with Ars about her new book, Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}