Pott, Percival (1714-1788)

Born 1714.

Surgeon, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London.

Pott's fracture

A fracture through the ankle with a characteristic spiral fracture of the distal fibula, due to internal rotation of the fibula on the talus

Pott's puffy tumour

Sinusitis with osteo myelitis and oedema of the overlying soft tissues.

Pott's observation on skin cancer of the scrotum

Pott noted that only chimney sweeps came to him with cancer of the skin over the scrotum. He suggested that this was due to the exposure of the skin to soot. This is one of the first known descriptions of a carcinogen.