GoutSense

Gout Hall of Fame

You are in surprisingly distinguished company. These profiles are included where there is reasonable historical documentation — not because somebody on the internet once said a king had a sore foot.

1706–1790

Benjamin Franklin

Franklin experienced recurrent gout, sometimes severe enough to leave him bedridden. He even wrote Dialogue Between Franklin and the Gout, turning the condition into a character that argued back.

Historical medical source →

17th century

Thomas Sydenham

The English physician was himself disabled by gout and renal disease. His vivid description of a flare — including being unable to tolerate the weight of bedclothes — still sounds painfully familiar.

History of gout source →

Our rule for famous sufferers

Historical diagnosis is not always certain. GoutSense will label uncertainty rather than turning rumours into facts.