Medical Ethics: Or, a Code of Institutes and Precepts, Adapted to the Professional Conduct of Physicians and Surgeons

Thomas Percival (1740-1804), physician and medical reformer, enthused by the scientific and cultural advances of the Enlightenment in Britain, wrote on many subjects, but was particularly concerned about public health issues arising from factory conditions. Calling for improved standards of care, he believed that the working poor should be treated in the same way as wealthy private clients. Following a disastrous dispute in 1792, which resulted in the closure of Manchester Infirmary's Fever Hospital during an epidemic, Percival was asked to draw up regulations for professional medical conduct. In 1794 he privately circulated a treatise, Medical Jurisprudence, which he later revised for this 1803 publication. It was based on the principles of Hippocrates and Christianity. This work is considered the first modern formulation of doctor-patient etiquette.