Ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis (Crohn's disease), probably first appeared as isolated
cases, several centuries ago; but not until the latter half of the 19th century did their clinical
presentation attract medical interest as definable entities. This review of the early medical
literature reveals a surprising number of reports of inflammatory bowel disease consistent
with present descriptions of these conditions. As with other diseases, the steadily increasing
numbers of patients with ulcerative colitis during the first third of the 20th century and of …