A history of eclampsia, toxemia and the kidney in pregnancy.

Eclampsia, accompanied by convulsions, is one of the most dangerous complications of pregnant women. This condition was known to the ancient Greeks, who named it eclampsia. Prior to the 18th century, the term eclampsia was used only to refer to the visual phenomena which accompanied the neurologic aspects of the malady. Rayer's landmark contribution (1839-1841) provided evidence for renal involvement with the observation of protein in the urine of pregnant, edematous women. Lever (1843) reported finding proteinuria in eclampsia and concluded that disappearance of proteinuria after delivery of the child was evidence that eclampsia was different from Bright's disease.