Joseph Bell FRCSE (2 December 1837 - 4 October 1911) was a Scottish surgeon and lecturer at the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in the 19th century. He is best known as an inspiration for the literary character Sherlock Holmes. Bell was the son of Cecilia Barbara Craigie (1813-1882) and Benjamin Bell (1810-1883) and a great-grandson of Benjamin Bell considered to be the first Scottish scientific surgeon. In his instruction Joseph Bell emphasized the importance of close observation