William Hope Fitzgerald—Rediscoverer of Reflexology

William Hope Fitzgerald (1872–1942) was born in Middletown, Louisiana, USA. He studied medicine in Vermont and subsequently worked as a junior doctor in Boston. He then went to London and Vienna, where he first encountered ‘pressure therapy’. Back in the USA, he became an ENT surgeon and developed his concept of reflexology. Together with Dr. Edwin Bowers, he published a book entitled ‘Zone Therapy’ which popularized his ideas. The physiotherapist, Eunice Ingham (1889–1974), was later instrumental in further promoting reflexology.