The name of Charles Bell has been given to a nerve, a facial palsy, a clinical sign, an involuntary muscle spasm, a muscle, and a fundamental law of physiology, making it well known to physicians, surgeons, and medical students alike, even though they generally have little knowledge or appreciation of his actual, very solid accomplishments. He suggested, in fact, new ways to look at—and to make sense of—the nervous system. Bell was revered by some contemporaries for his achievements; to others, however, his name and brilliance were tarnished by charges of intellectual dishonesty and fraud. This chapter introduces Charles Bell, summarizing his achievements and failings so that the reader has a general understanding of the subject of this biography. He is considered as a scientist–surgeon, as a clinician–educator, and as a polymath.