Who is Dr. William Rivers from The Eye in the Door and what is their importance?

Dr. W.H.R. Rivers (1864 - 1922) is a historical figure who is fictionalized in The Eye in the Door. Rivers was a well-known social anthropologist and neurologist. In the narrative, Rivers is also a practicing psychiatrist who treats three of the novel's main protagonists for war-related trauma. As a character, Rivers is perceptive and compassionate. He is also aware that he is treating patients who experience a new kind of trauma; that associated with mechanized war. Rivers, while an empathetic figure, is nonetheless also interested in the science of trauma and he moves between emotion and rationality with each of his patients. Rivers is also portrayed in the narrative as someone who is flawed. For instance, Rivers chides himself when he realizes that he tries to repress his own fears, "exactly what he told his patients not to do" (pg. 66.)