James Parkinson: The Physician Who Named Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease negatively impacts the central nervous system, affecting a person's motor skills and speech. While the symptoms of this illness had been acknowledged since medieval times, it was not until 1817 that the disease was named after Dr. James Parkinson, a British physician who published the symptoms in a formal documentation.

Birth and Death

• Dr. James Parkinson was born in London on April 11, 1755. He died in London on December 21, 1824.

Personal Life

• Dr. Parkinson married Mary Dale on May 21, 1783. Together, they had six children.

Natural Science

• While he had primarily functioned as a physician, toward the end of the eighteenth century, Dr. Parkinson began to focus on natural science. His major interests were geology and fossils.

An Essay on the Shaking Palsy

• In 1817, Dr. Parkinson created his most important work. Publishing "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy," the doctor officially established the disorder as a clinical disease.

Recognition

• Dr. Parkinson received very little industry recognition until 1912. J.G. Rowntree, an American, wrote an article for the Bulletin of the Johns Hopkins Hospital entitled "English Born, English Bred, Forgotten by the English and the World at Large," Such Was the Fate of James Parkinson."