Question: Who was Parkinson?
Answer: Dr James Parkinson was born in London on 11th April, 1755. The son of a surgeon he became a
one himself in 1784. He involved himself in various revolutionary and social causes in support
of the underpriviledged. Issues included better conditions for people with mental health
problems and their caregivers, doctors, and the general health of citizens. In 1817 he wrote
'An Essay on the Shaking Palsy'. It established the signs and symptoms into a recognized
disease, a clinical entity. His description was "Involuntary tremulous motion, with lessened
muscular power, in parts not in action and even when supported; with a propensity to bend the
trunk forwards, and to pass from a walking to a running pace: the senses and intellect being
uninjured'
The disease description was added to later by the famous Jean-Martin Charcot. Dr James
Parkinson was given little recognition in his lifetime. He died in December 1824.
