The Man behind the Name

Perhaps we don’t give much thought to the man who researched his own illness; but then no one seems to know all that much about James Parkinson.

James Parkinson was an English physician and paleontologist, born April 11, 1755 in London. He was the son of John Parkinson, a surgeon practicing in London. Fairly soon after marrying, James succeeded his father in his practice. He began writing and publishing various articles and enjoyed a flourishing medical career.

In 1799 he published a work called Medical Admonitions. It was the first in a series of popular works that focused on the improvement of the general health and well-being of people. He also gained attention as humanitarianism when he crusaded for better safeguards in regulating what was known in the day as “madhouses” and for legal protections for the mental patients, their keepers, doctors, and families.

His most important medical work was “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy.” In this work, he elaborated on the symptoms of the disease that had no name. The only symptom he didn’t originally include was rigidity. Forty years later, Jean-Martin Charcot added this symptom to the disease and dubbed the un-named disease, “Parkinson’s disease.”

I’m sure if Parkinson were here today, he would be pleased with all the information that has been gathered and built upon for possible cures.