The disease once known as "shaking palsy," recognized by physicians for hundreds of years, was first described in detail by the English physician James Parkinson (1755-1824) in 1817. As a result of his work, shaking palsy gradually became better known as Parkinson's disease. By some estimates, more than 1.5 million Americans suffer from Parkinson's Disease, which primarily afflicts older people and usually develops slowly over a period of years causing slowness of movement (bradykinesia), gradual loss of muscular control, resting limb tremors, and gait disturbance (difficulty walking). Eventually the condition becomes so severe that the person becomes incapacitated. The cause of Parkinson's disease is usually not known; however, symptoms can appear after a stroke, encephalitis, carbon monoxide or manganese poisoning, and head injury.

James Parkinson was born in London on April 11, 1755, the son of a surgeon. He studied under the famous physician John Hunter (1728-1793) and later opened...