Parkinson’s disease was first clearly described by the English surgeon James Parkinson in 1817, in his landmark essay “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy.” Because of this foundational clinical description, the condition was later named “Parkinson’s disease” in his honor by the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot in the late 19th century.

Quick Scoop

  • The disease is named after James Parkinson, not because he had it, but because he described it in detail as a distinct disorder.
  • His 1817 work systematically documented six patients with tremor, stiffness, and posture problems, which he called “paralysis agitans” or “shaking palsy.”
  • Decades later, Charcot refined the concept and popularized the term “Parkinson’s disease,” linking the clinical picture permanently to James Parkinson’s name.

TL;DR: James Parkinson “discovered” Parkinson’s disease in 1817 through his detailed clinical description, and Charcot later gave the condition the name the world uses today.

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