Did you know…
April 11th is World Parkinson’s Day. This date is chosen because it is the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson. Parkinson was an English physician who first documented symptoms of the neurological condition that we now call Parkinson Disease. His report called “An Essay on Shaky Palsy” was published in 1817. This work was based on his observation of six people who presented with similar symptoms: tremor, slowness of movement, impaired balance, and rigidity.
About 55 years after the Essay was initially published, a French neurologist by the name of Jean Martin Charcot refined Dr. Parkinson’s descriptions, disseminated the information internationally and recommended that the name of the condition be changed from “Shaking Palsy” to “Parkinson’s.”
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Dr. Parkinson’s report. In 2005, the red tulip was launched as the worldwide symbol of Parkinson’s disease at the 9th World Parkinson’s Disease Conference in Luxembourg.