Tremor studies in 1886 through 1889

E. J. Fine, E. D. Soria and M. W. Paroski
Department of Neurology, State University of New York, Buffalo.

From biblical times to 1886, tremors were partially characterized by patterns of activation and associated disease states. William Richard Gowers and Frederick Peterson devised methods to determine the frequencies of the tremors of Parkinson's disease, alcoholism, hysteria, and other diseases. Their values concur closely with the contemporary ranges of 4.0 to 7.0 Hz in Parkinson's disease and 8.1 to 11.0 Hz in chronic alcoholism. This review properly credits these authors' pioneer investigations made with simple instruments a century ago.