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Early Descriptions of Parkinson Disease in Ancient China
Zhen-Xin Zhang, MD;
Zhen-Hua Dong, MD;
Gustavo C. Román, MD
Arch Neurol. 2006;63:782-784.
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INTRODUCTION
A historical search of traditional Chinese medical sources revealed several ancient descriptions suggestive of Parkinson disease dating back to 425 BC. Zhang Zihe (1156-1228) provided the first description of a typical case of Parkinson disease in the book Ru Men Shi Qin. Traditional Chinese medicine also recommended an "antitremor pill" that to this day appears to provide reasonable symptomatic treatment for tremor and rigidity. Based on this evidence, we conclude that Parkinson disease (PD) was first described more than 2400 years ago in China.
In 1817, James Parkinson1 described in An Essay on the Shaking Palsy, the syndrome that bears his name, characterized by "involuntary tremulous motion, . . . with a propensity to bend the trunk forwards, and to pass from a walking to running pace." During the past few decades, epidemiologists have suggested environmental neurotoxins as one possible cause . . . [Full Text of this Article]
EARLY DYNASTIES: THE YELLOW EMPEROR'S INTERNAL CLASSIC DYNASTY 6: HUA'S ZHONG ZANG CLASSIC SUI DYNASTY: INQUIRE INTO THE CAUSE OF DISEASES TANG DYNASTY: SUN SIMIAO'S ESSENTIAL PRESCRIPTIONS WORTH A THOUSAND GOLD JIN DYNASTY: ZHANG ZIHE'S RU MEN SHI QIN MING DYNASTY: SUN YIKUI'S CHI SHUI XUAN ZHU THERAPEUTIC RECOMMENDATIONS CONTEXTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Author Affiliations: Departments of Neurology (Dr Zhang), Clinical Epidemiology (Dr Zhang), and Traditional Chinese Medicine (Dr Dong), Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; and Department of Medicine/Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio (Dr Román).
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