Addison's disease historical perspective

Addison’s disease is named after Dr. Thomas Addison, a British physician who first described the condition in his paper “On the Constitutional and Local Effects of Disease of the Suprarenal Capsules” in 1855.^[1][2]

• In 1563, Bartholomeus Eustachius, an anatomy professor at the Collegio della Sapienza in Rome was the first to give a description of the adrenal glands in his publication “glandulae renibus incumbentes”.
• In 1586, Piccolomini was the first to name the glands as suprarenals.
• In 1651, Highmore was the first to suggest that the suprarenals act to absorb exudates from the large vessels.
• In 1656, Thomas Wharton was the first to describe the concept of the neuroendocrine function of the adrenal medulla.
• In 1805, Cuvier was the first to give a detailed description of medulla and cortex of adrenal glands.
• In 1852, Albert von Kölliker was the first to give a detailed microscopic description of the adrenal glands.
• In 1855, Thomas Addison was the first to identify and name Addison’s disease in his paper “On the Constitutional and Local Effects of Disease of the Suprarenal Capsules”.
• In 1856, Charles Brown-Séquard provided experimental proof of the vital role of the adrenals by performing adrenalectomies (the removal of adrenals) from several animal species.

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