Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Multiple sclerosis historical perspective
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Multiple sclerosis was first described by a neurologist, Dr. Jean Martin Charcot in 1868 and named sclerose en plaque. The signs and symptoms including dysarthria, ataxia, and tremor were called ‘Charcot’s triad‘.
Historical Perspective
Historical Perspective
Discovery
- Multiple sclerosis was first described by a neurologist, Dr. Jean martin Charcot in 1868.
- Previously, Dr. Robert Hooper (1773-1835), Robert Carswell (1793-1857), and Jean Cruveilhier (1791-1873) had noticed some of the MS clinical manifestations, but for the first time, Dr. Charcot described it as a distinct disease and named sclerose en plaque.
- The signs and symptoms including dysarthria, ataxia, and tremor, were called charcot’s triad by Dr. Charcot for the first time.
Famous Cases
Famous Cases
- One of the first suspected MS patients in history is Saint Lidwina (1380-1433). She had symptoms such as pain, lower extremities weakness, and vision loss.[1][2]
- The other MS suspected patient in history is Augustus Frederick d’este (1794-1848). His symptoms began at the age of 28 with vision loss, bladder dysfunction, numbness, weakness of legs and sexual dysfunction.[3]
References
References
- ↑ Charcot, J. Histologie de la sclerose en plaques. Gazette des hopitaux, Paris, 1868; 41: 554–555.
- ↑ Poser C (1994). “The dissemination of multiple sclerosis: a Viking saga? A historical essay”. Ann. Neurol. 36 Suppl 2: S231–43. PMID 7998792.
- ↑ Firth, D (1948). The Case of August D`Esté. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Fahimeh Shojaei, M.D.,