Physical Conditions Named After People, Scientists

[bijanc]

At what point did ALS, as rare as it was in medical reference, become commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease"? How long after Gehrig was diagnosed w/ it did the nomenclature begin? Is any other ailment named for an individual who was not a scientist or physician (e.g. a "sufferer").

One would suspect that in the mid-19th century, conjoined twins (also extremely rare) were called such until the exhibition of Chang and Eng. Then there are all the conditions named for the pathologists who "discovered" them.

[skiboo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymous_diseases

There isn't one there named after Paris Hilton, not sure what the condition would look like. However, Horton headache might come close. I'll nominate Whining Warbler Wannabe Syndrome.

[Pego]

Re: Physical Conditions Named After People, Scientists

At what point did ALS, as rare as it was in medical reference, become commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease"? How long after Gehrig was diagnosed w/ it did the nomenclature begin? Is any other ailment named for an individual who was not a scientist or physician (e.g. a "sufferer").

One would suspect that in the mid-19th century, conjoined twins (also extremely rare) were called such until the exhibition of Chang and Eng. Then there are all the conditions named for the pathologists who "discovered" them.

ALS is not referred to as Lou Gehrig disease in the neurological literature and the term is used almost exclusively in the USA, nowhere else.

You are right on the second account. Most eponyms carry the name of a discoverer, or a locality, where it was first discovered, such as Lyme disease. There are some hereditary syndromes named after the family that carried the gene, but right now, none comes to mind. I should not have forgotten my Aricept this morning ops: .

[bambam]

Re: Physical Conditions Named After People, Scientists

At what point did ALS, as rare as it was in medical reference, become commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease"? How long after Gehrig was diagnosed w/ it did the nomenclature begin? Is any other ailment named for an individual who was not a scientist or physician (e.g. a "sufferer").

One would suspect that in the mid-19th century, conjoined twins (also extremely rare) were called such until the exhibition of Chang and Eng. Then there are all the conditions named for the pathologists who "discovered" them.

ALS is not referred to as Lou Gehrig disease in the neurological literature and the term is used almost exclusively in the USA, nowhere else.

You are right on the second account. Most eponyms carry the name of a discoverer, or a locality, where it was first discovered, such as Lyme disease. There are some hereditary syndromes named after the family that carried the gene, but right now, none comes to mind. I should not have forgotten my Aricept this morning ops: .

Pego is correct. In Britain it is usually called motor neuron disease. British and American terms often differ - what we call mononucleosis is glandular fever in Britain.

[eldrick]

Re: Physical Conditions Named After People, Scientists

There are some hereditary syndromes named after the family that carried the gene, but right now, none comes to mind

Huntingtons chorea ole boy :wink:

Would you include Tay-Sachs ?

[Pego]

Re: Physical Conditions Named After People, Scientists

There are some hereditary syndromes named after the family that carried the gene, but right now, none comes to mind

Huntingtons chorea ole boy :wink:

Would you include Tay-Sachs ?

Sorry, Eldrick. Huntington was a physician that described a few families with it, I believe on Long Island, NY.
Tay and Sachs were also physicians that described the disease. If memory serves, Tay described the cherry red spot on the retina and Sachs the neurological presentation.