[Prehistory of Parkinson's disease].

Parkinson's disease (PD) was described according to conventional history in 1817. However, PD has been known and partially described since the Biblical times. There are descriptions of parkinsonian symptoms in Indian and Egyptian texts. Galen also paid attention to rest tremor. Parkinsonian symptoms were also mentioned by several authors since the XVII century including Tulp, Silvio de la Boe, Johannes Baptiste Sagar, Gaubius, Boissier de Sauvages, Hunter and Chomel. Certainly James Parkinson deserves to be recalled after his text devoted to shaking palsy, but he also recognized he contribution of previous authors.