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Definition of Parkinson, James
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Parkinson, James: (1755-1824) English physician and paleontologist who gave a classic account in 1817 of a chronic, slowly progressive disease of the nervous system characterized by a combination of tremor, rigidity, and stooped posture. Parkinson called it the shaking palsy. It is now known as Parkinson's disease. In 1812 Parkinson wrote the first article ever published on appendicitis and he was the first person to recognize perforation of the appendix as a cause of death.