In a message dated 3/1/97 4:20:55 AM, you wrote: <<My father has PD. He was an art major in college and was an artists in the early days of tv in the early 50's. He feels is PD is due to the "Friendly Hydrocarbins" and and the slovents from tha magic markers he used to inhale. He said that he used to come home from the TV station dizzy may times. Were you involved with solvents, hydrocarbins, etc. either through physical contact with your hads or inhaling them?. Stephen Hubbard, [log in to unmask]>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Steve, I've never worked with magic markers, but have worked with lots of solvents and finishing sprays. In college I had a work assistantship and one semester I spent 2 hours every day cleaning old, dried-up film and paint off silk screens with a solvent so strong, it made me dizzy. Probably the art studio was not well-ventilated either. When I had my own business I constantly used solvents and acrylic sprays. Even doing an occasional oil painting involves paint fumes, turpentine, linseed oil, and paint thinner. I asked my neuro whether all that could lead to PD. She said that there's been no evidence so far _ the suspicion is that pesticides are a trigger - but not solvents. Like your dad, I think otherwise. Mary Sheehan