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There was a book published a couple of years ago (The Etiology of Parkinson's Disease, by Ellenberg, Koller and Langston) that was based on an extensive study of medical literature and other sources that concluded that PD was essentially a new development that came about shortly before its initial description by james Parkinson in 1817. Since that is around the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the hypothesis (still going strong) about pesticides/industrial chemicals being linked to PD was an obvious one. Ellenberg, Koller and Langston even examined descriptions of illness in literature (plays, poetry, the Bible, etc.) going back to the Greeks and found nothing they recognized as PD, although there were certainly references to palsies, etc. Interesting stuff! Carole Cassidy P.S. For the readers on the list and those who knew of Harold Klawans, he wrote several fascinating books about neurologic disease over the years. The one that comes to mind is (I think) called Toscanni's Fumble. At 08:53 AM 7/23/98 -0500, you wrote: >I sometimes wonder, if today's environment of pesticides, >electromagnetic energy, pollution, etc., etc. are suspected of >prompting, causing, or contributing to PD, then what was the cause not >too many years ago when none of this stuff was around? PD, although not >called Parkinson's, has been with the human race for millennia. It has >become more noticeable and more prevalent because we live longer and >have better communications. I do think we now have the technology to >find a cure, and I support that effort whole heartily. I don't think we >will make progress if some of us continue to blame the environment and >search in that direction. > >J. Darwin Hawkins, Test Engineering >Phone: (316) 523-2804 (W), (316) 788-2322 (H) >Fax: (316) 523-3130 >Work E-Mail: [log in to unmask] >Home E-Mail: [log in to unmask] > >