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ex-Member
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 110
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ex-Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 110
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Coal fires
Parkinson's Disease has always existed. Besides being known in Ancient China and India, Parkinson's Disease was also known in Ancient Greece. Virtually all civilisations have practiced smelting for for thousands of years. These civilisations were not exceptional in this respect. The observance and treatment of Parkinson's Disease also took place in parts of these civilisations that did not practice smelting. Smelting would not explain its occurence there.
History of Parkinsons's Disease :
At the time of James Parkinson in 1817, London was a small city. His observations of six cases took place only in Shoreditch, which is only a very small part of London. So to come up with six cases in Shoreditch alone is actually quite a lot rather than evidence than so few people in London at the time had Parkinson's Disease.
The use of coal fires in London continued from his time until the 1960's, with all the accompanying dense fogs and smogs. In the 1970's there was a massive and rapid reduction in the use of coal fires in London. The use of coal fires went from the norm to being virtually eliminated. If the effects of coal fires were the cause of Parkinson's Disease in London, the prevalence of Parkinson's Disease amongst Londoners would have massively reduced in the 1970's. However, the prevalence of Parkinson's Disease hasn't stopped increasing since the use of coal fires was virtaully eliminated.
Last edited by Curious; 09-04-2007 at 11:07 AM.
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