The Enlightened Mr. Parkinson: The Pioneering Life of a Forgotten English Surgeon
Cherry Lewis
'Billy Connolly says he's no idea who Parkinson was and just wishes he'd kept his disease to himself. He should read this book.' Jeremy Paxman
Parkinson's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia, with 10,000 new cases each year in the UK alone, and yet few know anything about the man the disease is named after.
In 1817 - exactly 200 years ago - James Parkinson (1755-1824) defined the disease so precisely that we still diagnose it today by recognising the symptoms he identified. The story of this remarkable man's contributions to the Age of the Enlightenment is told through his three passions - medicine, politics and fossils.
As a political radical Parkinson was interrogated over a plot to kill King George III and revealed as the author of anti-government pamphlets, a crime for which many were transported to Australia; while helping Edward Jenner set up smallpox vaccination stations across London, he wrote the first scientific study of fossils in English, which led to fossil-hunting becoming the nation's latest craze - just a glimpse of his many achievements.
Cherry Lewis restores this neglected pioneer to his rightful place in history, while creating a vivid and pungent portrait of life as an 'apothecary surgeon' in Georgian London.
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About Cherry Lewis
Reviews for The Enlightened Mr. Parkinson: The Pioneering Life of a Forgotten English Surgeon
Jeremy Paxman
Lewis writes in an enjoyably digressive style: her descriptions of medical practice at the end of the 18th century, and of changing life in east London, are particularly engaging.
The Scotsman A vivid picture of the peculiarities of the time.
Mail on Sunday
In a splendid new book, historian of geology Cherry Lewis introduces us to a fascinating, multifaceted Enlightenment figure: the intellectually curious, politically active and socially concerned London surgeon-apothecary James Parkinson (1755-1824).
Tilli Tansey
Nature
Lewis paints a vivid portrait of the life and times of a man of many talents ... a fine, informative read.
Manjit Kumar
Prospect
A well-written, comprehensive biography of a genuine polymath.
The Tablet
A fascinating account. Parkinson fought for the rights of the vulnerable, moved some scientific fields forward and observed what most people could not see. Absorbing. Anyone interested in the history of medicine, politics and geology will enjoy this book. I finished it in awe of Parkinson's many accomplishments and contributions to politics, health and science.
The Washington Post