from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Palsy \Pal"sy\, n.; pl. {Palsies}. [OE. palesie, parlesy, OF.
paralesie, F. paralysie, L. paralysis. See {Paralysis}.]
(Med.)
Paralysis, complete or partial. See {Paralysis}. "One sick of
the palsy." --Mark ii. 3.
[1913 Webster]
{Bell's palsy}, paralysis of the facial nerve, producing
distortion of one side of the face; -- so called from Sir
Charles Bell, an English surgeon who described it.
{Scrivener's palsy}. See {Writer's cramp}, under {Writer}.
{Shaking palsy}, (Med.) paralysis agitans, a disease usually
occurring in old people, characterized by muscular tremors
and a peculiar shaking and tottering gait; now called
{parkinsonism}, or {Parkinson's disease}.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Parkinson's \Parkinson's\, Parkinson's disease \Parkinson's
disease\prop. n.
A disease causing {parkinsonism}, a degenerative nervous
disorder; sometimes used loosely as a synonym for
parkinsonism. More precisely, parkinson's disease is the term
for the underlying physiological disorder and parkinsonism is
the term for the set of symptoms associated with the disease.
See {parkinsonism}.
Syn: paralysis agitans, Parkinsonism, Parkinson's disease
syndrome, shaking palsy.
[WordNet 1.5]
Parkinson's disease is the most common form of
parkinsonism, a group of disorders that are the
result of the loss of dopamine-producing brain
cells. --Mayo Clinic
(Report, 1999)
[PJC]
According to the National Parkinson's Foundation
(NPF), 1 million Americans -- including former
heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, U.S.
Attorney General Janet Reno, and television and
film star Michael J. Fox -- are affected by
Parkinson's disease. --Mayo Clinic
(Report, 1999)
[PJC]