Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The first case history of multiple sclerosis: Augustus d’Esté (1794–1848)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Neurological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The personal diary of Sir Augustus d’Esté, born 1794 grandson of King George III of England, reveals a medical history strongly suggesting that Augustus suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS). It could well be the first record of a person having this disease. Charcot coined the term sclérose en plaques 20 years after the death of this patient in 1848. The onset of this man’s MS seems to have been in 1822 with bilateral optic neuritis, the disease gradually developing in the classic manner with bouts derived from different loci in the central nervous system and eventually a secondary progressive form with paraparesis, sphincter incontinence, urinary problems and impotence. In 1941, Firth highlighted the case of Augustus d’Esté and later wrote a description of the pathology including a discussion on the aetiology of MS. No previous medical records have given such a characteristic picture of MS as this.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. In English the accent on the last letter é, Esté, allows a correct pronunciation of the Italian surname in English.

References

  1. Granieri E (2006) La malattia di Augusto d’Este. A un discendente degli Estensi si deve la prima testimonianza sulla sclerosi multipla. Ferrara Voci di una Città 25:3539

    Google Scholar 

  2. Firth D (1941) The case of Augustus d’Estè (1794–1848): the first account of disseminated sclerosis. Proc R Soc Med 34:381–384

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Firth D (1948) The case of Augustus d’Esté. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  4. Fredrikson S, Kam-Hansen S (1989) The 150-year anniversary of multiple sclerosis: does its early history give an etiological clue? Perspect Biol Med 32(2):237–243

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Compston A, Lassman H, McDonald I (2006) The story of multiple sclerosis. In: McAlpines multiple sclerosis, 4th edn. Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, London

  6. Landtblom AM, Granieri E, Fredrikson (2007) The first documented case of multiple sclerosis—Augustus d’Este. Läkartidningen (Swedish Phys J) 26–27:2009–2011

  7. Romberg MH (1846) Lehrbuch der Nervenkrankheiten. Berlin

  8. Charcot JM (1868) Histologie de la sclérose en plaques. Gaz. des hospitaux 41:554–555, 557–558, 566

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cruveilhier J (1829–1842) Anatomie pathologique du corps humain ou descriptions avec figures lithographiées et coloriées des diverses altérations morbides dont le corps humain est susceptible. Bailliere, Paris

  10. Putnam TJ (1938) The centenary of multiple sclerosis. Arch Neurol Psych 40:806–813

    Google Scholar 

  11. Frerich FT (1849) Ueber Hirnsklerose. Arch Ges Med 10:334–350

    Google Scholar 

  12. Valentiner W (1856) Ueber die Sklerose des Gehirns und Ruckenmarks. Dtsch Klein 8:147, 158, 167

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bourneville DM, Guerard L (1869) De la sclérose en plaques disséminées. Delahage, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  14. Sherwin AL (1957) Multiple sclerosis in historical perspective. McGill Med J 26:39–48

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Granieri E, Casetta I (1997) Selected reviews on common childhood and adolescent infections and multiple sclerosis. Neurology Suppl:S42–S54

  16. Li J, Johansen C, Brönnum-Hansen H, Stenager E, Koch-Henriksen N, Olsen J (2004) The risk of multiple sclerosis in bereaved parents: a nationwide cohort study in Denmark. Neurology 5:726–729

    Google Scholar 

  17. Marie P (1884) Sclérose en plaques et maladies infectieuses. Progr Med Paris 12:287–289, 305–307, 349–351, 365–366

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kurtzke JF (1983) Rating neurologic impairment in multiple sclerosis: an expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Neurology 33:1444–1452

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neurology, Linköping University Hospital, 581 85, Linköping, Sweden

    Anne-Marie Landtblom

  2. Department of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy

    Patrik Fazio & Enrico Granieri

  3. Department of Neurology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Sten Fredrikson

Authors
  1. Anne-Marie Landtblom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Patrik Fazio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sten Fredrikson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Enrico Granieri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anne-Marie Landtblom.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Landtblom, AM., Fazio, P., Fredrikson, S. et al. The first case history of multiple sclerosis: Augustus d’Esté (1794–1848). Neurol Sci 31, 29–33 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-009-0161-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-009-0161-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation