Diseases Named After Scientists & Doctors: 26 Illnesses And How They Got Their Monikers (PHOTOS)

LOOK: 26 Scientists & Doctors Who Gave Their Names To Dread Diseases

Just about everyone has heard of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other well-known maladies. But did you ever wonder how these and other diseases got their names?

Some were named for the scientists or doctors who had a hand in discovering them -- or for an influential researcher in the field. Others got their names from a famous person who suffered from the disease. For example, Lou Gehrig's disease, a.k.a. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, was named for that famous baseball player, who succumbed to the disease in 1941.

Want to learn more? Check out the slideshow below to see the famous namesakes of 26 notorious diseases.

James Parkinson

Scientists Who Gave Their Names To Diseases

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