Growing up in the tranquil and secluded village of East Hampton, situated at the far eastern tip of Long Island, George inherited a medical legacy from both his grandfather and father, both practitioners in the field.
After completing his education at the Clinton Academy in his hometown, George Huntington embarked on his medical studies at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York in 1868. His medical school thesis focused on 'Opium.'
Upon returning to his hometown, he initiated his medical practice and promptly documented cases of dementia and chorea in middle-aged individuals, recognizing a familial pattern indicative of autosomal dominant transmission.
In 1872, George Huntington provided the initial comprehensive description of the disease, drawing from his investigations of multiple generations within a single family displaying similar symptoms. He officially identified and delineated Huntington's disease among residents of East Hampton, Long Island.
It wasn't until George Huntington's detailed account in 1872 that Huntington's disease gained wider recognition. In 1874, he resumed his medical practice in Dutchess County, New York.
George Huntington (1850-1916) - an American physician
