When did people find out about Huntington's Disease.?

American doctor George Huntington first described the disorder in 1872. He wrote a book called "On Chorea and the word "chorea" comes from the Latin and Greek words meaning chorus or a group of dances. The term was given to the "dancing disorders" that became noticed in the Middle Ages. In those days, people with chorea, like the involuntary muscle jerks and twitches characteristic of Huntington's Disease were often thought to be possessed by devils. It is believed that at least one of the alleged "witches" executed in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1690's had this disease. Before, this disease was hard to figure out because people lived short lives, but now, the symptoms show up because we live longer.