Before the 19th century, those who suffered from HD (Huntington’s disease) were considered to be possessed by spirits and were shunned or exiled by society. However, others like the community of the family studied by George Huntington were more accepting.
Huntington's Disease was first recognised as an inherited disorder in 1872 by a 22-year-old American doctor named George Huntington
George Huntington was able to realize that the patients conditions must be linked when he examined the medical history of several generations of a family exhibiting similar symptoms together. This crucial information evidently lead to the conclusion that HD was indeed a genetic disorder and patients who suffer from HD inherited it due to a faulty gene.