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In 1831 a Frenchman called Baron Guillaume Dupuytren, an anatomist and surgeon, was head physician at a famous hospital called the Hôtel Dieu in Paris. He dissected the hand of a patient who had been suffering from finger contractures, and diagnosed the cause as coming from the fascia. dupuytrens-society.org.uk/information/history/
There is a common, but not widely known condition of the hand called Dupuytren's contracture which can cause problems with straightening the fingers as well as lumps in the palm. The disease is commonly known as “viking's disease” because it occurs more in people whose ancestors come from northern Europe.
www.anationinmotion.org/.../new-treatments-for-an-old-disease-dupuytrens-contracture/