Alzheimer disease or Alzheimer's disease? [closed]

Solution 1:

EL&U member 'Hot Lick's' commented,

"Alzheimer's disease" (using the possessive) appears to be the most common spelling...

This is correct, for the reasons 'Hot Lick's' cited, and as evidenced in this Google Ngram (case insensitive):

The possessive sense seems to be true of other eponymous diseases:

However, Wikipedia reports that there are arguments against using the possessive punctuation:

In 1975, the Canadian National Institutes of Health held a conference that discussed the naming of diseases and conditions. This was reported in The Lancet where the conclusion was summarized as: "The possessive use of an eponym should be discontinued, since the author neither had nor owned the disorder."2 Medical journals, dictionaries and style guides remain divided on this issue. European journals tend towards continued use the possessive, while US journals are largely discontinuing its use.[3]

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymously_named_diseases. The Lancet article that the Wikipedia entry drew upon is behind a paywall here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2875%2992847-0/abstract

It appears, however, from the Ngrams that the possessive punctuation form has considerable impetus.

Solution 2:

The latter is correct. The former is colloquial. Even though it should be the other way around. The disease derives its name from Alois Alzheimer, a Bavarian psychiatrist:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alois_Alzheimer

Solution 3:

An good example of perhaps overzealous pedantry.

The possessive is very common for attributing discovery.

I think you'll find very few references to Newton Second Law of Motion, or Halley Comet.

Solution 4:

Alois Alzheimer and James Parkinson did not have the diseases they discovered, but the diseases were named after the discoverers because they discovered them. By contrast, Lou Gehrig did have ALS and thus the disease is called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Wikipedia states,

In 1975, the Canadian National Institutes of Health held a conference that discussed the naming of diseases and conditions.  This was reported in The Lancet where the conclusion was summarized as: "The possessive use of an eponym should be discontinued, since the author neither had nor owned the disorder."^[2]  Medical journals, dictionaries and style guides remain divided on this issue.  European journals tend towards continued use the possessive, while US journals are largely discontinuing its use.^[3]

The Lancet article that the Wikipedia entry drew upon is behind a paywall here: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2875%2992847-0/abstract