Gout is one of the medical illnesses that have been most frequently recorded throughout history. Writing dated as far back as 30 AD has described the symptoms of gout. Aulus Cornelius Celsus’s writings described many features of gout, bringing historians to believe that he knew about the illness. He even wrote about the link with a urinary solute, link with alcohol, and possible prevention with dairy products. Because of gout’s association with a rich diet, Hippocrates referred to the condition as “the disease of kings.”

Other instances have been found throughout history where writings have references gout symptoms. A Roman surgeon named Galen described the symptoms of gout. Also, the term gout descends from the Latin term gutta, which means drop. Other notable people who suffered from gout are Henry VIII and Benjamin Franklin.