The disease was first noted in 1786 by Caleb Hillier Parry 1755- 1822, physician from General Hospital, Bath, England. His account was published posthumously in 1825.
However Graves' disease is named after the Irish physician who described several cases in London Medical Journal in 1835. Graves' disease is also known as Parry's disease. In Europe, the disease is known as Basedow's disease. It is the most common cause of thyrotoxicosis (the morbid condition due to over activity of the thyroid gland).

The disorder has three major manifestations:
Hyperthyroidism with diffuse goiter
Ophthalmopathy
and Dermopathy

The three manifestations need not appear together. Indeed one or two never appear, and moreover, the three may run
A marked lymphocytic infiltration and swelling of the extra-ocular muscles and fibro-fatty tissue produces proptosis.

The symptoms can be divided into those that reflect the associated thyrotoxicosis and those specifically related to Graves' disease.

The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are: nervousness, emotional liability, inability to sleep, tremors intolerance to heat and excessive sweating palpitations, shortness of breath, and in older patients, chest pains weight loss despite well maintained or increased appetite proximal muscle weakness as seen in difficulty climbing stairs or standing up from squatting position frequent bowel movements may have oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea

The symptoms more suggestive of Graves' disease are: neck swelling red, painful eyes, double or blurring of vision raised plaque-like hyperpigmented and itchy skin lesion on the dorsum of feet and legs

Again, the signs can be divided into those that reflect the associated thyrotoxicosis and those specific to Graves' disease.
This segment is filled with medical jargon which I will not attempt to explain individually.

The signs of hyperthyroidism are: sinus tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, systolic murmurs, cardiac enlargement, cardiac failure warm moist skin, palmar erythema
Plummer's nails ( separation of fingernail from nail bed) widened palpebral fissures, infrequent blinking, failure to wrinkle the brow