“Celiac disease is a lifelong, inherited autoimmune condition that affects children and adults” (Celiac Disease Foundation). An autoimmune condition causes a person's immune system to produce antibodies against its own tissues. This is an autoimmune genetic condition that is passed down from a person's mother or father. Celiac disease must be inherited, it cannot be passed on from another person. To better understand celiac disease, resources should be used to fund research, researchers should focus more on the effects of the disease, and more should be done to educate the public about the disease. In 250 AD celiac disease was first described by Aretaeus of Cappadocia in his writings. When describing celiac disease to his patients he called them "koiliakos", which also meant "suffering in the bowels". The observations were translated from Greek to English for "coeliacs" by Francis Adams in 1856. In 1888, Samuel Gee, M.D., worked with many children and adults suffering from the disease. The main part of his study was adjusting the food patients ate to see how different foods were digested. In 1952, Willem Karel Dicke, recognized that one of the causes was the ingestion of wheat proteins. After patients tried a diet without eating wheat protein, it confirmed that the treatment worked. He found that if someone with celiac disease ate wheat protein, they likely had a history of gut damage (Celiac Sprue Association). People with celiac disease usually have different types of symptoms. Some symptoms include abdominal pain or cramps, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea or vomiting, stunted growth, and mouth ulcers (Boston Children's Hospital). “When food enters the stomach, it is broken down into tiny, digestible particles…center of the paper……celiacs.info/history_of_celiac_disease.jspKids Health. The Nemours Foundation., nd Web. May 7, 2013. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 10 February 2012. Web. 3 May 2013. .National Foundation for Celiac Disease Awareness. National Foundation for Celiac Disease Awareness 2011., April 18, 2013. Web. April 18, 2013. .Teen Health. 1995-2013 Nemours Foundation., n.d. Web. April 19, 2013. University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, n.d. Web. May 6 2013. .