A common form of hyperthyroidism characterized by goiter and often a slight protrusion of the eyeballs -- called also Basedow's disease, exophthalmic goiter. Graves, Robert James (1796-1853), British physician. Graves was one of the founders of the Irish school of medicine. He is remembered especially for his reforms in clinical teaching, such as giving advanced medical students actual clinical experience. His description in 1835 of the form of hyperthyroidism that now bears his name was not the first, but it is generally considered to be the first accurate account.