Downs: The history of a disabilityFor 150 years, Down's Syndrome has constituted the archetypal mental disability, easily recognisable by distinct facial anomalies and physical stigmata. In a narrow medical sense, Down's syndrome is a common disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British asylum medical superintendent who described the syndrome as Mongolism in a series of lectures in 1866. In 1959, the disorder was identified as a chromosome 21 trisomy by the French paediatrician and geneticist Jérôme Lejeune and has since been known as Down's Syndrome (in the English-speaking world) or Trisomy 21 (in many European countries). But children and adults born with this chromosomal abnormality have an important collective history beyond their evident importance to the history of medical science. David Wright, a Professor in the History of Medicine at McMaster University, looks at the care and treatment of Down's sufferers - described for much of history as 'idiots', - from Medieval Europe to the present day. The discovery of the genetic basis of the condition and the profound changes in attitudes, care, and early identification of Down's in the genetic era, reflects the fascinating medical and social history of the disorder. |
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abortion adults American appeared Association Asylum authors became began believed Board born Britain British called century chapter child chromosome condition considered continued countries Court debate decades Defect develop disease Down’s Syndrome Earlswood early emerging England English established Eugenics example experience feeble-minded French genetic Health History homes Hospital human ideas idiocy idiot Imbecility individuals institutions intellectual interest John Langdon Journal later Lejeune living London lunatic McGill University medicine mental deficiency mental retardation mentally disabled mind Mongolism normal officials organizations parents patients Penrose period person physical physician placed positive practice prenatal published racial reason referred reflected Report response Royal Science scientific social society sterilization suggested superintendent term tion treatment trisomy 21 twentieth United University Western York young Zealand