Down's Syndrome: The History of a Disability (Biographies of

Down's Syndrome: The History of a Disability (Biographies of Disease)

For 150 years, Down Syndrome has constituted the archetypal mental disability, easily recognisable by distinct facial anomalies and physical stigmata. In a narrow medical sense, Down 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 JÃ¯Â¿Â½rÃ¯Â¿Â½me Lejeune and has since been known as Down 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 individuals with Down SyndromeÂ - 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 SyndromeÂ in the genetic era, reflects the fascinating medical and social history of the disorder.
Country USA
Brand OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Manufacturer Oxford University Press
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 9780199567935
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780199567935
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Manufacturer	Oxford University Press
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	9780199567935
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780199567935
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

Down's Syndrome: The History of a Disability (Biographies of Disease)

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