Okay now look. I realise that political correctness has made it difficult to talk around some issues involving race, biology, and culture. I realise that some subjects have been effectively closed to discussion, under fear of accusations of racism. I don’t want to throw these accusations around wildly.

But can somebody please tell me what possible good there is to be found in this paper from the journal Medical Hypotheses, founded by controversialist David Horrobin:

“Down subjects and Oriental population share several specific attitudes and characteristics”

Federica Mafrica and Vincenzo Fodale.

Medical Hypotheses (2007) 69, 438–440

dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2006.12.043

The central thrust of their argument is that people with Down’s Syndrome have a lot in common with people from oriental countries.

Here are some examples of the impressive evidence they have amassed to support their argument.

Another aspect of Down person that remind the
Asiatic population, are alimentary characteristics.
Down subjects adore having several dishes displayed
on the table and have a propensity for food
which is rich in monosodium glutamate

I am being deadly serious. This is a proper academic journal, published by ex–arms dealers Elsevier, which I myself have read in the Radcliffe Science Library in Oxford.

They go on:

The tendencies of Down subjects to carry out
recreative-reabilitative activities, such as embroi-
dery, wicker-working ceramics, book-binding, etc.,
that is renowned, remind the Chinese hand-crafts,
which need a notable ability, such as Chinese vases
or the use of chop-sticks employed for eating by
Asiatic populations.

I see no evidence anywhere that this is a spoof.

Some attitudes and any daily habitus observed in
Down subjects, recall those of the oriental
population.

Down persons during waiting periods, when they
get tired of standing up straight, crouch, squatting
down, reminding us of the ‘‘squatting’’ position
described by medical semeiotic which helps the venous
return. They remain in this position for several
minutes and only to rest themselves this
position is the same taken by the Vietnamese, the
Thai, the Cambodian, the Chinese, while they are
waiting at a the bus stop, for instance, or while
they are chatting.

There is another pose taken by Down subjects
while they are sitting on a chair: they sit with their
legs crossed while they are eating, writing, watching
TV, as the Oriental peoples do.

Now I don’t want to be unfair. I just don’t know what to make of all this. Medical Hypotheses has legendarily published some pretty far out work, but it has an admirable manifesto:

Medical Hypotheses is a forum for ideas in medicine and related biomedical sciences. It will publish interesting and important theoretical papers that foster the diversity and debate upon which the scientific process thrives.

It’s edited by Bruce Charlton, a reader in evolutionary psychiatry at Newcastle, and the editorial board is impressive, including Antonio Damasio, Roy Calne, and others.

Being entirely serious, something about this paper really does make me feel quite uncomfortable. The only way I can feel safe about it is to post the full text here, so you can make your own minds up about it. I would be particularly interested to hear what the Down’s Syndrome Assocation and the Chinese and Japanese embassies have to say on the subject. In fact ‘d be interested to hear what this chap has to say about it too.

Ooh, and in case you forgot: Positive Internet are gods.

Down subjects and Oriental population share
several specific attitudes and characteristics q
Federica Mafrica 1, Vincenzo Fodale *,2
Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatric and Anesthesiological Sciences, University of Messina,
Policlinico Universitario ‘‘G.Martino’’, Via Consolare Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
Received 28 November 2006; accepted 18 December 2006
Summary Down’s syndrome is characterized not only by a typical ‘‘habitus’’, mental retardation of variable gravity and several alterations of the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrenteric and immunitary system, but also by specific attitudes and characteristics that are in common with the Oriental population. Starting from the origin of the term mongolism, replaced with other terms such as Trisomy 21, Down’s syndrome, and anomaly of Down because of the racist use made in the last century, we propose, in the light of modern knowledge about the heredity of features, a reflection on those aspects and attitudes which highlight a very particular twinning between a Down person and Asiatic peoples.

Introduction
Down’s syndrome is a condition characterized by a
typical ‘‘habitus’’ and a mental retardation of variable
gravity. The face is oriental: the fissures of
eyes are oblique and present the epicantus; the
nose is short and the root is flat, the knape of the
neck is flat and covered with very loose skin and
subcutaneous. The limbs are short and stocky and
a marked laxity of ligaments is present. Several
alterations of the cardiovascular, respiratory,
gastrenteric and immunitary system can be associated.
In addition, specific attitudes and characteristics
may be shown evidences.
Origin of term ‘‘Mongolism’’
The first description of Down’s syndrome dates
back to 1846 when Seguin [1] spoke about a ‘‘furfuraceous
cretinism’’. In 1866 John Langdon Haydon
Down published an ethnic classification of idiotis.
In this classification, the author distinguished the
idiotis according to an ethnic typology: the Ethiopic,
the Caucasian, the mongoloid. Therefore for
the first time the term ‘‘mongolism’’ appeared [2].

Today this syndrome is nominated with other
terms such as Trisomy 21, Down’s syndrome, anomaly
of Down.
Down peoples and Asiatic peoples
The strong characteristic, that leads Langdon to
compare the Down population to the Asiatic one,
is the eyes with a typical almond-form. However,
it is possible to highlight other aspects of Down
subjects which remind the Asiatic population, such
as fine and straight hair, the distribution of apparatus
piliferous, which appears to be sparse.
Some attitudes and any daily habitus observed in
Down subjects, recall those of the oriental
population.
Down persons during waiting periods, when they
get tired of standing up straight, crouch, squatting
down, reminding us of the ‘‘squatting’’ position
described by medical semeiotic which helps the venous
return. They remain in this position for several
minutes and only to rest themselves this
position is the same taken by the Vietnamese, the
Thai, the Cambodian, the Chinese, while they are
waiting at a the bus stop, for instance, or while
they are chatting.
There is another pose taken by Down subjects
while they are sitting on a chair: they sit with their
legs crossed while they are eating, writing, watching
TV, as the Oriental peoples do.
Another aspect of Down person that remind the
Asiatic population, are alimentary characteristics.
Down subjects adore having several dishes displayed
on the table and have a propensity for food
which is rich in monosodium glutamate (a salt of
glutamate), such as parmigiano, beef broth, tinned
food, etc. [3]. The Chinese food abounds in monosodium
glutamate that seems to be responsible for
the fifth taste or ‘‘umami taste’’ [4] and of the
‘‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’’ [5], (a syndrome
characterized by flushing, tightness and breathing-
difficulties). Furthermore, it has been observed
that Down subjects present a deficit of GABA transmission
due to a higher consumption of glutamate.
In fact, it seems that a biological limit keeps the
brain of Down individuals from having too much
glucose, by acting on its intake. Glucose is a precursor
of l-glutamate acid via the Kreb’s cycle
and glutamatic acid, in its turn, is the precursor
of GABA [6].
The incidence of thyroid disease in the Down
population is another aspect that may be highlighted
since it recall the Asiatic population. In
fact, thyroid disorders are common in the Down’s
syndrome. The prevalence of hypothyroidism has
been found to be greater than that of hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism may be either present from
birth or be acquired [7].
In several studies about the incidence of thyroid
disorders in the Asiatic populations, childhood
Grave’s disease has been reported to be rare, but
epidemiological data showed to be higher in Hong
Kong children [8]. Another study observed that
one large Chinese family harboured susceptibility
loci for autoimmune thyroid disease which is distinct
from those previously found in the Caucasian
population. This suggests that different susceptibility
loci exist between different ethnic groups
[9].
The tendencies of Down subjects to carry out
recreative–reabilitative activities, such as embroidery,
wicker-working ceramics, book-binding, etc.,
that is renowned, remind the Chinese hand-crafts,
which need a notable ability, such as Chinese vases
or the use of chop-sticks employed for eating by
Asiatic populations.
Perhaps the explanation for their capacities resides
in the monkey-like cast of the hand or rather
in the single transversal solcus that replaces the
normal creases of the flexion of the hand, and their
laxity of ligaments. Also this characteristic of the
Down syndrome may be considered a point in common
with oriental populations.
The trisomy-16 murine, a biological model,
could be utilized to understand the molecular and
developmental effects associated with abnormal
chromosome numbers. In fact, the distal segment
of murine chromosome-16 is homologous to nearly
the entire long arm of human chromosome-21 [10].
Conclusion
These observations might highlight very interesting
aspects connected to the supernumerary chromosome
21 in Down’s syndrome, whereas they are
natural features of Asians. It would be just as interesting
to understand why the chromosome should
be in triple copy to express ‘‘these coincidences’’
in the Down subject, whereas it is sufficient in double
copy in Asians, who do not show mental retardation
or malformation in various organs or
systems.
Furthermore, it may be interesting to know the
gravity with which the Downs syndrome occurs in
Asiatic population, especially in Chinese population.
This study may offer the possibility of to know
better the neuropathology mechanisms that are
responsible of mental retardation in Downs syn-
drome and to open a new diagnostic and therapeutic
way for to operate precociously.
Perhaps we could even clear Langdon of all
blame from the accusation of being a ‘‘racist’’
for having first observed a sort of twinning which
could be looked at in more depth in the light of
modern knowledge on the heredity of features
and on genic expression and inactivation.
References
[1] Seguin E. Idiocy and its treatment by physiological methods.
New York: William Wood; 1866.
[2] Langdon-Down J. Observation on an ethnic classification of
idiots. London Hospital Reports 1866;3:259–62.
[3] Cocchi R. Food habits in Down of 10 years or more. Int
J Intellect Impair 1994;7:149–57.
[4] de Araujio IE, Kringelbach ML, Rolls ET, Hobden P.
Representation of umami taste in the Human brain.
J Neurophysiol 2003;90:313–9.
[5] Keney RA. The Chinese restaurant syndrome: anecdote
revisited. Food Chem Toxicol 1986;24:351–4.
[6] Cocchi R. Precursori dell’ac. Glutammico e del GABA
e abitudini alimentari nei Down: Indagine epidemiologica
su 460 soggetti. Int J Intellect Impair 1990;3:
307–12.
[7] Prasher VP. Down sindrome and thyroid disorder: a review.
Down Syndr Res Pract 1999;6:25–42.
[8] Wong GW, Cheng PS. Increasing incidence pf childhood
Graves’ disease in Hong Kong: a follow-up study. Clin
Endocrinol (Oxf.) 2001;54:547–50.
[9] Villanueva R, Tomer Y, Greenberg DA, et al. Autoimmune
thyroid disease susceptibility loci in a large Chinese family.
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf.) 2002;56:45–51.
[10] Galdzicki Z, Siarey RJ. Understanding mental retardation in
Down’s syndrome using trisomy 16 mouse models. Genes
Brain Behav 2003;2(3):167–78.