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| {{about|an outdated medical term for [[Down syndrome]]|the modern country in east-central Asia|Mongolia|the empire which existed during the 13th and 14th centuries|Mongol Empire}} | | {{Short description|Historical term for Down syndrome}} |
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| The term '''Mongolian idiocy''' and similar terms have been used to refer to a specific type of mental deficiency associated with the [[genetic disorder]] now more commonly referred to as [[Down syndrome]]. The use of these terms has largely been abandoned because of their offensive and misleading implications about those with the disorder.
| | '''Mongolian idiocy''' was a term historically used to describe what is now known as [[Down syndrome]], a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. The term is considered outdated and offensive, and its use is discouraged in modern medical and social contexts. |
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| English physician [[John Langdon Down]] first characterized the syndrome that now bears his name as a separate form of mental disability in 1862, and in a more widely published report in 1866.<ref name="HickeyHickey2012">{{cite journal|last1=Hickey|first1=Fran|last2=Hickey|first2=Erin|last3=Summar|first3=Karen L.|title=Medical Update for Children With Down Syndrome for the Pediatrician and Family Practitioner|url=http://www.advancesinpediatrics.com/article/S0065-3101(12)00007-2/fulltext|journal=Advances in Pediatrics|volume=59|issue=1|year=2012|pages=137–157|issn=0065-3101|doi=10.1016/j.yapd.2012.04.006}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| author=Down, JLH| year=1866| title=Observations on an ethnic classification of idiots|journal=Clinical Lecture Reports, London Hospital| volume=3| pages=259–62| url=http://www.neonatology.org/classics/down.html| accessdate = 2006-07-14}}</ref><ref name="Ward1998">{{cite book|last=O Conor|first=Ward|title=John Langdon Down, 1828-1896: A Caring Pioneer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yv8PPAAACAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Royal Society of Medicine Press|isbn=978-1853153747}}</ref> Due to his perception that children with Down syndrome shared facial similarities with the populations that [[Johann Friedrich Blumenbach]] described as the "[[Mongoloid|Mongolian race]]", Down used the term ''mongoloid''.<ref name=Rubin2013>{{cite book|title=Essentials of Rubin's Pathology|year=2013|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=978-1-4511-8132-6|pages=129–131|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JD7YLArg5ncC&pg=PA130|author=Howard Reisner}}</ref><ref name="Ward1999" /> ''Mongolism and its Pathology'' was the title used by W. Bertram Hill for a published study in 1908<ref name="Osler1909">{{cite book|author=Sir William Osler|title=The Quarterly Journal of Medicine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aqhCAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA49|year=1909|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=49}}</ref> and the term ''mongolism'' was used by [[psychiatrist]] and [[geneticist]] [[Lionel Penrose]] as late as 1961.
| | ==History== |
| | The term "Mongolian idiocy" was coined in the 19th century by British physician [[John Langdon Down]], who first described the condition in 1866. Down noted certain physical characteristics in individuals with the condition that he believed resembled the Mongoloid racial group, a classification that is now considered scientifically invalid and racially insensitive. |
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| The connotations of the term were popularized{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} by British physician [[Francis Graham Crookshank|F. G. Crookshank]] in his [[pseudoscience|pseudo-scientific]] book ''[[The Mongol in Our Midst|The Mongol in our Midst]]'' first published in 1924.
| | In the mid-20th century, the term "Mongolian idiocy" was widely used in medical literature and by the general public. However, as understanding of genetics and human diversity improved, the term was recognized as inappropriate. In 1961, a group of genetic experts, including Dr. [[Jerome Lejeune]], who discovered the chromosomal cause of Down syndrome, advocated for the discontinuation of the term. |
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| In 1961, a prestigious group of genetic experts wrote a joint letter to the medical journal ''[[The Lancet]]'' which read:
| | ==Modern Terminology== |
| | Today, the condition is universally referred to as [[Down syndrome]], in honor of John Langdon Down, who first described the syndrome. The change in terminology reflects a broader shift towards more respectful and accurate language in the medical field. |
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| {{blockquote|It has long been recognised that the terms ''Mongolian Idiocy'', ''Mongolism'', ''Mongoloid'', etc. as applied to a specific type of mental deficiency have misleading connotations. The importance of this anomaly among Europeans and their descendants is not related to the segregation of genes derived from Asians; its appearance among members of Asian populations suggests such ambiguous designations as 'Mongol Mongoloid'; increasing participation of Chinese and Japanese in investigation of the condition imposes on them the use of an embarrassing term. We urge, therefore, that the expressions which imply a racial aspect of the condition be no longer used. Some of the undersigned are inclined to replace the term ''Mongolism'' by such designations as 'Langdon Down Anomaly', or 'Down's Syndrome or Anomaly', or 'Congenital Acromicria'. Several of us believe that this is an appropriate time to introduce the term 'Trisomy 21 Anomaly', which would include cases of simple Trisomy as well as translocations. It is hoped that agreement on a specific phrase will soon crystallise once the term 'Mongolism' has been abandoned.<ref name="Ward1999">{{cite journal|last1=Ward|first1=O Conor|title=John Langdon Down: The Man and the Message|journal=Down Syndrome Research and Practice|url=https://library.down-syndrome.org/en-us/research-practice/06/1/john-langdon-down-man-message/|volume=6|issue=1|year=1999|pages=19–24|issn=0968-7912|doi=10.3104/perspectives.94}}</ref><ref>Allen, G. Benda C.J. et al (1961). Lancet corr. 1, 775.</ref><ref name=Howard1979/><ref name="fifty"/>}}
| | ==Characteristics of Down Syndrome== |
| | Individuals with Down syndrome often exhibit a distinct set of physical and developmental characteristics. These may include: |
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| The [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) resolved to abandon the term in 1965 at the request of the [[Mongolian People's Republic]].<ref name="Howard1979">{{cite journal|last=Howard-Jones|first=Norman|year=1979|title=On the diagnostic term "Down's disease"|journal=Medical History|volume=23|issue=1|pages=102–04|doi=10.1017/s0025727300051048|pmc=1082401|pmid=153994}}</ref> Despite several decades of inaction and resistance, the term thereafter began to fade from use, in favor of the term such as ''Down's Syndrome'', ''Down syndrome'' and ''Trisomy 21 disorder''. [[Stephen Jay Gould]] reported in 1980 that the term "mongolism" still remained in common use in the United States, despite its being "defamatory" and "wrong on all counts".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/pandasthumbmorer00goul|title=The panda's thumb : more reflections in natural history|last=1941-2002.|first=Gould, Stephen Jay|date=1980-01-01|publisher=Norton|isbn=9780393013801|location=|pages=168|oclc=781219337|quote=|via=|url-access=registration}}</ref> In the 21st century, all the older terms are considered unacceptable in the English-speaking world, are no longer in common use, and have been largely forgotten.<ref name="fifty">{{Cite journal|last=Rodríguez-Hernández|first=M. Luisa|last2=Montoya|first2=Eladio|date=2011-07-30|title=Fifty years of evolution of the term Down's syndrome|journal=Lancet|volume=378|issue=9789|pages=402|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61212-9|issn=1474-547X|pmid=21803206}}</ref>
| | * [[Hypotonia]] (reduced muscle tone) |
| | * A flat facial profile |
| | * An upward slant to the eyes |
| | * A single deep crease across the center of the palm (simian line) |
| | * Developmental delays and intellectual disability |
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| ==References==
| | The severity of these characteristics can vary widely among individuals. |
| {{reflist}}
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| [[Category:Down syndrome]] | | ==Genetic Basis== |
| [[Category:Medical terminology]] | | Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21, a condition known as [[trisomy 21]]. This genetic anomaly occurs due to nondisjunction during cell division, leading to an embryo with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two. |
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| | ==Social and Medical Support== |
| | Advancements in medical care and social support have significantly improved the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome. Early intervention programs, educational support, and community inclusion initiatives are crucial in helping individuals with Down syndrome lead fulfilling lives. |
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| | ==Related pages== |
| | * [[Down syndrome]] |
| | * [[John Langdon Down]] |
| | * [[Trisomy 21]] |
| | * [[Genetic disorders]] |
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| | [[Category:Genetic disorders]] |
| [[Category:Obsolete medical terms]] | | [[Category:Obsolete medical terms]] |
| {{dictionary-stub1}}
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Historical term for Down syndrome
Mongolian idiocy was a term historically used to describe what is now known as Down syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. The term is considered outdated and offensive, and its use is discouraged in modern medical and social contexts.
History[edit]
The term "Mongolian idiocy" was coined in the 19th century by British physician John Langdon Down, who first described the condition in 1866. Down noted certain physical characteristics in individuals with the condition that he believed resembled the Mongoloid racial group, a classification that is now considered scientifically invalid and racially insensitive.
In the mid-20th century, the term "Mongolian idiocy" was widely used in medical literature and by the general public. However, as understanding of genetics and human diversity improved, the term was recognized as inappropriate. In 1961, a group of genetic experts, including Dr. Jerome Lejeune, who discovered the chromosomal cause of Down syndrome, advocated for the discontinuation of the term.
Modern Terminology[edit]
Today, the condition is universally referred to as Down syndrome, in honor of John Langdon Down, who first described the syndrome. The change in terminology reflects a broader shift towards more respectful and accurate language in the medical field.
Characteristics of Down Syndrome[edit]
Individuals with Down syndrome often exhibit a distinct set of physical and developmental characteristics. These may include:
- Hypotonia (reduced muscle tone)
- A flat facial profile
- An upward slant to the eyes
- A single deep crease across the center of the palm (simian line)
- Developmental delays and intellectual disability
The severity of these characteristics can vary widely among individuals.
Genetic Basis[edit]
Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21, a condition known as trisomy 21. This genetic anomaly occurs due to nondisjunction during cell division, leading to an embryo with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two.
Social and Medical Support[edit]
Advancements in medical care and social support have significantly improved the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome. Early intervention programs, educational support, and community inclusion initiatives are crucial in helping individuals with Down syndrome lead fulfilling lives.
Related pages[edit]
