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A SOCIETY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
937 the original investigators, and diet A modified this only to the extent of using a comparable domestic binding agent rather than modocoll. Our results, in any event, suggest that this method of experimental dietary gallstone production is unsatisfactory because of the gross nutritional changes in these animals and the inconsistency in producing gallstones. Division of Medicine, R. T. HOLZBACH Saint Luke’s Hospital, M. MARSH. Cleveland, Ohio 44104.
PARENTAL ASCENT IN THE JUVENILE FORM OF HUNTINGTON’S CHOREA SIR,—Huntington’s chorea is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system usually appearing in early adult life and manifested by a presenile dementia and choreiform hyperkinesias. A juvenile form with onset before the age of 20 has been described,I.2 and this differs from the adult form in many ways: choreiform movements are rare or even absent; rigidity and hypokinesia are prominent features; and, in the cases with very early onset (before 10 years of age), epilepsy is frequent. Huntington’s chorea is classically inherited according to the laws of autosomal dominance, with almost complete penetrance. In such a system it would be expected that, for any given affected offspring, the affected parent could, with equal probability, be either the father or the mother. However, a surprising pattern has lately been described in the juvenile form of the illness.3 Apparently in the akineto-rigid form the father is the affected parent distinctly more frequently than expected. Since the juvenile form of Huntington’s chorea is relatively rare, we thought it would be of interest to summarise the collective experience of the members of the research group on Huntington’s chorea of the World Federation of Neurology. These data were collected at the 4th Annual Meeting in Munich, in September, 1970. A total of 33 cases of juvenile Huntington’s disease were known personally to the members of the Research Group. In 26 cases, the father was the affected parent, and in 7 it was the mother. A ratio exceeding 3/1 was maintained in all the 8 individual series comprising the total data. No explanation to this puzzling phenomenon is immediately forthcoming. Members of the Research Group are investigating the hypotheses of decreased maternal fertility and of the presence of possible modifying genes. Others will publish their personal results in more detail elsewhere. As secretary of the Research Group, I would appreciate receiving information from investigators who may also have noted this phenomenon in other kindreds. Department of Neurobiology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, Montreal 130, Canada.
ANDRÉ BARBEAU.
complement it. The initial impulse has come from a group of relatives, but it is hoped that professional people and others concerned will be glad to give support. Anyone interested, or who knows of a relative who might be interested, is invited to write to the Honorary Secretary, Provisional Committee for Schizophrenia, c/o Williams and Glvn’s Bank, 9 Pall Mall, London S.W.I. University Department of Psychiatry G. M. CARSTAIRS (Royal Edinburgh Hospital), M. ROTHSCHILD Morningside Park, J. R. SMYTHIES. Edinburgh EH10 5HF.
Obituary EDWARD FOYLE COLLINGWOOD Kt., C.B.E., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D.Cantab., F.R.S., F.R.S.E., D.L., J.P. Sir Edward Collingwood, chairman of the Central Health Services Council and former chairman of Newcastle Regional Hospital Board, died on Oct. 25 at the age of 70. He was a most distinguished example of the small group of non-medical men who have a great effect on medicine in their time without being directly involved as participants in medical science. He was a member of the Royal Commission on Medical Education and chairman of the Council of Durham University. He was a member of the board of governors of the United Newcastle Hospitals throughout its existence and he was a most distinguished chairman of the regional hospital board for fifteen years. He was a member of the Medical Research Council, and its treasurer for eight years; in that time he made his own special contribution to its technical development of the use of computers in medicine. He became F.R.S. at a time when he was one of the supposedly non-scientific members. Two days before his sudden death he attended the opening of the Clinical Research Centre at Northwick Park, to which he had made a most important contribution. He was still chairman of the Central Health Services Council, an office in which he succeeded Lord Cohen and held for seven years. The total of his work for medicine was thus enormous and it went far beyond that which appears in the record. For Edward Collingwood was a friend and adviser to many of us, always sound in judgment and full of common sense. He managed to be an academic of the highest standing, but he was above all a guide to the practical solutions of the problems of ordinary life. He was among the foremost mathematicians of his generation. His shrewdness, humour, and unfailing understanding and support will be deeply missed by a very wide circle of friends. G. E. G.
A SOCIETY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
SiR,—The difficulties facing the families of chronic schizophrenics are well known, as also are some of the gaps in our public provision for the condition. A society is being formed to promote greater public knowledge and understanding of schizophrenia, to assist in giving the families more information on practical management than is often at present possible, and to work for the kind of administrative improvement that most of us would agree is needed. It is not intended in any way to duplicate the work of other bodies in the mental-health field, but rather to 1. 2.
3.
Westphal, A. Z. Nervenheilk., 1905, 28 (n.s. 16), 674. Bittenbender, J. B., Quadfasel, F. A. Archs Neurol., Chicago, 1962, 7, 275. Bruyn, G. G. in Progress in Neuro-Genetics (edited by A. Barbeau and J. R. Brunette); p. 666. Amsterdam, 1969.
ALFRED
JOHN CRAIG
O.B.E., M.D. Malta, B.Sc., F.R.C.S. Mr. A. J. Craig, professor of surgery at the University of Malta, died on Oct. 5.
Royal
John Craig, as he was known by his colleagues outside Malta, undertook his postgraduate surgical training in England, where he established firm and lasting friendships with his teachers, who recognised in him the qualities that go to make a good surgeon. Although he regarded technical and professional skill as essential attributes of a surgeonqualities which he had to a high degree-one cannot forget his utter sincerity and his compassion for his patients. Although he was advancing rapidly in his career as a general surgeon in England, he unhesitatingly abandoned
PARENTAL ASCENT IN THE JUVENILE FORM OF HUNTINGTON’S CHOREA SIR,—Huntington’s chorea is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system usually appearing in early adult life and manifested by a presenile dementia and choreiform hyperkinesias. A juvenile form with onset before the age of 20 has been described,I.2 and this differs from the adult form in many ways: choreiform movements are rare or even absent; rigidity and hypokinesia are prominent features; and, in the cases with very early onset (before 10 years of age), epilepsy is frequent. Huntington’s chorea is classically inherited according to the laws of autosomal dominance, with almost complete penetrance. In such a system it would be expected that, for any given affected offspring, the affected parent could, with equal probability, be either the father or the mother. However, a surprising pattern has lately been described in the juvenile form of the illness.3 Apparently in the akineto-rigid form the father is the affected parent distinctly more frequently than expected. Since the juvenile form of Huntington’s chorea is relatively rare, we thought it would be of interest to summarise the collective experience of the members of the research group on Huntington’s chorea of the World Federation of Neurology. These data were collected at the 4th Annual Meeting in Munich, in September, 1970. A total of 33 cases of juvenile Huntington’s disease were known personally to the members of the Research Group. In 26 cases, the father was the affected parent, and in 7 it was the mother. A ratio exceeding 3/1 was maintained in all the 8 individual series comprising the total data. No explanation to this puzzling phenomenon is immediately forthcoming. Members of the Research Group are investigating the hypotheses of decreased maternal fertility and of the presence of possible modifying genes. Others will publish their personal results in more detail elsewhere. As secretary of the Research Group, I would appreciate receiving information from investigators who may also have noted this phenomenon in other kindreds. Department of Neurobiology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, Montreal 130, Canada.
ANDRÉ BARBEAU.
complement it. The initial impulse has come from a group of relatives, but it is hoped that professional people and others concerned will be glad to give support. Anyone interested, or who knows of a relative who might be interested, is invited to write to the Honorary Secretary, Provisional Committee for Schizophrenia, c/o Williams and Glvn’s Bank, 9 Pall Mall, London S.W.I. University Department of Psychiatry G. M. CARSTAIRS (Royal Edinburgh Hospital), M. ROTHSCHILD Morningside Park, J. R. SMYTHIES. Edinburgh EH10 5HF.
Obituary EDWARD FOYLE COLLINGWOOD Kt., C.B.E., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D.Cantab., F.R.S., F.R.S.E., D.L., J.P. Sir Edward Collingwood, chairman of the Central Health Services Council and former chairman of Newcastle Regional Hospital Board, died on Oct. 25 at the age of 70. He was a most distinguished example of the small group of non-medical men who have a great effect on medicine in their time without being directly involved as participants in medical science. He was a member of the Royal Commission on Medical Education and chairman of the Council of Durham University. He was a member of the board of governors of the United Newcastle Hospitals throughout its existence and he was a most distinguished chairman of the regional hospital board for fifteen years. He was a member of the Medical Research Council, and its treasurer for eight years; in that time he made his own special contribution to its technical development of the use of computers in medicine. He became F.R.S. at a time when he was one of the supposedly non-scientific members. Two days before his sudden death he attended the opening of the Clinical Research Centre at Northwick Park, to which he had made a most important contribution. He was still chairman of the Central Health Services Council, an office in which he succeeded Lord Cohen and held for seven years. The total of his work for medicine was thus enormous and it went far beyond that which appears in the record. For Edward Collingwood was a friend and adviser to many of us, always sound in judgment and full of common sense. He managed to be an academic of the highest standing, but he was above all a guide to the practical solutions of the problems of ordinary life. He was among the foremost mathematicians of his generation. His shrewdness, humour, and unfailing understanding and support will be deeply missed by a very wide circle of friends. G. E. G.
A SOCIETY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
SiR,—The difficulties facing the families of chronic schizophrenics are well known, as also are some of the gaps in our public provision for the condition. A society is being formed to promote greater public knowledge and understanding of schizophrenia, to assist in giving the families more information on practical management than is often at present possible, and to work for the kind of administrative improvement that most of us would agree is needed. It is not intended in any way to duplicate the work of other bodies in the mental-health field, but rather to 1. 2.
3.
Westphal, A. Z. Nervenheilk., 1905, 28 (n.s. 16), 674. Bittenbender, J. B., Quadfasel, F. A. Archs Neurol., Chicago, 1962, 7, 275. Bruyn, G. G. in Progress in Neuro-Genetics (edited by A. Barbeau and J. R. Brunette); p. 666. Amsterdam, 1969.
ALFRED
JOHN CRAIG
O.B.E., M.D. Malta, B.Sc., F.R.C.S. Mr. A. J. Craig, professor of surgery at the University of Malta, died on Oct. 5.
Royal
John Craig, as he was known by his colleagues outside Malta, undertook his postgraduate surgical training in England, where he established firm and lasting friendships with his teachers, who recognised in him the qualities that go to make a good surgeon. Although he regarded technical and professional skill as essential attributes of a surgeonqualities which he had to a high degree-one cannot forget his utter sincerity and his compassion for his patients. Although he was advancing rapidly in his career as a general surgeon in England, he unhesitatingly abandoned