John Langdon Down

Biography

• Born November 18, 1828 Torpoint, Cornwall, England
• Royal Earlswood Asylum for Idiots (Redhill, Surrey, England)
• Died October 7, 1896 in Teddington, Middlesex, England

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Medical Eponyms

Down syndrome (1866)

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Major Publications

• Down JHL. On the condition of the mouth in idiocy, Lancet. 1862; 79(2003): 65-66
• Down JHL. Polysarcia and its treatment. Clinical lectures and reports by the medical and surgical staff of the London Hospital, 1864; 1: 97-103.
• Down JHL. An introductory lecture delivered at the London Hospital Medical College. 1864
• Down JHL. Marriages in Consanguinity in Relation to Degeneration of Race. Clinical lectures and reports by the medical and surgical staff of the London Hospital, 1866; 3: 224-236.
• Down JHL. Observations on an Ethnic Classification of Idiots, Clinical lectures and reports by the medical and surgical staff of the London Hospital, 1866; 3: 259-262.
• Langdon Down J. On the relation of the teeth and mouth to mental development, Transactions of the Odontological Society of Great Britain. 1871; 4: 7-24
• Langdon Down J.On the education and training of the feeble in mind. 1876
• Langdon Down J. Mental affections of childhood and youth. Lettsomian lectures. 1887 [Collection of all key lectures of Dr Langdon Down]

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Controversies

Name: Referred to as J. Langdon H. Down; J Langdon-Down, JHL Down, John L. H. Langdon-Down. In fact he changed his name by deed poll in 1868 to “John Langdon Haydon Langdon-Down“

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References

• Bibliography. John Langdon Down. World Cat Identities
• Obituary. John Langdon Haydon Down Langdon-Down. Lancet, 1896; 148(3816): 1104-1106
• Obituary. John L. H. Langdon-Down. Br Med J 1896; 2: 1170
• Birch CA. Down’s syndrome. John Langdon Haydon Langdon-Down 1828-1896. Practitioner. 1973; 210(255): 171‐172.
• Dunn PM. Dr Langdon Down (1828-1896) and ‘mongolism’. Arch Dis Child. 1991; 66(7): 827‐828.
• Ward OC. Down’s 1864 case of Prader-Willi syndrome: a follow-up report. J R Soc Med. 1997; 90(12): 694‐696.
• Ward OC. John Langdon Down, 1828-1896 : a caring pioneer. 1998
• Biography: John Langdon Haydon Down (1828 – 1896). Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of London. Munk’s Roll: Volume IV: 171.
• Beighton P, Beighton G. John Langdon Down. The Man Behind the Syndrome. Springer 2012 40-42
• Van Robays J. John Langdon Down (1828 – 1896). Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2016; 8(2): 131‐136.