Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Absence of Abnormal Hæmoglobins in some Australian Aboriginals

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

WHEN the sickle cell trait was found to be present in a number of Veddoid communities of southern India1, it was also found that their rhesus chromosome distribution showed features differing from those of other Indian populations, and that it was more like those found in South-East Asia, Australasia, and especially in the Australian aboriginals. We therefore examined seventy-two Australian aboriginals for the presence of the sickle cell trait, but found that none of them showed this abnormality2. Since then, other abnormal hæmoglobins besides the sickle cell hæmoglobin have been discovered. One of them, hæmoglobin E, was found in the Veddas of Ceylon3, and while the presence of sickling was confirmed in those Veddoid populations of India in whom it had been originally described, several other Veddoid populations4—including the Veddas themselves3—were found to be free from sickling. We decided, therefore, to examine once more Australian aboriginals, this time for the presence of hæmoglobin E.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lehmann, H., and Cutbush, M., Brit. Med. J., i, 404 (1952); Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. and Hyg., 46, 380 (1952).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Horsfall, W. R., and Lehmann, H., Nature, 172, 638 (1953).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Graff, J. A. E., Ikin, E. A., Lehmann, H., Mourant, A. E., Parkin, D. M., and Wickremasinghe, R. L., J. Physiol., 127, 41 P (1955). Aksoy, M., Bird, G. W. G., Lehmann, H., Mourant, A. E., Thein, H., and Wickremasinghe, R. L., J. Physiol., [130, 56 P (1955)].

    Google Scholar 

  4. Büchi, E. C., The Anthropologist, 1, 25 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Allison, A. C., Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 48, 312 (1954).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Commonwealth Health Laboratory, Cairns, Australia

    W. R. HORSFALL

  2. St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, E.C.1

    H. LEHMANN

Authors
  1. W. R. HORSFALL
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. LEHMANN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HORSFALL, W., LEHMANN, H. Absence of Abnormal Hæmoglobins in some Australian Aboriginals. Nature 177, 41–42 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/177041b0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/177041b0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation