ALBINISM IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ' 



By Victor G. Heiser and Rafael Villafranca 

 {From the Bureau, of Health, Manila, P. I.) 



One plate 



So far as known, the first investigation of albinism in the 

 Philippine Islands is that which was undertaken by the Bureau 

 of Health.' Later Villafranca, while district health officer for 

 Bohol Province, undertook the study of this condition among 

 Filipinos. These investigations are embodied in a statistical 

 report of 198 new cases. 



It is evident that all people who appear to be partial albinos 

 are not necessarily albinos, although there are many incomplete 

 and imperfect cases among individuals who have red, yellow, 

 yellowish, or auburn hair. The majority of such cases are 

 probably modified albinism. But as all of them are included in 

 most of the estimates, it is evident why South America, the 

 Philippines, and other places where dark complexions predomi- 

 nate are said to furnish more cases of albinism than other regions. 



In the early report mention was made of some of the peculiar 

 views entertained by Filipinos as to the cause of albinism. 

 Scientific men are just as far apart in their views as to the cause 

 of this condition. Some state that the albinos once constituted 

 a separate race and that the cases that are characteristic are 

 atavistic in character, Blumenbach,'' Winterbottom,^ Sprengel,^ 

 and Otto^ considered albinism to be a disease or the result of 

 disease. Buffon explained its existence on the theory of ship- 

 wreck or the abandonment of Europeans, whose offspring re- 

 sulting from union with the local inhabitants retained some of 

 the original characteristics of their white ancestors. Later this 



' With the exception of the republished portion of this paper, taken from 

 the Annual Report of the Director of Health for the fiscal year ended June 

 30, 1910, this paper is from a report on albinism in the Philippine Islands 

 prepared by Rafael Villafranca, Bureau of Health, Manila, P. I. 



' Heiser, Annual Rep. P. I. Bur. Hlth. (1909), 51-53. 



' Ciencias Medicas Diccionario Enciclopedico Hispano-Americano. Bar- 

 celona, Montaner y Simon (1887-1899), 26 vols. 1, 800. 



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