DEC 9 197)

THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21205

DIVISION OF MEDICAL GENETICS TEL. AC 301-955-3461
BEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE 955-6414

December 6, 1971

Air Mail

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

Professor of Genetics

Department of Genetics

Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Doctor Lederberg:

I just happened to read your write-up entitled "Risks of Hurricane
Taming" which was originally published in the Washington Post, September
12 of this year.

I would particularly like to thank you for the tone of your write-up
on the recent furor over the blood tests for the XYY chromosome type. As
you mentioned in your article, the concern expressed really should have
been directed toward large scale abuses. I would like to point out further
that a majority of our chromosome studies were done only upon written in-
formed consent from the parents for a specific chromosome study and only
a small number of tests were done upon oral informed consent of the parents
and no studies were done without the consent of the parents.

Thanking you again.
Sincerely,

My / YA De Put. fe
Tyee

Digamber S. Borgaonkar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine

DSB/hc