976
WORLD HEALTH yan ORGANISATION MONDIALE
ORGANIZATION X Ny DE LA SANTE
1211 GENEVA 27 - SWITZERLAND 1211 GENEVE 27 - SUISSE
Telegr.: UNISANTE-Geneva Teélégr.: UNISANTE-Genéve

Tél. 346061 Télex. 27821

In reply please refer to: OMH 2g January 1976

Priére de rappeler Ja référence:

Dear Dr Lederberg,

I apologize for not writing earlier but almost immediately after we
had our discussion here in Geneva I had to leave on duty travel and on
return found such a mountain of urgent things to do that all my
correspondence got delayed.

I am listing below some references on the colour blindness/manic
depressive psychoses links:

1. Linkage Studies with X-Chromosome Markers in Bipolar
(Manic-Depressive) and Unipolar (Depressive) Illnesses

Mendlewicz J and Fleiss J.L.
Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1974

2. X-Linkage and Manic-Depressive Iliness

Loranger, A.W.
Brit. J. Psychiat. (1975), 127, 482-8

3. Evidence for X-Linkage in the Transmission of
Manic-Depressive Illness

Mendlewicz, J. Fleiss J.L., and Fieve R.R.
J. American Med. Assoc.
Dec. 25, 1972, Vol. 222

4, Manic-Depressive Illness: Linkage with the Xg Blood Group

Fieve, R.R., Mendlewicz J. and Fleiss J.L.
Am. J. Psychiatry 130312, December 1973

We should be most interested in having your comments on this matter
because it has been suggested that a screening for colour blindness should
be undertaken in several of our centres dealing with manic depressive
illness, in order to gather, for further study, a sufficiently large sample
of people afflicted by the two conditions.

Also, herewith, two references concerning the possibility of developing
indicators of changes in the quality of care provided in mental hospitals:

1. Dr J.K. Wing and G.W. Brown "Institutionalism and Schizophrenia"
Cambridge University Press, 1970

2. Odeg&érd, 0 "Mortality in Norwegian Psychiatric Hospitals
1950-1962"
Acta genet., Basel 17; 137-153 (1967)
Dr J. Lederbert
OMH

We are at present planning for a study on the mortality of the
mentally 111. Our main interest focusses on possible associations of
mental and neurological disorders and other diseases, the mortality patterns
of institutionalised and non-institutionalised patients with mental
disorders (in comparison to the general population and across cultures),
and the stimulation of national research in this field. The first phase
of this study will be carried out in countries with registers of mentally
disordered patients.

The overall programme in the field of mental health, which you have
seen in draft, will be discussed shortly at the meeting of the Coordinating
group; I shall send you the agreed version of the programme immediately
after that.

It was most stimulating and enjoyable to meet you here and discuss
things with you. I do hope that, when you come in June, we shall have
time to continue our discussions.

With kindest regards to you and Mrs Lederberg and best wishes for a

happy and successful New Year.
Yoyrs sincerely,
| Pte ale Ltr

Dr N. Sartorius
Chief
Office of Mental Health

Dr J. Lederberg

Professor of Genetics

Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, Calif. 94205

USA