Methers Fight Threat

to Mongolism Research

Group With Afflicted Children Opposes
Cut in U.S. Fund to Investigate Disease

WASHINGTON (@—An
organization of mothers of
mongoloid children. has
mounted a national letter-
writing campaign, protest-
ing what it terms a threat
to a promising program
against mongolism.

The program is reported

to be, the only one of its

type still in existence in
the United States,

Mrs. Donald G. Wyman
of Alexandria, Va., mother
of a 4-year-old mongoloid
boy, and spokesman for

qthe organization of 25
{ Washington-area mothers
4 called- Mothers of Young

Mongoloids, is leading the
fight. .

Mrs. Wyman said in an
interview her group was
concerned that a  “pro-
posed cut" in appropria-
tions to the government's
National Institute of Neu-
rological Diseases and
Blindness. She said. this
would "effectively ‘close
down". a human exper-
imental drug program
against at least one aspect
of mongolism being con-
ducted by Dr. Mary Cole-
man of Children's Hospital
in Washington.

Mental Affliction

Mongolism is a malady
characterized by serious
mental retardation as well
as. by physical defects
including poor muscle
tone and coordination; a
broad face, flat or stubby
nose, and obilquely set
eyes,

Dr. Coleman declined to
discuss details of her pro-
gram, but it was learned
authoritatively it inolves
use of an experimental
drug duplicating a natural
chemical deficient in the

brains of monogoloid Vic-

tims.

Mrs. Wyman said ‘Dr.’

Coleman, like various oth-
ers, is threatened witha
cut in a House-approved

appropriations bill cur-°

rently pending before a
Senate subcommittee
headed by Sen. Warren:
Magnuson (D-Wash.),

She said her organiza-;

 

tion sent messages to local
organizations for retarded
children throughout the
country — and to other
"friends"—suggesting the
following message to Mag-
nuson and other members
of his subcommittee:

"I protest the proposed
cut in appropriations to
the National Institute of
Neurlogical Diseases and
Blindness, allocated
through the National In-
stitutes of Health and
budgeted by the Health,
Education and Welfare
Department,

"This cut would effec-
tively close down the last
program inthis country
doing medical research on
a phase of , . . mongolism

"Dr. Mary Coleman,
Children's Hospital,
Washington, D.C, has
spent three years replac-
ing a deficient brain che-

mical -— serotonin — in
mongoloid babies .. 7 af-
ter. . , 20 years of labora-

tory and animal work.
- "This human. exper
imentation has resulted in:
definite improvement in
muscle tone and coordina-
tion. The 1.Q. (intelligence
quotient) results are in-
conclusive as yet.

"Please allow her the

time and money to finish

her work."
Asked the results of the
campaign, Mrs. Wyman

said her organization did