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Updated: May 8, 2025
Some curious instances have been related of an infant with a two-colored face, and of others with one side of the face white and the other black; whether they were cases of partial albinism or partial melanism cannot be ascertained from the descriptions.
We now find that albinism in guinea-pigs shows an even greater range of variation, yet there can be no doubt of its fundamental unity as a Mendelian character, each grade of which is allelomorphic to every other grade and to normal pigmentation. Castle and Phillips, 1914, Publ. No. 195, Carnegie Inst. of Wash. Castle and Fish, Amer. Nat., Feb., 1915. Wright, S. Amer. Nat., March, 1915.
Following Trelat and Guinard, we may divide albinism into two classes, general and partial. As to the etiology of albinism, there is no known cause of the complete form. Heredity plays no part in the number of cases investigated by the authors.
The rarity of the latter is accounted for by regarding this peculiar appearance as the result of albinism; and notwithstanding the exaggeration of Oriental historians, who compare the fairness of such creatures to the whiteness of snow, even in its utmost perfection, I apprehend that the tint of a white elephant is little else than a flesh-colour, rendered somewhat more conspicuous by the blanching of the skin, and the lightness of the colourless hairs by which it is sparsely covered.
If both have become fitted for slightly different habits of life or conditions, they might live together; and if we lay on one side polymorphic species, in which the variability seems to be of a peculiar nature, and all mere temporary variations, such as size, albinism, etc., the more permanent varieties are generally found, as far as I can discover, inhabiting distinct stations, such as high land or low land, dry or moist districts.
Emerging from thence uninjured, he gracefully bows himself off the stage. Some individuals claim immunity from burns and show many interesting feats in handling fire. As they are nothing but skilful "fire jugglers" they deserve no mention here. Albinism is characterized by the absolute or relative absence of pigment of the skin, due to an arrest, insufficiency, or retardation of this pigment.
Buffon speaks of Ethiops with white twins, and says that albinos are quite common in Africa, being generally of delicate constitution, twinkling eyes, and of a low degree of intelligence; they are despised and ill-treated by the other negroes. Prichard, quoted by Sedgwick, speaks of a case of atavic transmission of albinism through the male line of the negro race.
At the first word he drew a quick breath; it was sharp enough to sound like a low whistle. Putting his finger on the top of the second column, page 507, he counted down to line 17, and read: "Albinism occurs in all races of mankind, among mountainous as well as lowland dwellers. And, with man, as with other animals, it may be complete or partial.
Presently they could see his crushed chest and his shoulders, and the dim outline of his drawn and battered features. When at last the crowd made way for Kemp to stand erect, there lay, naked and pitiful on the ground, the bruised and broken body of a young man about thirty. His hair and brow were white not grey with age, but white with the whiteness of albinism and his eyes were like garnets.
Albinism is congenital, and the hair and eyes are affected as well as the skin. The disease is of universal distribution, but is naturally more noticeable in the dark-skinned races. It is much more common in this country among the negroes than is generally supposed.
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