Did the Hb G San José gene arise in Sicily?

We have studied 969 school children from Grammichele, a small town of 13 000 inhabitants 50 km from Catania. These children were screened for abnormal haemoglobins using a Coulter Counter and cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Structural analysis of haemoglobin was performed when required. The results are summarised in the table. We found seven children from seven different apparently unrelated families with Hb G San Jose trait and another 19 subjects when their families were studied. These 26 patients showed no clinical or haematological anomalies apart from the Hb G San Jose concentration levels, which varied from 33-4% to 36-9%. Grammichele was rebuilt in its beautiful hexagonal architectural style after a devastating earthquake in 1693 which killed nearly all its inhabitants.1 In order to populate the new town, Carlo II of Austria issued a decree giving asylum to criminals and other