: I believe that cretinism is caused by an iodine deficiency during pregnancy. Do we have any evidence that the soil in the area of the Shire was deficient in this element? If so that may possibly explain the small stature of Hobbits although it does not explain the lack of other typical symptoms of cretinism such as extremely sloped forehead, receding chin and poor intellectual development.

: I think we would have to rule out cretinism unless you assume that the area in the vales of Anduin where Gollum's people lived was also deficient in iodine. The clincher though has to be Bree where 'normal' people and Hobbits lived in close proximity - iodine deficiency would have affected the whole population. Unless the Hobbits only ate food imported from the shire which I deem to be unlikely in the extreme.

I wonder if the cretinism might not have occured during Saruman and Grima's occupation of the place. They may have purposfully taken the iodine out of the very soil and water, and thus the very food that the hobbits were reduced to subside upon. This may have resulted in a generation of hobbits that were in fact cretins. I reviewed the Apendix A and some of my other references but if anything Tolkien is very quiet about the potential "cretins" created during this time. I'm starting to think that mayhap a cover-up is in the works. Perhaps Aragorn, in the midst of rebuilding his kingdom overlooked the hobbits and thus did not act in time to aid the Shire, or declare it a disaster area which would have earmarked certain funds for the hobbits relief. In turn, Sam, Merry, and Pippin (perhaps even Frodo . . . who knows how high this may go) would have to have been involved to keep it out of the annals. Even Gandald, Elrond, Galadrial and Cereborn would have been aware of such a terrible travisty. Good lord, do you know what this means?!? The implications, the impeachments, the bad PR for the entire kingdom not to mention the elves as a whole!

-RobRoy