OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 229, 21 June 1919, Page 5

OUR BABIES

I'B'f Htgeu.l Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for tho Health of Women and Children. "It is wiser to put up a fence at the ■ top of a precipice, -than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom," GOITRE. At the annual meeting of the Dunedin branch of tho society, held on May .22, Dr. ■ Drennan, Professor .of Pathology, Otago University, gave a very interesting address on tho prevalence of goitre in New Zealand. The following is a summary of the lecture:— THE PREVALENCE OP GOITRE IN NEW ZEALAND AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ' THE COMING GENERATION.

•Dr. Drennan prefaced his remarks by saying while the New .Zealand official mortality returns dealt with exophthalmic goitre (which; was, fortunately, hot very common), no 1 return at present. showed the extreme prevalence of what was termed "simplo goitrfe," especially in women. Goitre was a term applied to any form of enlargement .of the thyroid cloud in the neclt, which, when it enlarged,• caused an appearanco popularly described aa "thick neck." In a minor degree it was considered a mark, ot beauty, andwas freely exhibited by the present • fashion in female upper garments! . After explaining .the physiological chants in the thyroid gland leading to eoitro, Dr. Drennan said that tho increased glandular activity which the condition moat commonly resulted in caused a reversion to a Testing .state, .with slight enlargement, but, sooner or later secondary changes ocvarious degeneration's,'.etc,,. The p'rocess might extend over a number of years, and not give rise to any: particular trouble, but it was always'' a potential sourco of trouble, and often of chronic invalidism. These changes were much more common in women. They were liable to commence at from 12 to 16" years of age, and, increasing, cause trouble at the various momentous times which occurred in the female economy. The two most prevalent theories for the occurrence: of sottre were (1) that goitre waß iu tsoitio' way related to the water supply, and (2) that it was tho result of infectious agents. Investigations by Dr. Oolquhoua in. different parts of New Zealand, had gouo' to show that no apparent relation existed between eoitro and tho water supply. " Memo, by Dr. Drennan.—ln referring further to Dr. Cqlquhoun's paper on "Goitre in New Zealand," published iu 1910,' I find he Btatcs that "tho exciting agency iH to bo looked for in drinking water and the prophylaxis for communities will consist iu uslug only water that has been boiled."

In my jemarks at the meeting of tho Royal New Zealand* Society for the Health of Women and Children, I stated that in Dr. Colquhoun's investigations no relation had' been found between water and goitre. While it is not denied that water may be in somo way a factor in tlife production of goitre my point was that it ia not the only factor, and we have not yet investigated in New Zealand all the factors involved.

Lieutenant-Colonel M'C-arrisoii, of tho 1.15.8. maintained that goitre was due to bacterial infection of tho water supply, and brought out the fact that .the children- of Koitorous moVhers were frequently born defective, in a condition of cretin ism, due to deficient thyroid aecrolion.

PREVALENCE IN NEW ZEALAND. '"This is all very interesting," 'continued the speaker, "but you may ask: What application has it to New Zealand? In answor I ask you to look with the seeing eye at the necks of tho girls and women .you meet in tho streets. When I came to Dimedln two mid a half years ago, the first thing that struck mc was the prevalence of. goitre in women. 1 found "myself anxiously regarding tho necks-amply displayed—of ail tho women folk, and without' exaggeration 1 feel quite safe in saying that at least one in ten showed a thick neck. 1 was told: 'Oh, yes, but that iB physiological!' If so, the physiology of females hero is something different . from thti*e in , Britain. Very" soon 1 was satisfied that it was a pathological problem on a large scale Uiat was occurring, and every day strengthens that, belief, The condition is so common here ihat it is regarded! lightly or unnoticed. In this connection cortam iiuestioiis at one.o arise: (1) Why are women especially alfected? f2J Why aro, not all women affected? (3) Is tho offspring likely to suffer?" ■ THE REASONS. "In answer to the first, women ask more of their thyroids, especially at certain times, such as pregnancy, aud the gland responds normally or abnormally, depending on its supply of raw material, which may be deficient or altered by various factors. Tile first abnormal response is tho beginning of a goitre. (2) Only a proportion, but a large proportion, ot women are affected, breauau individual conditions vary considerably, and probably here we art) dealing with fc relative and not an absolute deficiency or disturbance. (3) The offspring is undoubtedly affected, divcefly or indirectly, by anything interfering with the health of the mother. The exact amount of damage to tho future general ion in New Zealand by I l, is prevalence of goitre cannot as yet be estimated. for we have not. the data a; yet, but. judging by analogy, tho possibility of deterioration is groat. Wlial, is cnc to suggest, to combat this menace? The first thing is aeciiratc observation and research on Die data .-nailable here, but from tho extensive researches mainly in America- the, basic fact seems to, stand out that we are sult'erin:: from a; widespread deficiency disease, a, deficiency primarily of iodine—whether iu its mode of intake or mode, of utilisation in tile Ijody I cannot tell you. Whether the result of investigation into goitre, will show Ihat a more hygienic mode of life is all that is required for avoidance of tiiis goitre, or that some, deficiency, such a." I hn,vo indicated, exists in the food intake, can bo decided only by carrying through the investigation. A priori, one would bo : nclined to think that something more than mero hygienic, measures are requested in New Zealand, for iioro the conditions are similar, but generally better than those in the Old Country, wbilo goitre is infinitely more common here."