GOITRE IN CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 293, 6 September 1919, Page 9

GOITRE IN CHILDREN

AUCKLAND DOCTORS' VIEWS ' CAUSES OP THE DISEASE Inquiries made from Auckland doctors as to whether goitre was very prevalent anions children in that city resulted in a decided negative being given. One or two ])rr.::lilioners stated that from their own experience they were inclined to think the number of cases had increased during the last two or three year.?. One doctor with 17 years' experience in Auckland said he had treated more eases among young people lately than at any other period during his practice there, the majority occurring in girls between It and 10 years of age. Another well-known woman doctor said that though the disease was not common among school children in Auckland, there was a tcr.dency for it to increase as life became more strenuous. This was more especially the case with growing girls, who, in addition to (heir school work, had a good many home duties to perform j also witli girls going to work in office and factory, before physical development was complete. The disease, which was due to the over-development or overaction of the thyroid gland, was nio-.it common among girls and women pax-ring the critical stages of life. The thyroid gland had a most intimate and important bearing upon the whole physical and mental system; wide investigations had been nude, but the actual cause of the derangement which resulted in goitre had not yet actually been established. Kxophthalmic goitre was due to over-activ-ity of the gland, and affected the eyes and tho entire nervous system. Overgrowth of the gland itself was also another phase of the disease, -while nerve trouble and accelerated heart action was also attributable to an abnormal condition of the thyroid. If diagnosed early, a prolonged period of rest and absenco of strenuous effort effected a restoration to normal conditions;, in advanced stages an operation was often necessary. The doctor further explained that imbecility and sub-normal-ity in children were sometimes directly attributable to lack of thyroid activity. Thyroid extract fed to these cases produced remarkably successful results, restoring them to normal health, and enabling them to live practically normal lives. One doctor who makes a specialty of goilre cases stated that he had been treating a considerable number of Patients lately, a number of whom had shown marked improvement. If taken in its early stages, he said, goitre could apparently be cured. Personally ho had not noticed any increase in the number of young people affected in Auckland, Hygienic Surroundings Imperative, Another prominent doctor said he had not had the advantage of examining apparently healthy adolescents who were able to attend school, 110 could only speak", therefore, as to the prevalence of goitre among those people who consulted him. or whom he casually observed. He did not consider that simple goitre—or simple enlargement of the thyroid gland—was any more prevalent than it was 10 or 12 years ago. With regard to exophthalmic goitre—Graves' disease—the principle symptoms of which were, apart from the enlargement of the thyroid, gland and prominent eyes, tachycardia, trenuilousness, and intolerance of excitement, there teemed to bo some increase, but without definite statistics this might bo only imaginary, and even if statistics did show any increase, they might only express the fact that these'concomitant symptoms of exophthalmic goitre, namely, rapid heart I'boat (tachycardia) 'ami tremiiloiUsiicss occur without enlargement of the thyroid gland and promineut eyes, and are now generally recognised by the medical profession 'as being due to over secretion of tho thyroid gland, and arc- diagnosed accordingly. Among the causative factors were over-crowding, Ikul ventilation, and oiher defective hygienic surround-, ings. When it was also considered that there was a decided correlation between the generative organs and the thyroid gland, it would ]« readily understood how important it was that young girls growing to maturity should be taught in good hvgienic surroundings, and that no pupil "especially any of a nervous temperament, should be overloaded with study. . , The manv cases of neurasthenia and D.A.H.—disordered action of the heart— among returned invalided soldiers prosenled a very marked resemblance to early cases of exophthalmic goitre.