PREVENTION OF GOITRE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1924, Page 4

PREVENTION OF GOITRE

i IoD'INK SALT TREATMENT. I ('AT sI'S AND HEM EDIKS. A t'('K LAND. Aug. 22. A thorough investigation of the .serious incidence ol goitre in New /calli,ml I- keing-made hy Inc Department ~l H.'iilth. and the information ohtuilled 111 tl ilfeivilt di-tl'icts is submitted perin.lii ally to experts on the I sTihj.ei with a view t i organising a I campaign against the disease. Since | the disquieting position was discipeeii i ;;t ,-i special an*.-ting of the .Medical | C mfer.'U.'c in Auckland la-l March. |wtea mi alarming -i ll'ol record in I"J -| • t of the pr'valence o| goitre w;e 1 1 i i .|,,...i|. I itri ; *•.' inquiries have been made irilh put ew ort liv iv-iilt'. As lar i *i. \ i>* Mill'd i- c in ei ned. it is ni'i- ; , ;a!|" e-ti; ml.* 1 that the total uuni- ! | i- ~* - •- j- rather I -s than oi,c- ---| liijl'i t;] t ! • a ;g I eg:i I'• ill < pllt* I'hlll'y. , uh.u " i't dire condition- are fairly | .... i., |.. hut tic Auckland provincial ■ .ndlt in I'e.-p 1 1 of g line it j iu* t : t.\ eiuiipliu eney or apathy. Ilie,\ ale rill'. I "lat iv-'ly good. The pl'e- ■ , ~| |fi dl-CII ' i- lII' h'll't Mill!I , i,.nt i< e 111', tan I toddir .'II n t ion and j ;, • ...cure |H'' 'anti Mil ty and. II pi a: ' i a ah!", ••■medial men -iir* ite.-ea I'rh work 111 tile s',an iolls AiU'ktaud health district, whi'.b ".x tends J linn Taumaraimi 1.0 t!ie North (ape ami east and wc*'t from t be 'fa-man Sea I i-i (ip nil;i. i- still restrieli-d hv the Jack of <!•■ utri nianicl in vest ig.il ors. I | irel'ata* le | >:" •: * I if tbi- delii leite.v i- ' provided by the leeurd- ol tfi* school | •■•iwiee. Kxi elleni work haI I ■.i dune, but the stall', lon i.tiiig ir iit do. -ofl l ■ i*i ■ Hi*"ii-.'i 1 ofiii ei'.i and ,i* vi ■; i s-houl nor* i■ i i m-lv imu! •- ! f| ,lnr the expulsive field e.f liy--1 gjrpir examieai inn el ehi'dreu. I here 1 .-re e'lildren in t'r* ptoviiie*'. (i, that t o d last year only 2oJ‘tlt> wer examined hv the sehoul medical *•(!•- eel S. An olliei. I ret art stall- t li.oi. the gi'eat niai'.iriiv of these required treatment for various d.'i*'ets. I'l'eli selioul , nut's * ha. aporoxiina tety ! !)'!•') eeiMren t i look after, ti I- admit i'd that any ,les,' follow in; of defect- in every notified is hopelessly ilop i.'sib'c. Ti l’ I •. udi nt y is tlnuep re to < oin ciil rate ,:u work I:i the eitv. where the h-t results may lee ohtaln -tl with the minimum l"ss ei time. It i- ree-.gniseib i however, that the children in the rural schools should not ' e I 'gleeted. I’.li t ul the nverel nwole l tIIII it*-: o! the seliool mir-es i- to .'—sisl iu the < o'leeliun of statistics hearing uu vari uillonli'e. s 1 1 " II a; denial caries, deter nut le, . f the el:e.-1 and oilier •!* 1 "• tfrom which w ry many children sutler. Among e-meial iims of work which er* being dime hv tie' seliool medical service is the matqv.ng out ,1 the coitions and ouii-gnitroils areas. "A- an exauipl"." reports one sehoul medical ollirei', 1 "v.e .an sav pretty ||, finitely that the AVliaUatane and Humeiteik i It i vers, are relatively goitrous as are aba t lie llekia'lga and t'.u' Northern W’airoa livers. S'e.'t'iil haeterio!o;rists. such as Dr 11 "I'eiis. (Hag i ITiiver-ity. have dismissed a untruah!" tlie tltem yof i titer ~.; i : i" ' :: .i—Jii ", that the iusj li on di- a - ol goitre i' wnt r !. aum. .'.i tin* A luk'lu ml Medical Coni',. is •i' i. . I’line-sur I IcreU'i (ontende'd it.: t I hot" was i;i.i;-: it ::'••!*■ evi.be,me in su ia in el lh“ i i>i:"lu- oli that the imine.Uali' can-’ ul tlm enlargement of the thryioiil gland in goitre wa- iodine delieiem V. II" iiLi exr.lainvd tint tlm tab!." sell wa - too pure, tin* mission fur f.-. id refinement having refined the essential iodine out of it. and he advocated the obvious rem.cdv as a necessary safeguard. He- eonelttsions on the subject were supported hy Dr W. ■I. Mayo, of l! *e!n ster. L.t-t.A.. W'ha said it was accented in America that

(jv.itio uih lint wntor-lnii'iie. Other expel is m lint .in that goitre i< water borne, and -i;» 11 v I y supplies which are -ii sediment i ui •. \niklaml eitv doe.-: nut help I hi- theory. Its v.liter supf'.-ly eiuit iilis a very great deal of sediment, while tl.a.i of (In i-t: heri li ha; a very small amount. Con-umcis in Am-k----land will hope I hat the sediliientions nature of the Wa.iiakere water i- due to a generous i uliue content in which the Christchurch water is lacking. It lias been found that in streams contaminate'! I.y sewagy lish have been goitrous. while those above the source of the eaiilnminatiiui were free of goitre. Kxneriments have also shown that men given goitrous water (socalled: from a «".v:i"i' polluted stream. "hi g<litre. and also that if null water were filtered and then tie' iodine eontent wiis ie-ior«d. the consumers were lint g li: rnil-.lv idle ted. I In.line i, sufiieieiiev i generally aceented us ihe main cause of goitre. 'Tin., ic-olis ,| treating seho.il children with an iodine sail hive been proved to he very .satisfactory. Samples of parden soil and various vegetables from different s il- throughout the .tuckland province have been obtained l;.v the Health Department and chemically aiialys.il with a view to timling their iodine tontent. These aim lyres are not yet available far general inforiiniti in. but have been submitted to expert- for consideration, ft is understood that Professor Herons is preparing a comprehensive paper on the whole subject. This will serve as a guide, for remedial action, it being hoped that the Government will adopt

and promote a national practice of safeguards. The Health Department irt Wellington is arranging for supplies of eaft containing a certain amount of iodine.