CURE OF GOITRE.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1925, Page 3

CURE OF GOITRE.

lAI portant report. V ELLINGTON. June 20. The Health Department lias received a valuable report on endemic goitie iu New Zealand from Prolessor Herein. of Otago, with whom have been associated Professor Benson. Professor of Geology, and Air C. L. Carter, lecturer on chemistry. The report states that, as indicating the prevalence of goitre in New Zealand. it may ho mentioned that the routine of school medical inspection foi 1924 shows that, out of a total of 55.000 children examined, goitre (of a different degree) existed in 18.33 per cent., made up as follows: Incipient, 12.53 ]>or cent; small •> per 'eat; medium T per cent; large 11 per cent. In 1920 an endeavour was made to establish accurately the extent to which thyroid enlargement prevailed amongst the school children of Canterbury and •Westland. The majority of children examined were in the age groups of five io fourteen years. The results were summarised as follows: Of the children examined. 39 per cent were found to hare normal, and 61 per cent, enlarged thyroids. The report says that, assuming that the fundamental I factor in the causation of goitre, is a deficient intake of iodine, the prevention of the disease should bo a comparatively simple problem. “We ftelieve that the liest method | of prophylaxis considered on physiological grounds as well as those of efficiency and economy, would lie do rived from a daily ingestion of minute amounts of iodine, by tfie utilisation for all culinary and table purposes of an iodised salt, in which one part of potassium iodide had been added to 100,000 of sodium chloride.”