GOITRE

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1928, Page 1

GOITRE

TREATAIENT OF SCHOOT CHILDREN.

WELLINGTON, April 5.

The action of the Health Department in suspending treatment . of school children throughout the Dominion for goitre as resulted in protests in various parts of the country.

The attitude of the Department towards the whole problem may be summarised under Three headings: The desirable things in grappling with goitre arc the general use of a slightly iodised salt by the whole population to supply the physiological dijse of iodine, under medieal supervision, of goitres detected in school inspections and the exercise of care to prevent the use of excessive doses of iodine in the treatment of adults. Decently there was held in Switzerland an Tntcrnatioal Conference on goitre, the biggest and most important assembly in the history of the treatment of the disease. The findings ot this conference supported these three points at which the New Zealand Health Department had arrived independently. The position now is that while it is known that the treatment so far given in schools has done no harm the Department is doubtful as to its ability to provide the necessary supervision of schoolchildren treated for goitre with its present school staff. The children under observation by tlie Department of School Hygiene total at least 7000. At the same time, where goitre is detected the Departmental officers will continue to recommend consultation with a medical adviser.