GOITRE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19063, 27 July 1927, Page 11

GOITRE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. . . Sir, —Regarding your foot-note to "Prevention's" letter, I think you will find on closer enquiry that goitre in New Zealand has been definitely shown to be more prevalent on soils in .which iodine is deficient; lodine deficiency may not be the. chief cause in othercountries, or even here, and in any case there are almost certainly import-: ant contributory to be discovered; but that is no argument for decrying, and delaying the preventive treatment indicated by our present state of knowledge until the slow and costly processes of research enable us to tackle the problem in all its aspects. You seem also to forget that the test-ing-out of our present knowledge on a large scale is a necessary and important process m research, and must be a prelude, not a sequel, to any assumption of its success.—Yours, etc., MOTHER OF DAUGHTERS. [Our correspondent "Prevention's" statement was that it was an ■ "established fact" that iodine deficiency is the cause of most cases of goitre. This we questioned.—Ed. The Press.] TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—One cannot sufficiently thank you for your article commenting on Dr. Baker-McLaglan's report on the prevalence of goitre among girls. 1 fear her speculative prophecies will have done harm. No one doubts that she means well. Unlike your correspondent. Prevention " I have found that persons sutr fering from goitre are very sensitive and nervous about it, and these fears—so necessary to overcome —are being greatly increased bv the numerous references to goitre which are constantly appearing in the papers. "Prevention's" statement, too, that sufferers are so indifferent is disproved by the fact that the Health Department has found it necessary to issue a warning against over-doing the iodine treatment, which many seem to be doing with alarming results. Does this not also rather indicate that the Department is playing with a two-edged sword in publishing its theories so indiscriminately? _ ; If the cause and cure were definitely known and demonstrated, then these alarmist statements might be justified, in order to encourage people to come forward for treatment; but as you point out, the majority probably hold back owing to considerable doubt as to the result. If, for instance, it is true that lack of iodine •is the cause of goitre, should not the Application of it effect a certain cure? Yet we are told that once the disease has developed it has not been found curable except in a few isolated cases. These exceptional cases are important. Is it not possible that these have been cured or relieved through some other agency not yet understood? Already I know of several cases on whom I>r. Baker-McLaglan's report has had bad < results. I advise any one who missed your leader of Saturday last to turn it up and read it carefully. It will help _ them to see the matter in a 1 hanpie'r and more balanced light. I look upon newspaper controversies as futile. However, this matter is too serious to allow the other view to remain unexpressed.—Yours, etc. M.B.