lODINE IN SALT

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25249, 30 July 1947, Page 6

lODINE IN SALT

VALUE TO SUFFERERS FROM GOITRE

IMPORTANT USE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

n °t heard of any untoward results from the use of iodine in the form proyided for in the Sale of Food and Drugs Act,” said the Medical £S!s er I J 6alth J Dr ' J - H - Bylock) yesterday, when asked to comPJ 1 a statement, ih the New York Herald-Tribune.” The newspaper, commenting on a bill that came tore Congress requiring all table salt manufactured in the United States to have iodine added to it, said the bill was a dangerous type of legislation.” There was provision in the Act for the production and sale of iodised salt Dr. Blakelock said. The limit imposed was between J and 1J par ts ?f iodide, calculated as potassium iodide, to every 20,000 th part of salt, ihe actual quantity of iodine was of course, considerably less. The Department of Health recognised the use of iodised salt for both table and cooking purposes. It was known that certain forms of goitre were attributable to a lack of iodine, he added, and iodine in the form mentioned was of value. Commenting on the report in Dunedin, Sir Charles Hercus, dean of the Otago Medical School, said: '‘lt it unfortunate that this irresponsible statement m the New York “Herald-Tri-bune” was thought worthy of being reprinted in New Zealand.” The report was entirely misleading, and was not wortny of serious consideration. being unsubstantiated by anything resembling scientific evidence. he said. While heredity might play a subsidiary part in the causation of goitre, evidence was overwhelming that an environmental deficiency of iodine was the most important cause. The use of iodised salt in New Zealand. and many other parts of the world where goitre was common had established itself as a public health measure of the greatest possible value.