GOITRE.

Feilding Star, Volume 2, Issue 317, 22 August 1924, Page 6

GOITRE.

It EM ED Y IN NEW ZEALAND. GOVERNMENT’S INTENTIONS The lion. Sir Maui Poniard,yMinister of Health, replying in the House to a question, said that investigations in the incidence of goitre carried out in association with Professor Herons* Otago .Medical School, were being. continued. Cases were recorded with notes as exactly as possible of age, sex, incidence, family history, and environment factors. It wa* now possible, to map out the chief areas in New..'Zealand where this condition is endemic. Such areas were found to be those where the soil had a low iodine content. Facilities were now being provided by which aireeted children in the schools of endemic areas might obtain treatment. This consisted in the administration of minute doses of potassium iodine weekly, advice being also given as to general health habits. Parental consent was always obtained before treatment was undertaken. Result* so far bad been very encouraging. Sonic thousands of children were now receiving treatment, the numbers being increased as school medical inspection was carried out. In Britain, Switzerland and the United States of America, this method of combatting goitre among school children bad been practised for some years and was recognised as being beneficial.