SUPPLIES “FROZEN”

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 June 1946, Page 2

SUPPLIES “FROZEN”

‘ ONE BRAND OF TALCUM' POWDER ACTION BY DISTRIBUTORS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 3. Distributors of a well-known Australian brand of talcum powder have “frozen” all supplies of it held by retailers, because the' recent deaths of three, infants in the Auckland district were attributed to infection by tetanus carried in talcum powder. The Health Department may withdraw from all retailers all supplies of all brands of powder, for it to be sterilised against tetanus. Asked if any particular brand of talcum powder had been withdrawn from the market the Director-General of Health, Dr. M. H. Watt, said no official instruction had been given for this to be done. He understood one brand had been withdrawn. It would be unfair to mention its name as the step had been taken by the distributors voluntarily, and more than one brand was involved. ' Dr. F. S. McLean, who is in charge of the investigation into the talcum position for the Health Department, asked whether, owing to the fact that most face powders had talcum as a base, there was any risk of infection, replied that, used on healthy skin, there would be no risk of in Leet ion. People with raw patches on parts of.the body to be powdered would be well advised, however, to use zinc oxide and starch.

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN ffl AUSTRALIA "SYDNEY, June 2. The New South Wales DirectorGeneral of Health (Dr. E. S. Morris) has advised Australian women to cease using talcum powder on their babies until further research has been made. The Commonwealth Acting-Direc-tor-General of Health (Dr. Metcalfe) said that he could see no reason for alarm in Australia. It seemed that a primary point of inquiry into the Neyz Zealand deaths should be into constituents imported from India, rather than into chalk imported from Australia.