lODINE AND LIFE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1929, Page 2

lODINE AND LIFE

effect on thyroid gland. AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT. lodine, is known to most in the form of a tincture used as an antiseptic for wounds. It was used for this purpose ky most troops in the Great War with a resulting low mortality. But valuable as it will always be for this purpose , (research had definitely pfoved that life could not normally continue without this essential element. / • Small quantities of iodine are being constantly introduced, into the human land animal body in the'food consumed,' and it is stored and made use of by one of those mysterious glandular bodies—namely, the thyroid gland. This gland, situated in the front of the throat, has two lobe? lying one on each side of the larynx, epch of which has a definite work ,to perform. The thyroid gland in the course of (its work, which is not yet fully elucidated, takes in the iodine ingested Jinto the body and manufactures, by' its complex machinery a fluid which contains an active principle—very apt'ly called thyroxin. This com,pound contains two-thirds of its weight of iodine. Thus it can be realised that if an insufficiency of iodine is taken into the body the thyroid gland cannot perform its work, because one, of the es'sential ingredients is lacking. lODINE AND GOITRE. • 'i This is frequently the case. Its results can be seen any day in the street in the form of goitre, which is a path-, ological or diseased condition drectly resulting from lack of iodine. This lack manifests itself in the enlargement, of the ihjroidglandi Op the other hand, a~n over-active, thyroid causes a disease called exophthalmic goitre, which manifests itself by a curious bulging of the eyes wasting of tHle system and palpitation. This condition can be produced l>y excessive intake if -iodine, so that,.pro-, per medical advice.. As. iipperftiivev.v'i’V'. ; *' ' ' ' l i V\; u i ■ . WHAT IT DOES. ; ; But what purposes- •dpes' t > of the gland serve ?., fpi||o)(ijtig ’ tatement by' Dr. Bar\vise, : icer of Derbyshire, pfltep | ively gives the 1. It is necessary for__effective'. metji-; holism—i.e.j,'the. .idhy. • jtruetivo changes ■ necially promotes respirat'pi^lexcKan'gT;;, .3 and physical growth, v 2. It promotes efficient menal deve- ' .cpment, a severe ■ shortage, before, birth resulting ,in , cretin'ism-rstunted growth and . mentality-; even imbecile ■ty. • ' •- 1 > • •' - . 3. It is specially required in the pregnant condition both for the mother and the child. 4. It is necessary at the, age of r, dolescence. for the development of he reproductive organs, particularly, n the female. • 5. It is needed to keep the skin and ts appendages in a healthy condition , l dry skin and falling hair mean thyroid deficency. i It is essential for efficient digestion, assimilation and combustion of fats. When a shortage occurs, the fats cannot he satisfactorily dealt with and it is stored in the tissues, thus causng iibesitv. , 7. It is required for, the. efficient assimilation of calcium, one of the moat .mportant bone-forming minerals. ' 8. It is necessary' to enable the fly-.' .stem to resist the, invasion of microbes •,nd to render harmless • .the poisons 'hey produce. In this'difectioh lojdinje■ n the blood perforins much the flame functions as it does externally as an antiseptic for wounds. Thus the iodine in the body has many duties to perform in. the economy and metabolism of life, and as there is a constant loss through excretion, the store must be - renewed for the efficient working of the delicate machinery. In many parts of the world there is a deficiency of iodine in the soil, so in the pasture, and so in the food consumed, .because it must be remembered that all the food we consume is produced from vegetation, which itself comes from the soil. ' 1 lODINE AND DISEASES.. • '• . r 1 • .V.-> • • v ■:. *,• • It is probable 'that many of the diseases to which humans and animals are subject result from deficiency of iodine. Indeed, it is possible that in view of the effect of the thyroid sec-' retion onfall the other similar organs the tremble; scourge cancer may be caused by iodine deficiency. The .story is a fascinating one, a.nd deserves more publicity | than it has had. Apart l .'from its fundamental importance tovhuman life, there are associated problems of great economic im-portance-being investigated. •* Thus l-tlie production of milk from tho cow is controlled by the thyroid secretion; the efficient production of beef is affected; the yield of meat and wool from sheep is involved; a defi(ciency affects the growth of pigs, and the size and health of the litter; fowls cannot effectually produce eggs without its help. Those few facts should serve to shed a little light on iodine and its effect on life.