INCIDENCE OF GOITRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21130, 12 March 1932, Page 11

INCIDENCE OF GOITRE.

MORE RESEARCH NEEDED.

HELP FROM MASSEY COLLEGE.

DOCTORS SEEK CO-OPERATION

Coincident with a suggestion by the Governor-General, Loi'd Bledisloe, that the inter-relation of human and animal fooddeficiency diseases deserved further study, the annual meeting of the New Zealand branch of tho British Medical Association yesterday approved a proposal by tho obstetrical section of tho medical conference) that efforts should be made to coordinate Professor C. E. Hercus' goitre research with the soil and animal researches at Massey College. The proposal resulted from a discussion upon a paper read before the obstetrical section by Dr. A. Douglas, of Oamaru, upon tho relationship of thyroid enlargement in Xew Zealand to pregnancy and lactation. It was slated as genendly recognised that many mild goitres became aggravated during theso periods. The question whether the aggrevation was purely temporary or far-reaching ih its effects on women's health in later years was debated at length, and the general conclusion was reached that much mora knowledge on the subject was required. It was stated that while Auckland was not specially a goitrous district, the trouble was much more prevalent in some areas of the South Island, and in one large southern St. Helens hospital 50 or 60 per cent, of the patients showed wellmarked goitres.

Future Generations. Dr. Douglas stressed the accepted fact that in the goitrous areas of Switzerland and the Tyrol a lanro number of infants born to goitrous mothers showed lifelong mental deficiency. He considered that the trouble might appear in New Zealand and that it was imperative, in the interests of future generations, that mors light should be thrown upon the problem. It was pointed out that ever since its inception the New Zealand Obstetrical Society had kept in touch with Professor Hercus, who had already done important work regarding the iodine content of soils in different districts and the proportional incidence of goitre in school children. ,The suggestion was made that Professor Hercus 1 researches might be correlated with those at Massey College and with others which, it was hoped, might be conducted in future by small groups of clinical observers in the four centres, embracing physicians, surgeons and obstetricians. The following resolution was approved by the annual meeting:—"ln view of the continued high incidence of goitre in New Zealand, its important relationship to the health of mothers and children, and our relative lack of knowledge regarding the factoz-s which govern the incidence of goitre, in particular its relationship to the nature of the soil and the food sup-, ply of the people, we urge the necessity) for further research work into the causation and effects of goitre. Further, that arrangements be made to co-ordinate the ''

soil and animal research at present being conducted at Massey College with the research at present directed by Professor Hercus to the elucidation of goitre in man." Lord Bledisloe's Views. It was considered significant that Lord Bledisloe had raised the same question m his message to the Medical Conference.' In this His Excellency said: —"Having been for many years a student,of veterinary science and a keen observer of animal diseases in different environments, it has occurred to me that there may be scope for further researcH, with definite bemefit to the health of the Dominion, concerning the possible inter-relation of some of the morbid conditions peculiar to or specially prevalent in this country affecting human beings on the one hand and farm animals on the other, but not hitherto recognised as having a common aetiology. "I refer especially to what are known as food deficiency diseases, traceable t« lack of iron, calcium, iodine, phosphates, vitamins or other essential food factors,Had I been present at your conference I should have ventured, albeit a layman, to suggest this as a topic worthy among others of serious consideration on the part of our medical profession and of those who conduct so efficiently medical research at Otago University and elsewhere."