NUTRITIONAL TEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23514, 31 May 1938, Page 12

NUTRITIONAL TEST

CONTROL OF DENTAL DISEASE NO SUGGESTION OF “ EXPERIMENTING ” (Peb United Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 20. The object of the nutritional test for the control of dental disease which it is proposed to carry out at Mount Cook School. Wellington, was explained by the Minister of Health (Mr P. Fraser) this evening. He denied that the Smith Family was embarking on a nutritional experiment in one of the State schools on its own initiative and without expert guidance, and said the proposal to make the test emanated from the New Zealand Dental Association. The Smith Family had offered to cooperate by providing meals for selected children. The meals, however, would be arranged under expert guidance and there would be no question of “experimenting” on children to the detriment of their health. The proposal. Mr Fraser said, was to endeavour to carry out under local conditions what had already been done successfully for groups of children in other countries, namely to arrest the progress of dental disease by means of what is considered to be a suitable diet. If it could be shown that this could be achieved in New Zealand, the test would be worth while. Mr Fraser added that he had asked that the Dental Sub-committee of the Medical Research Council should overlook the arrangements and consider the findings, and he understood the New Zealand Dental Association had readilv agreed to co-operate.