H.—3l

Milk-in-schools Scheme The total number of pupils participating in the milk-in-schools scheme in 1944 was 235,701. The totals for pasteurized bottled milk, milk for cocoa-making purposes, and malted milk are made up as follows Pupils. Pasteurized bottled milk . . .. . . .. . . 222,438 Malted milk .. .. .. .. .. .. 8,234 Milk for cocoa .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,029 235,701 Apples-in-schools Scheme Apples free of cost were supplied to pupils attending all types of schools during the apple season. Distribution lasted twelve weeks and a total of over 103,000 cases of apples were supplied. Health Education There was an all-round increase in the various phases of publicity outlined in the previous report. Railway, bus, and boat advertising and the issue of 10,000 sets of health posters for distribution to primary and secondary schools and for display in suitable places and institutions were new features. The daily press and periodicals and the radio were freely used. The mobile health exhibit visited a number of centres and stimulated considerable interest in personal and community health. That the health-education programme is fulfilling a wide need is indicated by the rapidly growing demand for the Department's literature and an increasing daily flow of letters from all parts of the Dominion from people who want health advice. A wide selection of reprints of articles of medical interest supplied through the courtesy of the John Macy, jun., Foundation, New York, were distributed to hospital and medical libraries. Health Camps The health camps have continued to operate successfully in various parts of the Dominion. Those which were taken over for national needs are now being used for their original purpose. The finances of the camps benefited considerably from the sale of health stamps and from donations. Boards associated with the Department The Board of Health, the Medical Council, the Medical Research Council, the Nurses and Midwives Registration Board, the Opticians Board, the Masseurs Registration Board, the Medical Advertisements Board, the Plumbers Board, the King George V Memorial Fund Board, and the Dominion Advisory Board of New Zealand Federation of Health Camps continued their work during the year. Medical Research Council A list of the special Committees set up under the Council and some information regarding the researches carried out by the Committees is set out below :— (1) Nutrition Committee " Interim Report on the Incidence of Rickets in New Zealand Children " (Malcolm). " Interim Report on a Rickets Survey" (Buchler, Deem, and Weeber). "Comparison of different Methods of Preparation of Rose-hip Syrup " (McLaughlin and Wilson). " Use of Fish-meal as a Substitute for Meat-meal in the raising of Chickens " (McLaughlin and Wilson). "Vitamin C in Foods sent for Estimation" (McLaughlin and Wilson). " Vitamin Bi Estimation " (McLaughlin and Wilson). " Experiment to check Alleged Inferiority of Peameal as a Source of Protein for breeding Rats " (McLaughlin and Wilson). " The Vitamin Content of some New Zealand Fish Oils " (Weeber). " Toxicity" of Shark-liver Oil and Hypervitamiiiosis A (Moore). " Report on the Commercial Trial of Higher Extraction Flour " (Bell). (2) Thyroid Committee : — " Significance of the Basophil Changes in the Pituitary in Thyroxine-deiiciency States " (Purves and Griesbach). To be published in British Journal Experimental Pathology. " Occurrences of Thyroid Tumours in Rats treated with Goitrogenic Substances " (Purves, Griesbach, and Kennedy). " Investigations of the Effects of Substituents on the Goitrogenic Activity of the Thiourea Molecule " (Kennedy). " Study of Cyclic Derivatives " (Kennedy). " The Significance of the Acidolphil Cell Changes in the Pituitary in Thyroxine-deficiency States " (Purves and Griesbach). " Extrathyroidal Thyroxine Synthesis in the Rat" (Purves and Griesbach). " Effects of Thiourea and lodide Treatment on Subtotally Thyroidectomised Rats " (Purves and Griesbach). " Relation of Thyrotropic Hormone to Thyrotoxicoses and Exophthalmos " (Purves). " The Estimation of Thiourea in Blood " (Purves and Kennedy). " Protective Action of Potassium lodine on Thiourea Poisoning in Rats" (Griesbach, Kennedy, and Purves). Published in Nature, Vol. 154, No. 3915. " Proposals for Standardization of Treatment and Promotion of Clinical Research on Thyrotoxicosis'" (Hercus and Kennedy).

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