Studies on Endemic and Experimental Goitre
Authors: Hercus C. E. , Purves H. D. 
Published: May 2009

VI. Summary

1. Some improvements in the determination of small quantities of iodine in biological substances are described.

2. The thesis that a low iodine intake is prerequisite for goitre production is supported.

3. A survey of determinations by various authors of the daily urinary iodine excretion in goitrous and non-goitrous regions leads to the conclusion that the critical level of iodine intake sufficient to suppress goitre is between 120 and 160γ per day.

4. Determinations of urinary iodine excretion in New Zealand and in the non-goitrous islands of Samoa are presented which show that in the parts of New Zealand investigated the iodine intake is at a low or goitrous level.

5. The result in New Plymouth, Taranaki, shows that a high content of iodine in the soil does not necessarily assure an adequate iodine intake.

6. The progress of prophylaxis by iodised salt in New Zealand is reviewed, and from consumption data it is concluded that iodised salt constitutes approximately only 30 per cent, of the domestic salt consumption of New Zealand.

7. To ensure a more general use of iodised salt it is recommended that the regulations be amended to provide that:

(a) Ordinary domestic salt shall be iodised.

(b) Non-iodised salt shall be sold only in packages labelled “Non-iodised” and with the addition “ The use of this salt exposes the user to the risk of developing goitre”.

8. The results obtained hitherto with the use of iodised salt are briefly reviewed and attention drawn to some apparent failures even when iodised salt has been used for all domestic purposes. These failures are attributed to the standard for iodised salt being too low.

9. It is concluded that for New Zealand a supplementation of at least 100γ per day is necessary to afford complete protection against goitre.

10. To provide the necessary amount of supplementation the iodine content of iodised salt in New Zealand requires to be raised. We recommend therefore that either

(a) If the domestic salt only is to be iodised the standard be fixed at from 5 to 6 parts of potassium iodide (KI) per 250,000 of salt, or

(b) If iodised salt is to be used in the manufacture of bread, butter, bacon and other salted foods, the standard be fixed at from 3 to 4 parts of potassium iodide (KI) per 250,000 of salt.

11. In New Zealand cabbage has not shown any marked goitrogenic activity as tested on rabbits.

12. Turnip roots showed sporadically a goitrogenic activity comparable with that found for the most active samples of cabbage in other countries.

13. In tests of Brassica seeds on rats, goitrogenic activity was found in rape seed, cabbage seed, steamed white mustard seed, and steamed black mustard seed.

14. The activity of rape seed was destroyed by steaming.

We have pleasure in acknowledging the financial help which we have received from the Sir John Roberts Endowment for Medical Research, from the Sir H. L. Ferguson Fund and from the Honorary Staff of the Dunedin Hospital, and for the co-operation of a large number of our colleagues in New Zealand and Samoa in the collection of specimens.