Evening star., 1932-10-28
Research Director Tells As.
sociation of Experiments
on Chickens and Rats.
BIVALVES NEXT TO LIVER
IN CASES OF ANEMIA
Goiter and Pellagra Also Found to
Respond to Use of Sea Food
by Patients.

The oyster was introduced as an
effective dietary treatment Of goiter.
anemia and pellagra in a paper read
before the annual meeting Of the
Oyster Growers and Dealers Association
of North America and the National
Shellfsheries Association, meeting At
the Willard Hotel today by H. D. Pease,
M. D., director of research OF the
dealers association.
Pointing to tests made with chickens
and rats at the experiment station at
West Sayville. Long Island, DIR. Pease's
paper said the bivalves are second only
to liver in their content of iodine, effec-
tive in treatment of goiter, IN the ami
NAL foods for which liver has been
found effective in the treatment Of
anemia, and in Ntamin G, which has
been found effective in treatment OF
pellagra.
Oysters Stimulate Growth.
DR.. Pease did not recommend oysters
as an actual cure Of these diseases, but
declared that they rate just below liver
as dietary treatment.
THE experiments I have made" he
said, show that oysters fed chickens
and rats stimulate their growth. Thus,
oysters approach liver in nutritive
values relating not only to iodine, iron
and copper, but also with respect to
growth promoting power and the pre-
vention of pellagra. They contain q
good balance of most of the vitamins
as shown by Government investigators. "
The efficacy of sea food, particularly
oysters and shrimp. in prevention OF
goiter, was cited also by DR.. Roe e.
Remington. director of the South Caro-
line Food Research Laboratory and pro-
feSsor of nutrition of the Medical Col
lege of South Carolina, In q paper read
this afternoon.
DR.. Remington pointed out that there
is a "goiter belt" in this country.
roughly designated as centering about
the Great Lakes, extending eastward
into New York, south to Kentucky and
Missouri and westward to the Pacific
Coast.
Iodine Washed Away.
This belt Is the result of the wash
ing away. into the sea through the
ages, Of the iodine In the soil Of these
areas.
In some States bordering on the
Great Lakes" he declared, the great
majority of school children have goiter
in fact. there are some schools where
1t Is difficult to find a child without
it. People living where goiter Is COM
mon can best protect themselves by
weekly use OF sea food, particularly
oysters and shrimp, for the iodine they
contain.
"Shellfsh and crustaceans contain
much more ioaine than vertebrate fish;
in fact, more than any other natural
food except seaweed. Neither vege-
tables nor seafood suffer any loss Of
iodine in canning"
In another paper D. Breese Jones,
discussing at length the food proper
ties of marine-grown products, said
of dietary factors necessary for the
formation Of body tissues and for the
regulation Of certain physiological pro-
cesses rather than in their value as q
source OF fuel or energy"
Want Farm Status.
DR.. Thurlow c. Nelson of Rutgers
University discussed nutrition OF oysters
and the chemistry Of the g.eening OF
oysters, which has occurred III various
sections of the country, was discussed
by Or. J. ]. McBrice Of the Pease Lab
oratories, New York
This evening there will be q discus
sion of the plan of the oyster dealers
to bring their industry into the same
class as the farmer. 1t is the conten-
ton of the oyster men that the oyster
producer who plants Shells keeps his
oyster beds In healthy condition and
reaps his crop in the same way the
land farmer works, should be regarded
legally as q farmer and not be subject
to the regulation Of the Sherman anti
trust law.
w. c. Neal, extension economist of
the New Jersey department Of home
economics and J. Richard Nelson Of the
New Jersey oyster investigation labora-
tory, will report on the investigations
which the association has been carry
ing on to determine the appropriate and
necessary legal means Of obtaining Fed
eral recognition Of oyster farmers as
"agriculturalists."