Medicine: Goiter Hint

The established theory is that goiter is due to lack of iodine in food & drink. Iodine stimulates the thyroid gland. In goiter the thyroid swells to compensate for its iodine insufficiency.

Dr. C. Alexander Hellwig, 42, of St. Francis Hospital, Wichita, Kan. doubted that theory. He had noted as had others that a diet low in iodine, high in calcium produced the most pronounced goiters. He believed there must be a positive cause for goitrous enlargement of the thyroid, probably calcium.

Wichita is an excellent place for goiter experiment. The region was archaically the bottom of a sea. Its soil contains much iodine. Goiter is consequently rare. In that propitious environment he fed animals with food low in both iodine and calcium. The animals did not develop goiter. Instead, their thyroids atrophied. Then to iodine-deprived animals he gave large quantities of calcium-containing foods. At once they developed goiter.

Proved apparently was his hypothesis that for want of iodine, thyroids degenerate; surfeited with calcium they enlarge. But there may be more factors than calcium which cause the positive enlargement. For such biochemists were searching last week.