270 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1445 



Adriatic sea water. Winkler probably bad 

 less decaying organic matter in bis samples 

 tban were present in mine, as be makes no 

 mention of difficulty on account of tbe pres- 

 ence of colloid material. 



A sample of water wbicb I dipped up from 

 tbe Saltair pier, in tbe Great Salt Lake, Utab, 

 contained only 40 per cent, more iodine than 

 in sea water although the chlorine concentra- 

 tion was about 500 per cent, greater tban in 

 sea water. Since tbe Great Salt Lake is the 

 residue left from the evaporation of Lake 

 Bonneville, which was 1,000 feet deeper than 

 the Great Salt Lake, and received practically 

 all of the drainage of the Great Basin, cover- 

 ing Utab and parts of neighboring states, we 

 have here a demoustration of tbe small quanti- 

 ties of iodine that are given up in the weather- 

 ing of both igneous and sedimentary rocks. 



Practically all of the iodine of tbe earth's 

 surface is in tbe sea, which contains about 

 sixty billion metric tons of iodine in tbe form 

 of inorganic salts. This iodine probably en- 

 tered the sea at the time chlorine accumulated 

 in it. Iodides were probably the most soluble 

 salts on tbe earth's surface, chlorides being 

 next in solubility. If the earth was once hot 

 on tbe surface, it is probable that hydriodic 

 acid existed in the atmosphere and was washed 

 into the sea with the lii'st rain. Insoluble 

 iodides of heavy metals are considered by 

 Emmons to be secondary formations, due to 

 tbe seepage of sea water through ores. 



Judging by tbe prevalence of goitre, there 

 is often a deficiency of iodine in our food and 

 drink. At present, so little is known about 

 the exact quantities of iodine taken into om' 

 stomachs that we can judge only by the num- 

 ber of cases of goitre. Omitting the details of 

 local distribution of goitre, there is a wide 

 goitre belt extending north along the Appa- 

 lachian mountains to Vermont, thence west 

 through the Great Lakes region to Montana 

 and Washington and turning south it finally 

 includes all of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific 

 states. In fact, the goiterous belt includes 

 the mountainous and glaciated regions. Since 

 tbe run-ofl: from mountainous and glaciated 

 regions has carried away so much of tbe 

 soluble material, it seems likely for this reason 



in addition to other evidence that tbe goitre 

 belt is a low iodide belt. 



Since the goiter belt includes large cities 

 and millions of population, it seems unlikely 

 at present that all of its inhabitants will re- 

 ceive iodide medication in pui'e form. Since 

 tbe sea contains tbe bulk of the supply, the 

 transfer of iodine from the sea to our food or 

 drink should be increased. Perhaps tbe most 

 attractive method is the inclusion of sea-foods 

 in our diet, but this is limited. Dr. Turrentine 

 of the Kelp-Potasb Plant at Summerland, Cal., 

 informs me that powdered kelp, when added 

 in small amount to food can not be tasted and 

 when added in larger ■ amount imparts a 

 pleasing taste to it. Since it is richer in iodine 

 than ordinary sea-food and is relatively 

 abundant, it should be an important source of 

 iodine in our diet. Since sea water and salt- 

 deposits contain iodine, salt might be made an 

 important source of iodine in our dietary 

 scheme. Blood and shell fish are about the 

 only foods that do not require tbe addition of 

 salt to make them palatable and fill our physi- 

 ological needs, and hence tbe presence of 

 iodine in salt would insure its universal con- 

 sumption. Mr. 0. S. Eask and myself failed 

 to find iodine in any one of a number of sam- 

 ples of salt examined. Salt could easily be 

 prepared from sea water as described above 

 with the retention of tbe iodine compounds 

 and at a cost not exceeding that of present- 

 day table salt. Some of tbe magnesimu car- 

 bonate precipitated from it could be added 

 later if it be desired to make a shaker-salt, 

 but from a nutritive standpoint, the addition 

 of calcium phosphate for this purpose is 

 highly desirable. 



J. F. McClendon 



University of Minnesota 



INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF 

 CHEMISTS AT UTRECHT 



At Utrecht on June 21 to 23, there was held 

 tbe first gathering at which chemists from Ger- 

 many and Austria have met with chemists from 

 England, America and other countries for tbe 

 presentation and discussion of scientific papers. 

 The following persons were present: America: 

 L. M. Dennis, D. A. Maclnnes, W. A. Noyes. 



