An Iodine Road Trip

South Carolina Stationery, 1931

       I  LOVE this story! Two young women from South Carolina took it upon themselves to travel cross-country, promoting the high-iodine produce and milk from their home state. In 1929! On their own! What an adventure this must have been!

I have not been able to find anything else on this story. I would love to know if they continued out west... and whether they were able to meet the mayor of New York City... and whether or not they ever needed to use that unloaded gun to fend off suitors.... 

A little background on South Carolina's claim to fame as "The Iodine State":

http://www.scencyclopedia.org/iodine.htm

From the Spartanville, S.C. Journal, 06-11-29

Spartanville, S.C. Journal

Two Charming Girls Spreading Gospel South Carolina Iodine

South Carolina Farm Products are on the boom in New York, due largely to an Iodine campaign conducted by two charming Columbia girls, Misses Gwendolyn Conder and Nena Blackwell.

They are spreading the gospel of South Carolina iodine and selling handsome rosebuds to make expenses as they travel far and wide in their sign plastered motor car. They explained to a New York newspaperman the vegetables and fruit from this area contain more iodine than those from other sections and as results are highly valuable in combatting goiter.

Facts and figures from the South Carolina Natural Resource Commission reinforce all statements the young women make. This pride in what the Palmetto state can produce is one of the incentives behind the travels of the girls through many states, and they are receiving no compensation from any organization, they emphatically told the New York writers. The rosebuds pay as well as pave the way for the two girls. While one drives the car, the other deftly fashions the artificial blossoms which they sell for from 25 cents to $5 each.

They left Columbia with less than $10 June 10, but have never been in need, the girls said.

While eager to go places, see things and meet people, the southern beauties profess to spurn romance for a large placard reads, "not matrimonially inclined". Moreover, they carry a gun with them although it is not loaded. Before striking out for the West they expect to stay in New York for a few days and meet Mayor Jimmy Walker.

"not matrimonially inclined" haha!

All images from my collection

I was right

It was my supposition years ago that the reason that iodine fortification of foodstuffs was reduced/eliminated in the eighties was due to the fact that doctors were having a difficult time reading radioactive thyroid scans because people's thyroids were saturated with iodine.

Unfortunately the curezone search function is not working at the moment. When I am able to locate a link to the original post on the 70s study that details that difficulty with radioactive scans I will do so, and update this post.

A-Ha! Me posteth too soon. Update:

http://www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=1488580&s=1#i1

From Google News Archive: The Toledo Blade, 02/28/1981

A close-up of the portion that deals with radioactive iodine thyroid scans:

And this article, from The Lakeland Ledger, 11/21/85. Please note the headline:

 EXCESSIVE IODINE IN OUR DIETS RAISES QUESTIONS ON ITS HEATH EFFECT

and from the last paragraph:

To date, there have been NO PROBLEMS associated with the increased iodine in our food supply.

I just don't know what to say about this. How on earth did reports that radioactive iodine uptake was limited because people were saturated turn into a recommendation by the United States Food and Nutrition Board that "adventitious sources of iodine in the American Food System" be replaced by compounds containing little or no iodine? When there were NO PROBLEMS associated with the "excess" iodine?

More information on recommendation of food and nutrition Board:

http://iodinehistory.blogspot.com/2013/09/goodbye-iodine-1980.html