David Murray Cowie (November 19, 1872 – January 27, 1940) was a Canadian-American physician. He pioneered the
salt iodization process in the U.S. He founded the
pediatrics
Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...
department at the
University of Michigan and ran a private hospital in
Ann Arbor
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
which attracted wealthy patients. Cowie was concerned about the widespread problem of
goiter in Michigan (nicknamed the "goiter belt" of America).
Education and family life
Cowie was born on November 19, 1872, in
New Brunswick, Canada. His grandfather was a doctor trained in Glasgow, Scotland. He went to
Battle Creek College
Andrews University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists and is the flagship universit ...
in 1892 before transferring to
University of Michigan to study medicine. He took a second degree at the
University of Heidelberg in Germany in 1908. In 1908 he married Anna Marion Cook who was also a doctor.
Medical practice
After medical school, Cowie was hired by the University of Michigan as an assistant in internal medicine in 1896, working under George Dock on infectious diseases of children. He soon left to study in Germany. On his return he started the pediatrics department at the U-M Hospital. Within a few years he started a small private hospital as well. In 1918 he purchased a large house at 320 South Division in Ann Arbor to house a larger private hospital. In 1920 he was named the first professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan. He was also a researcher, publishing around 100 articles on a variety of medical topics. His study of the issue of goiter in the Midwest would lead to one of his major accomplishments.
Goiter and iodized salt
In the U.S. in the early 20th century,
goiter was especially prevalent in the region around the
Great Lakes and the
Pacific Northwest. Goiter began receiving serious attention as a result of the
World War I draft pointing to the problem in Northern
Michigan and
Wisconsin. At this time, many men were disqualified from military service as a result of the
public health problem.
Aware of the
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
process of adding
sodium iodide
Sodium iodide (chemical formula NaI) is an ionic compound formed from the chemical reaction of sodium metal and iodine. Under standard conditions, it is a white, water-soluble solid comprising a 1:1 mix of sodium cations (Na+) and iodide anions (I ...
or
potassium iodide to table and cooking salt, Cowie decided that a simple way to address the problem of iodine deficiency would be to merely implement the Swiss solution in America. He noted that adding iodine to aquatic environments in the Pacific Northwest seemed to decrease the incidence of goiter among fish species. Public opinion also supported his effort in that "important discoveries of vitamins and their roles in food nutrition" were happening during the period. Cowie appealed to the
Michigan State Medical Society The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) is a professional association representing more than 15,000 physicians in Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly ...
, a "productive group which concerned itself with the search for answers to difficult medical questions pertaining to the health of the state's residents".
Incorporating iodine into a regular diet would not be an easy process; the salt producers of America had to be persuaded to incorporate sodium iodide into their production process. It was difficult to prove that people who consumed iodized salt were better protected from simple goiter, a difficulty that contributed to resistance to the movement. Cowie and the
Michigan State Medical Society The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) is a professional association representing more than 15,000 physicians in Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly ...
turned to the Michigan Salt Producer's Association in 1923. Soon, an iodized salt committee was formed. After several months of meetings and deliberations with physicians and educators, the Executive Council of the Michigan State Medical Society gave Cowie the authority to endorse and implement the production of iodized salt, and the Michigan salt producers agreed to begin producing iodized table salt with labels reading "contains .01 per cent sodium iodide".
[Markel, ''When in Rains it Pours'', p. 219-224]
On May 1, 1924, iodized salt by
Diamond Crystal Salt, Mulkey Salt, Inland Delray Salt, Michigan Salt Works, and Ruggles and Rademaker appeared on Michigan grocers' shelves. By the fall of 1924,
Morton Salt Company began distributing iodized salt nationally.
Cowie's efforts to improve the public health environment necessitated broad cooperation. Cowie gained support from the medical board and market support from the Michigan Salt Producers Association, and with this scientific backing, the general public accepted the change.
Another person who is also credited for the introduction of iodized table salt to America is Dr. William A. Hudson, who devoted much of his time to the study of iodine levels in the blood while at Washington University, the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, and Ford Hospital in Detroit.
Notes
References
*
Markel, Howard. (1987) When It Rains It Pours: Endemic Goiter, Iodized Salt, and David Murray Cowie MD. ''American Journal of Public Health'', vol. 77, pp. 219–229.
Newton County - Encyclopedia of Arkansas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowie, David Murray
1872 births
1940 deaths
American pediatricians
University of Michigan faculty
University of Michigan Medical School alumni
Canadian emigrants to the United States