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Kōrero: Medical research

Bombs for Bertie! Fighting tooth decay, 1950s

Image
 Bombs for Bertie! Fighting tooth decay, 1950s

This poster from the 1950s advocated consuming fruit and vegetables to kill '"Bertie" the germ' – a representation of the bacteria that cause tooth decay or dental caries. Research on dental health was another field given priority by Medical Research Council funding.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-C-DENTAL-1950s-02

Courtesy of Ministry for Health

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Derek Dow, Medical research – Medical Research Council, 1937 to 1990, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/ephemera/45807/bombs-for-bertie-fighting-tooth-decay-1950s (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Derek Dow, i tāngia i te 23 June 2014.