NEW TREATMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 48, 4 May 1942, Page 5

NEW TREATMENT

FOR "SPLIT" MIND

SAVES SUGAR AND INSULIN

In making economics on sugar and insulin for the treatment of people, who like Jekyll and Hyde, have schizophrenia, or "split" minds, British medical men have 1 found that the new methods, now tried out over a whole year, give better results. No sugar is now used, and the consumption. of insulin has heeo reduced by over a* quarter. Normally, schizophrenia is treated by injecting insulin into the muscles, and when patient falls into a coma he is fed with sucrose; on waking he is given sweetened drinks. In this way each patient requires cue pound of sugar a day, whereas the ration allowance is only yi lb per week. It has now been found better to replace the sugar entirely by potatoes mashed into a thin soup wiith; milk and water, a pint of this be-* ing fed after the patient has been brought out of the coma with an injection of 20 c.cm. of glucose (33 per cent). Turning their attention to economy of insulin, the doctors found that by injecting it into the veins instead of administering it by the intramuscular method, they could reduce the amount, given from . 117 toi 84 units (averaged over 24 patients) . In this way a saving lias been, made of 841 bs of sugar a week, or about lGcwt over the year, as well as 23.8 per cent of the insulin used. Hit by Taxi While crossing the road last Fridayevening Mr Charlie Eivers, well-* known lccal identity was an incoming taxi and knocked down. He was taken to the hospital Avhere he was found to be suffering extent sively from bruises, cuts and contusions. His condition this morning was given as good. Borough Collections Reporting to the Patriotic Committee last Friday on canvassing activities within the Borough, the Mayor, Mr 13. S. Barry, said that the work had been divided up be-* tween the ladies and the men. As usual the ladies were well en the way but the men had decided on a comprehensive canvass of the town*, splitting it into 15 sections. It was quite a big job to find 45 collectors and if there had been any lag m this respect he would accept the responsibility. However it was hoped to get many people contributing on a monthly basis and the committee could rest assured that everything would be done to raise the required quotaj