MEDICAL NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5, 6 January 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

MEDICAL NOTES.

« DIABETES. This is a peouliar disease of the constitution of a very serious nature ; it is one which almost always tends to get gradually worse, and leads to a fatal issue. Yet, notwithstanding its severity m many cases, no actual disease of any organ can be found. Diabetes is shown to be present by weakness, wasting, thirst, and especially by the production of a greatly increased amount of urine, which shows a diseased oondition by containing a chemical compound sailed gluoose or grape sugar. In a healthy person no sugar of any sort is found m the urine. In diabetes this sugar comes to be formed m the blood by some failure m the liver or the nervous system, and it is removed by the kidneys by their greatly increased aotion. Yet postmortem examinations rarely show any serious disease m the kidneys, liver, or brain ; so that the ailment is still much a mystery. . It sometimes follows shock to the j system and injuries of the brain and spine, but m the greatest number of cases the onset is gradual and hardly noticed until the great amount of urine calls attention to some state of disease. It is generally painless, but causes much discomfit from thirst, harsh, dry skin, constipation, muscular weakness, with mental depression and irritability. There is often a sense of nausea and a sinking feeling at the pit of the stomach ; yet the appetite may be unnaturally large. The disease is essentially chronio and may last for years. In later stages loss of sight by cataract m the eyes is common. The fatal ending is generally due to some other acute disease coming on, such as bronohitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, phthisis, or gangrene of the limbs. Tbe large quantity of urine passed always contains this sugar. If there is no sugar there is no diabetes, and the ailment is either hysterical or nervous, or due to Bright's disease. The sugar can only be dc'rc^d by chemical tests. The treatment by drugs is very disappointing, for hardly any medicine beyond the preparations of opium has any effeob whatever. Among drugs whose value has been vauntedaresulphur, phosphorus, yeast iodine, turpentine, mineral acids, and alum ; but all these fail to cure. The treatment by diet is alone of value. Forbid all sugar, pastry, fruit, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, macaroni, starches of all kinds, and white bread. The patient should be fed upon brown bread, biscuits, green fresh vegetables, meat, poultry, game, fish, milk, and eggs. He may drink water, tea, soda water, and spirits freely diluted, but not beer, stout, liqueurs, nor coffee.