TREATMENT OF DIABETES. To the
Editor,
"
Indian Medical Gazette."
Sir,?In treating diabetes it ought to be borne in mind that
dietetic treatment of an appropriate kind is most important, more especially in middle-age people, and this bears out the rule of Prout, who laid it down long ago that " diet is the first and chief point to be attended to." a
The diet ought to be so regulated as to prevent sugar formed from the food, so that all sugar-forming food. mu6t be prohibited ; this prohibition should be gradual and not abrupt; its place, however, must be supplemented by assimilable oil or fat food, such as cream, codliver-oil, butter, cheese, fat bacon, ham aud meat to any quantity, except liver.
being
Too much milk should not be allowed, nor should pastry, potatoes, beetroot, puddings and farinaceous substances be allowed at all. The highly advertised diabetic foods, if really prepared as stated, without starch would be very beneficial, aud will supply a want long felt in filling up the gaps made by the prohibition of articles of food which by long use make them almost indispensable, and renders the
less disconteuted with the task set before him aud amenable to treatment. The gluten and almond biscuits prepared for the victims of diabetes are so pleasant to the taste, that invalids require no encouragement to use Diabetic food may also be sweetened with saccharin them. tabloids which are prepared by Messrs. Burroughs and Welcome.
patient more
It is necessary to regulate the drink as well as the food of diabetic patients. Water should only be drunk in moderation, wiiile chocolate, sweet ales, cider, and all sweet aud sparkling wines should be forbidden ; in fact it is unadvisable to take alcohol in any form. As far as drug treatment goes, there are none which may be termed consistently satisfactory ; codeia, certainly in combination with a strict diet, has a beneficial result. It may or ? grain doses three times a day at first, be given in then less frequently. Dr. Mitchell Bruce thinks that opium or its derivatives should not be used until the full effect of a strict diet has been tried ; but clinical experience goes to show that codeia can and ought to be given coincident with a strict diet ; one acts as an adjuvant of the other and hastens the process of cure. Professor Fraser thinks that morphia is more effective in some cases than codeia. Salicilate of sodium is regarded with favour by some, especially in those cases where opium is contraindicated. In treating diabetic coma, early aud thorough purging with a large dose of calomel is about the best, followed by stimulants and doses of potass, acetas with digitalis every hour at first and then less frequeutly.
Gauhati, February Ht/i, 1892.
AL1CK FERMIE.
Editor,
"
Indian Medical Gazette."
Sir,?In treating diabetes it ought to be borne in mind that
dietetic treatment of an appropriate kind is most important, more especially in middle-age people, and this bears out the rule of Prout, who laid it down long ago that " diet is the first and chief point to be attended to." a
The diet ought to be so regulated as to prevent sugar formed from the food, so that all sugar-forming food. mu6t be prohibited ; this prohibition should be gradual and not abrupt; its place, however, must be supplemented by assimilable oil or fat food, such as cream, codliver-oil, butter, cheese, fat bacon, ham aud meat to any quantity, except liver.
being
Too much milk should not be allowed, nor should pastry, potatoes, beetroot, puddings and farinaceous substances be allowed at all. The highly advertised diabetic foods, if really prepared as stated, without starch would be very beneficial, aud will supply a want long felt in filling up the gaps made by the prohibition of articles of food which by long use make them almost indispensable, and renders the
less disconteuted with the task set before him aud amenable to treatment. The gluten and almond biscuits prepared for the victims of diabetes are so pleasant to the taste, that invalids require no encouragement to use Diabetic food may also be sweetened with saccharin them. tabloids which are prepared by Messrs. Burroughs and Welcome.
patient more
It is necessary to regulate the drink as well as the food of diabetic patients. Water should only be drunk in moderation, wiiile chocolate, sweet ales, cider, and all sweet aud sparkling wines should be forbidden ; in fact it is unadvisable to take alcohol in any form. As far as drug treatment goes, there are none which may be termed consistently satisfactory ; codeia, certainly in combination with a strict diet, has a beneficial result. It may or ? grain doses three times a day at first, be given in then less frequently. Dr. Mitchell Bruce thinks that opium or its derivatives should not be used until the full effect of a strict diet has been tried ; but clinical experience goes to show that codeia can and ought to be given coincident with a strict diet ; one acts as an adjuvant of the other and hastens the process of cure. Professor Fraser thinks that morphia is more effective in some cases than codeia. Salicilate of sodium is regarded with favour by some, especially in those cases where opium is contraindicated. In treating diabetic coma, early aud thorough purging with a large dose of calomel is about the best, followed by stimulants and doses of potass, acetas with digitalis every hour at first and then less frequeutly.
Gauhati, February Ht/i, 1892.
AL1CK FERMIE.
