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Show iiP1 T A L K S Hil teg ft by WILLIAM . BRfeY.MD)b . v'5i Diabetes Diabetes cannot be cured by any drug or combination of drugs known to science, nor by an,y bath, or diet, or other known method of treatment. , The disease is not an acquisition, not something taken by the patient, not an entity. Diabetes is merely the name given to the weakness of a bodily function, namely, the function ( of assimilating -certain foods. Since it may be, and is due to decidedly dif- I fcrcnt causes in different cases 6omc trouble in a nerve center of the brain in one case, and a lesion of the pancreas pan-creas in another it is plain that any treatment purporting to cure diabetes is not to be taken seriously. Scientific treatment will, however, enable the victim of diabetes to preserve pre-serve reasonably good health and life indefinitely. The first requirement in the-man-agement of any case not wholly be-ond be-ond hope is a fast, lasting from three to six or eight days, long enough to clear the 9ugar from the urine, and for twenty-four or forty-eight hours longer. long-er. T.hcn a limited diet which will support life without producing sugar in the urine. This is known as the Allen method, because worked out by Dr. Allen and associates at the Medical Med-ical Research Hospital of the Rockefeller Rocke-feller Institute, though the idea was given to us by Guclpa in Europe years ago. Alkalies may be useful in the first few days, especially in cases with a tendency to stupor or coma the great danger in neglected diabetes. The unconsciousness is a result of acidosis acido-sis poisoning by certain acids derived de-rived from fats in the food. Once free of sugar in the urine, and of diacctic acid, the problem is to teach the patient that he must confine con-fine himself to a regimen consistent with his limited ability to metabolize or assimilate carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and, in a certain degree, fats. He must learn how to select a menu within the limitations determined deter-mined in the study of his case it varies in different patients, of course, according to the individual capacity to assimilate the foods named. Here is one important feature. After the fast the patient must keep his weight below what is deemed normal nor-mal for healthy persons. When one with diabetes takes on weight the outlook is serious. Some of the best things for diabetics diabet-ics to eat arc lettuce, spinach, sauerkraut, sauer-kraut, celery, cauliflower, rhubarb, cabbage, string beans, Brussels sprouts, clams, oysters, liver, fish roe, onions, turnip, squash, carrots, beets, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, nuts, green peas, parsnips, oatmeal, lean meat. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS This is Easy I am an ofllco man, G-i years old, and have led a sedentary llfo for many years. During a great part of this time I 'have bled copiously irom hemorrbolda. For weeks nt a time I will bleed every day. I suffer no pain, but often feel freak and lnck ambition. Have tried Bevoral physicians physi-cians and every pUe remedy my friends have sugceBted; what shall I do next? ANSWER. Try a dose of steel, administered admin-istered by a competent snrgeon, under n pleasant anaesthetic Uko ether or nitrous oxide. Certainly no other method will euro yon. A Mere D. or a Skin D.? Will yon please suggest which doctor 1 better to go to, for ono afflicted vrlth syphilis, a M. D. or a 8kln D ? (A. Ii.) ANBWBR. Tho Rkln manifestation? of svphlllB aro the least serious effects of the disease. You should consult a mere doctor. Don't confuno the word specialist with tho word skilful Any licensed doctor doc-tor may be a specialist In any branch o( medlclno tomorrow, If ho wishes, without a single hour of special preparation. The law does not concern Itself with the line of practice a physician follows. As I bave said repeatedly, the competent specialist spe-cialist receives his patients from professional profes-sional colleagues who desire his expert help. Dr. Brady clll answer all slQnc(T letters pertaining to hcaltTi. The names of lorlters arc never printed. Only inquiries of qencral interest are anstccrcd in this column; but all inquiries will be answered by mail if a stamped self-addressed envelope is enclosed. Requests for diagnosis or treatment of individual cases cannot be considered. Address Dr. William Brady, care of this newspaper. |