East Saginaw courier., 1866-06-28
Effects of the Excessive Use of Su-
gar on the System.


gar on the System.
DIR. Champouillon communicated
tho result of his observations on the
effects-of the excessive use of sugar
on the system. So far back as the
year 1916, the author undertook Sc
ries of experiments on himself, in or
der to supply the Minister of War
with information as TO the possibility
of replacing salt by-sugar in the pre-
paration of the preserved meats des-
tined for the use of the army during
a campaign. In accordance with his
Instructions, M. Champouillon strictly
confined himself to the diet which
may be accidentally enforced on gar
rison of beseiged city by the hard
ships Of war, and for several days in
succession, lived on the following ra-
tions4 sixteen ounces of beef preserv-
ed in sugar, and four ounces of bis
cut water was his only beverage
Various phenomena supervened in the
following order; thirst, sinking at the
stomach, distaste for food, nausea,
acid regurgitation, epigastric pain,
diarrh@a, prostration and syncope.
"I carefully watched these symp-
toms" says M. Champouillon, " and
the loss Of appetite and nausea indu-
bitably proceeded from the absence of
variety in my diet; whereas, the thirst,
heartburn, epigastric pain, and, diarr-
hna were clearly referable to the diff
Guilty of digesting cane sugar. In pro-
portion to the impression produced by
this substance on the organs of taste,
il clogs the palate, and destroys natu-
raj appetite. The excessive indulg-
.enoe in sirups, sweat-meats, pastes,
and highly diet drinks
brings on distaste for food, and ami
hilates the digestive powers, especially
in cases of pulmonary consumption"
After expatiating on the transforma-
ton of cane sugar into glucose, in con-
sequence of its contact with the acids
contained in the gastric juice, and on
the injury caused by the increased
activity impaired to the functions of
the stomach by frequent repetition of
the process, M. Champouillon showed
that in addition to the infamatory
congestion thus occasioned, glucose
powerfully contributed to the estab-
lishment of-a plethoric condition of
the system, and that the prevalent
opinion that the excessive use of sugar
tends to cause pulmonary irritation
and disposition to atrophy, is but
too we'll justified by facts. In sup
port of this view the author adduced
two interesting cases, one of apoplexy,
the other of h@moptysis, in which
the agency of this cause was distinct
lyyevidentJ T r.
~ '~''1 have often remarked" said he,
Gin thirty-three years experience of
tubercular disease, that the cough,
hectic fever, and night-sweats are in
creased by the fondness of the patients
for sweet substances. i conceive this
to be the natural consequence Of the
combustion of the glucose in the sys-
tenn, phenomenon which necessarily
implies the production of water, car
.bonic acid, and heat. 1t is we'll
known fact that three and half
ounces of sugar consumed in the hu-
man body evolve an amount of heat
equivalent to what might be produced
blythe combustion of thirty-two grains
of charcoal. NM. Favrot and Silber-
man have shown that fifteen grains of
charcoal are sufficient to impart one
degree (cent.) of heat, to eight kilo-
grammes, or sixteen pounds of water.
a If the capacity of the human body
for caloric is the same as that of water,
three ounces and half of sugar will,
in a subject weighing seventy five
kilogrammes 124 ST. raise during
their combustion the temperature OF
the body four degrees and half cen.
tigrade." % 9As E
The practical conclusion Of this pa
per is. that is desirable to reduce with.
in as narrow limits as possible the
consumption of sugar, especially in
cases of tuberculosis, and to replace
. that Substance by honey, or decoc
tion of liquorioe.