Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-26

case family history OF sugar sickness.
Children previously perfectly free from
diabetes will, all OF n sudden. manifest
the disease after having been struck on
the head Or the spine or the abdomen.
Diabetes in the young is very likely,
indeed. to complcnte such diseases as
tubcrculous meningitis. ST. Vitus dance
ana epilepsy: and to follow upon n sc.
we're cold or some such weakening dis
ease as typhoid fever. Children from six
months TO fifteen years may be sufferers.
ana diabetes Is much more grave in the
young than in the elderly whereas, in
most other diseases, youth survives,
while age succumbs. Indeed, death is the
rule for children In from as early as
twelve days TO three months: and they
die from pneumonia or sheer weakness
or from insensibility deepening into
coma. Elderly people often 90 on living
with the disease till an advanced age
Now, anybody must see from some OF
these cases that the pancreas cannot al.
ways be the organ OF the body at fault
Only certain number of cases can be
primarily pancreatic diabetes. Although
the pancreas may eventually be involved
In most or all OF the cases OF sugar sick.
: ness, the first cause has certainly, as we
have seen to begin with. been elsewhere
IN the human economy. 1t must follow,
therefore. that although n pancrcatic
extract Will cure many cases OF this dis
ease, such remedy is not likely TO prove
cure In all cases.
Obviously there are cases in which the
blow has caused the diabetes, the pam
creas being in no wise at fault This
has been proved over and over again in
animals. a rabbit, for instance, has had
It's kidney secretion previously examined
to assure that il is healthy and not dia-
bette. Then blow has been struck on
the head Of the experimental animal or
that part Of its brain known as the floor
OF the fourth ventricle has been irritated
by the point OF q knife; and this opera
ton has been followed Immediately by
an overload Of sugar in that rabbits kid
ney secretion.
We Eat Too Much Candy.
Inen there are very many cases Of dia.
betes in which the initial cause is Ger.
tainly to be found in the liver, cases in
which the glycogenic function Is at fault
have not thus far mentioned this func-
ton In order not to complcate unduly
my demonstration. Now, however, we
can consider that the pancreas has done
Its full duty in converting the starches
and the sugars into glucose; the portal
vein has duly carried tho blood contain
ing the glucose to the liver. One OF the
offices of that important and huge organ
is to convert the glucose conveyed TO 1t
into glycOgen. This means simply that
glucose, as you will see by glancng at
our chemical formulas, is in the liver
simply deprived Of portion OF water,
and is thus. in the form of glycogen,
stored up in the liver as surplus and
temporarily until it is wanted In the body.
Glycogen Is, indeed. the chief reserve of
carbohydrate in animals. The glucose In
the blood is oxidized to make heat and
energy for us; and this glucose is con.
stantly replaced in Our muscles and other
tissues from the glycogen in the hepatic
reservoir. In those of us who are healthy
and are not diabetes sufferers, there is