The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-02
ARTIFICIAL FAT
IS CURE FOR
DIABETES
''Intarvm" Proved Success in
Tests at Beth Israel Hos
pitaI in New York.

NEW YORK, Aug. 2.-Discovery
of a new remedy for diabetes in the
form of an artificial fat, based on
theoYetic chemistry and animal ex-
perimentation, was announced at
meeting today of physicians and
nurses at Beth Israel Hospital, New
York, by DIR. Max Kahn, associate in
biological chemistry at the Medical
School of Columbia University and
a member of the American Chemical
Society.
The substance, known as intarvin,
and developed in the Columbia lab
oratories by Prof. Ralph H. Mckee.
has, DR.. Kahn reported, been used
successfully in the cases of more
than two dozen men and women suf-
ferers.
Intarvin, meaning literally I'm
termediate fat" Is declared to be
the first true oleomargarine the
world has ever seen.
The fat is made from margaric
acid and is essentially glyceryl mar
garate. A generation ago oleomar-
garine was made from cotton seed
oil and tallow.
1t was thought to ha glyceryl mar
garate, 1t was explained. and hence
was given the name oleo-margartne,
or fat from margaric acid. How
ever, it was later shown that this
conclusion was based on an incor-
rect analysis and was not mar
garate at all. Accordingly, this in
tarvin is the first real oleomar-
garine.
Two Remedies in Year.
Though diabetes has been known
for more than five centuries, vet"
declared DIR. Kahn, sit IL surprising
that the only remedies which give
promise OF success-insulin and
lntarvin-were both discovered with
n a single year"
DIR. Kahn opening his discourse
reviewed the theory upon which
this treatment Is based, citing in.
designations carried out in both
American and German laboratories
ts marking a notable advance In
physiological chemistry.
I'VE have succeeded" he said, "in
preparing an odd carbon fatty acid
Fat that is edible, Is absorbed to
he extent of about 90 per cent, Is
cataboliZed in the body, and >ioes
not yield the ketone substances dc.
lived from butyric acid.
This fat, when we'll prepared, Is
and tasteless, melting at body
emperature, neutral in reaction
When cold and granulated 1t is
lutte palatable. It does not cause
any sense of nausea. and 1t seems
% satisfy the hungry craving for
at that diabetes have"
Results With Patients.
A number Of patients were fed
a TN
DR. Kahn. who described three
cases with typical results. One
was woman of forty seven and
another a Swedish cement worker,
and at otf-times a prize-fighter.
Ihe man was placed in a separate
Dom. AS much water as he wished
vas permitted. After fasting for
'eVenty-four hours, his blood show
Vi nigh acidosis He was fed the
irtlrlclal fat, the acidosis disap-
9eared, and the man was discharged.
The third case was a man forty.
'our years old with a wife and Two
children. He had been suffering
rom diabetes for five years, and
n year and a half had lost 40
POUNDS In a sanitarium on the Gus.
,onary differentiation treatment.
ne was also affected with tubercu-
IoSis' This patient, according TO
,,r. hahn, relished the fat, his
.; unser was allayed. his acidosis
nlsappeared, and In ten weeks
<aLneo ten pounds in weight. His
tuberculosis not being improved he
was sent to hospital for the care
w. tuberculosis, where he died from
pulmonary hemorrhage,
Cost Is So a. Pound
,as practically prohibitive. being
about $500 a pound Now II ,s
being produced so that n IAN be
sold at about So a hound and il IL
lkely that this cost will soon he
materially reduced. A pound lasts
patient from one to three weeks.