The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1926-12-23
M9s%:!SyM()he Road 9oMs%:1'EI,I
E-B:'etterzkss,1
%MNHealthNG|fz2
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON DIABETES
BY DR.. ARTHUR L. FOSTER
Copyright 1926 by the Bonnet-Brown Corporation Chcsgo

=
The carbohydrate foods (starches
and sugars) are converted into their
final form through the action of an
agent secreted by the islands of Lam
gerans in the pancreas. Physiolo-
gists demonstrated years ago that
removal of the pancreas in expert
ments on dogs was followed by the
appearance of sugar in the urine.
Causes of Diabetes
Clinicians have long ago decided
that the disease of which sugar in
the urine is the characteristic phe-
nomenon (Diabetes) is due to func-
tional incapacity of the pancreatic
islets. Pathologists have found NOR
bid changes in these islets in the
pancreas of persons who died of dia-
betes. So there is no question re-
garding underlying cause of this dis
ease which, judging from statistics,
is considerably on the increase.
Why it is on the increase has not
as yet been definitely established, but
it is the writer's opinion that our
present-day mode of living is largely
responsible. We are at once giving
our organs more to do and depriving
them of the necessary energy for do
ing it. No wonder they collapse un-
der this double handicap!
The organism is capable of genera
ting a certain quotient of nervous en-
ergy which activates the mechanism
and if this is dissipated in other
ways, the function of the organs nee
essarily suffers. And if there be
added to this the imposition of task
out of all proportion to the capacity
of an organ, it cannot help but break
down under the strain.
The Part Played by the Pancreas.
So it is with the pancreas. If the
vegetative nerve stimuli it requires
are not Forthcoming and double or
triple the amount of carbohydrates
it can handle are ingested a break
down is the inevitable consequence.
These observations indicate reason
in back of the direct cause of dia-
betes. We know that in diabetes
there is a functional incapacity of
the pancreas. But it is of even
greater Importance, it seems to me,
to learn why the pancreas in certain
individuals is not working properly;
why it fails to form that internal Sc
erection which is so fundamental to
its function.
The person with normally work
ing pancreas may take in carbohy-
drates far in excess of his energy re-
quirements and assimilate it. But
the individual with an impaired PAN
creas cannot INCEST even the amount
he actually needs without getting in
to trouble. He fails to assimilate it
because it is not in an assimilable
form, for the reason that the pan
creas has failed to make il
so. AS result, when the saturatior
point is reached, the excess is thrown
has diabetis When diabetic restricts
his carbohydrate intake to his assim'
ilative powers the sugar no Longer
appears in his urine.
This does not signify that he il
cured. 1t merely means that he il
taking in just that amount which hi
damaged pancreas can handle. Thi
: may or may not be enough to main
tain him. He must get certain
amount of sugar because it i
through the combustion of the carbo
hydrates that the fats are consumed
Which makes it impossible to suppl
deficiency Of sugars with an exces
of fats
The moment that is attempted tn
imperfectly oxidized fats lead to tn
formation of acetone and two acid
which upset the acid base equilib
rum of the body, producing the con
dition known as acidosis. This is gen
: orally what occurs in diabetes and j
is what eventually kills the diabetit
From the foregoing, which is
mere fraction of what might be writ
ten on this subject, it is apparen
: that in diabetes we have a problem
whose solution is far from simple
Insulin has solved it so far as pro
longing the life of the diabetic i
concerned-it supplies what he lacks
But it is the better part of wisdom tt
so order ones life that he will no
require this secretory crutch. And thu
only way through which this is made
possible is correct living, proper ali
mentation, periodic examination
of the urine, and early recog-
~,,+,o~, sc AL H.