The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1930-03-05
IN PUBLIC HEALTH

n lat man may De JOlly Out ne ue-
serves pity and help, rather than to
be laughed at. Nature has made him
the target of disease. He is more
susceptible to pneumonia than the
fellow who is thin and spare, and
diabetes turks for his coming, just
around the corner"
This is the opinion of the Educa
tional Committee of the Minnesota
State Medical Association expressed
in buelltin today. 1t declares that
in people past the age of 80 the COM
mon cases of diabetes occur in those
who allow themselves to get too fat.
The prevention of the diabetic trou-
BILE will come by care in eating and
the improved exercise which MAIN
tains the weight at strictly normal
level. There is new and more urgent
reason found year by year, why per-
sons over 80 years of age should be
very careful to remain within the nor
NAL limits of weight and height.
''In the treatment of diabetes, it is
necessary to allow the patient to eat
a sufficient amount of ordinary foods
to keep up his weight and allow him
to do whatever productive work he
Desires" declares the bulletin. "The
diet which is now prescribed for dia-
bette patients is devised to furnish as
little sugar as is necessary for the
body and to make up the balance of
food by the use of large amounts of
fat. Since, however, even fat leads
to the formation of some sugar in
the body all the food must be meas
ured and there is no food which the
diabetic patient should eat in unlimit-
ed quantities. The important thing
for the diabetic patient is not what
he eats so much as how much he eats
of each different food material. 1t
is obvious that the diabetic patient
must be taught how to measure his
food, and therefore, the treatment of
! diabetes includes considerable
amount of instruction. This instruc-
ton cannot be given in book form
alone because the diet for any patient
must be adapted to the needs of that
Individual.
"Most diabetic patients are able to
eat sufficient amounts for their needs
without any further treatment if
their food is properly measured.
There are, however, thousands of
people in the United States with dia-
betes who cannot eat enough foods
to maintain themselves for more than
a few months without help. Since
1922 a wonderful form of assistance
has been available. This help comes
from the injection of insulin with the
hypodermic syringe and needle.
These extracts are very powerful
but still they can be used with an ex-
treme degree of exactness. 1t is
possible to determine just how much
insulin the diabetic patient needs to
go with the definitely measured diet
and, therefore, to keep such patient
in perfect condition for any length of
time. Insulin is not like any drug OBJ
taineL' from other source than the
animal body. 1t is purely replace
ment of material which is lacking in
the patients body.
Unfortunately, it is still just as
necessary as it was years ago to in
ject insulin with the syringe and
needle for if it is given to a patient
by any other method, it is entinrely
wasted. If the insulin is taken with
out careful measurement of the diet
at we'll as the accurate measurement
of the insulin, there are two types of
dangers. First, not enough insulin
will be taken and the patient will be-
come worse while thinking that he is
taking proper care of himself. An
other equally serious danger is that
of insulin being used in excess
amounts. This will cause several I'M
pleasant symptoms and if the excess
is large enuogh it may cause very
serious complications. No cure for
diabetes has yet been found, but
when modern treatment is constantly
followed the diabetic remains to all
intpptS parfactly wall -