The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-23

his column.
starches completely as in health,
because of defect in the cells of
the pancreas which produce the
substance insulln, and that its
treatment and management are
quite satisfactory by either reduc-
ing the starches and sugars in the
diet or BY giving insulin artih-
cially.
That, of course, does not cover
every difficulty in the management
as every diabetic finds out for him
self when he starts out to under
take his own treatment, even
under the best medical direction.
Childhood and Middle Age
One very important point that
should be stressed is the differ
ence between the management of
diabetes in childhood and middle
age.
Childhood diabetes is invariably
far more severe than the adult
form. There is a greater degree Of
destruction of those cells Of the
pancreas which secrete insulin and
the utilization of glucose is there
fore down to very low levels. The
middle-aged diabetic can, in over
half the cases, get along by dieting
alone. Most people after forty eat
more than they need anyway, and
they can easily cut down on the
starch and sugar intake to supply
them with enough energy and not
overburden their bodily mocha
nism of burning glucose. II they
simply renounce sugar in the cof-
fee, bread, oatmeal, and crackers
they usually are able to put them
selves in energy balance and
equilibrium without showing any
surplus of glucose in the urine or
blood.
Children, however, who develop
diabetes for reasons that we only
partially understand have a far
greater destruction of insulin-pro-
ducing cells so that it is hardly
possible to keep them sugar-free
by diet alone. In other days, befors
the advent of insulin, it was indeed
a pitiful sight to see these children
trying to get along on 20, 80 or 40
grams of carbohydrate a day.
They were thin to emaciation and
always on the verge of acidosiS
Insulin q Godsend
When insrlin was introduced It
was like a gospel Of glad tidings
not only to these children, but to
their parents. A child with dia-
betes now can take enough insulin
by hypodermic in the morning to
last all through the day and allow
him enough carbohydrate to keep
plump and full of energy. Further
more, the great shadow of coma
and acidosis is removed. No scien-
tific discovery could ever have
done more for any group than that
of insulin did for these children.
Between these two extremes lie
every variety and degree of case.
Some need just little insulin to
bring their sugar utilization up TO
their needs. Some prefer not to
diet at all, but to depend on insulin,
though most specialists think that
is q mistake.
Islands OF Langerhsns
What are the really funda-
mental differences between these
young and middle-aged diabetes ?
The cells in the pancreas which
produce insulin are called islands
of Langerhans, and each has blood
vessels going to it, because the
secretion is not used in the diges-
tive function Of the pancreas. The
middle-aged diabetic usually has
some hardening Of the arteries and
when the arteries involved are the
ones going to an island of LANCER
hans that accounts for his dia-
betes. But seldom on this account
is the destruction of island cells
complete.
The child who develops dia-
betes, on the other hand, has some
sort of an infection or other proc
ess which practically wipes out its
insulin-producing cells.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A. Sis it possible for a per-
son TO have ulcer Of the stomach
and still have insufficient hydro
chloric acid in the stomach con-
tents?