EELATION OF FOOD TO WORK, AND 291 



at the same time, an examination of its plienomena explains satisfactorily 

 the regimen and diet which has been found, by experience, most suitable 

 to the diabetic patient. I shall illustrate the disease by a case which 

 was placed under my control by Dr. Stokes some years ago. 



A youug- man (fet. 20) named Murphy suffered from fever (enteric?) 

 in November, 1859, and on recoveriug became diabetic; he was admit- 

 ted iuto the Meath Hospital in October, 18G0, where he remained under 

 my observation until his death, on the llith January, ISGl. 



He was allowed, for nine weeks, to eat as much as he liked of certain 

 kinds of food, which were varied, week by week, to suit his wants, my 

 object being to obtain, if possible, the natural constants of the disease, 

 undisturbed by external interference 5 the only medicine used by Dr. 

 Stokes's order being opium, to produce sleep, and a little creosote occa- 

 sionally, to promote digestion. As the details of this experiment have 

 been fully published, I shall couline myself to the final results. His 

 food and excretions were analyzed from week to week, so as to determine 

 the total quantities of sugar-forming and urea-producing food, as well 

 as the sngar and urea actually excreted. 



During six of the nine weeks, the sugar excreted was in excess of the 

 sugar ingested; and the means of the T<'hole nine weeks' daily excretion 

 and ingestion of sugar were — 



Grains. 



Sugar excreted 9, 773 



Sugar ingested 9, 321 



Difference 452 



During two of the nine weeks of observation, the urea excreted was 

 in excess of the urea ingested ; and the means of the whole nine weeks' 

 daily excretion and ingestion of urea were — 



Grains. 



Urea excreted - 1, 182 



Urea ingested 1, 349 



The foregoing facts illustrate strikingly one of tbe prominent sj'mptoms 

 of diabetes, viz, the canine appetite ; the quantity both of sugar-pro- 

 ducing and urea-forming food consumed is more than double what is 

 necessary to maintain a vigorous laborer in perfect health. An exami- 

 nation of the excretions ex[)lains the other prominent symptom of dia- 

 betes, viz, the comi)lete prostration of strength in the i")atient, notwith- 

 standing the great amount of food consumed. 



In a state of health, food produces three excretions only, viz, urea, 

 carbonic acid, and water; in diabetes, the farinaceous foods appear in 

 the excretions as sugar, and not as carbonic acid and water; and the 

 work necessary to maintain animal heat must be provided altogether at 

 the expense of flesh food, which is the very form of food least fitted to 

 maintain it. 



