MEDICINAL TREATMENT 273 



not known how to explain this remarkable influence. By 

 some it is said that the oatmeal shows its full specific influ- 

 ence only when used in whole form, the individual con- 

 stituents failing of effect. 88 Others 89 hold that experiments 

 with isolated oat-starch give practically the same favorable 

 results as does ordinary oat-meal diet. Oat-starch, if this 

 be true, is different from other starches in its behavior in 

 the diabetic economy. 



Influence of Mineral Waters. It is generally known that 

 the use of certain mineral spring waters has long played 

 a large role in the treatment of diabetes. ' ' The real factors 

 in the undoubtedly favorable influence of residence in estab- 

 lishments at Carlsbad, Neuenahr, etc., upon certain forms 

 of diabetes, " remarks F. Umber 90 in his excellent book, full 

 of the spirit of the wholesome critic, "are certainly not due 

 to the effects of the waters themselves, but to other condi- 

 tions, as the rest, the well-regulated mode of living, change 

 of surroundings and, by no means the last, to physicians 

 especially experienced in this field of pathology. The dia- 

 betic subjects who are most benefited on the spot from 

 this sort of treatment are those belonging in the milder 

 type of the disease, possibly afflicted by disturbances of the 

 liver, the digestive organs, etc., upon which as experience 

 shows the methods of treatment at the baths have an espe- 

 cially good influence. These people are likely to be par- 

 ticularly benefited at such cures if they are not in position, 

 for special professional or other reasons, to live a properly 

 regulated life at home." 



Medicinal Treatment of Diabetes. Naunyn is disposed 

 to pass a practically quashing judgment upon the medicinal 

 therapy of diabetes, characterizing the whole numberless 



88 O. Baumgarten and G. Grund (Halle, a. S.), Deutsch. Arch. f. klin. Med., 

 104, 168, 1911. 



89 A. Magnus-Levy, Verhandl. d. 28. Kongr. f. innere Med., Wiesbaden, 

 p. 246, 1911; cf. also discussion ensuing. 



90 F. Umber, Lehrb. d. Ernahr., usw., p. 236, 1909. 

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