DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE DOC;. 267 



Case io. — Six-year-old pug. Had fallen away in condition, and ex- 

 hibited cough for a month. Appetite great and thirst acute. No dis- 

 turbance of vision. 



General condition bad. Slight diffuse cloudiness of both lenses ; 

 liver enlarged ; urine light 'yellow, acid, with an intense smell of ace- 

 tone, density i"044, contained 7 per cent, of glucose; saliva alkaline ; 

 little albumen. 



Case ii. — Twelve-year-old Pomeranian bitch. For the previous four 

 months had appeared depressed and tired ; appetite had fallen off during 

 the last few days ; thirst very severe ; polyuria ; animal's skin exhaled a 

 foetid smell. No visual disturbance. Moderately nourished. Trifling 

 opacity of both lenses. The liver was not swollen ; urine pale, trans- 

 parent, acid, and gave off an intense odour of acetone, density i'033, 

 contained traces of albumen, and 8 per cent, of glucose ; saliva 

 alkaline. 



Case 12. — Eight-year-old Basset bitch. Intense thirst ; polyuria 

 and general wasting. Appetite nevertheless good. 



Condition on Examination. — Slight opacity of both lenses ; wasting ; 

 enormous enlargement of the liver; urine clear, slightly yellowish, in- 

 odorous, alkaline, density 1-028, contained traces of albumen and 5 per 

 cent, of glucose ; sali\-a alkaline. 



In five diabetic patients examined after death, Eber found degene- 

 rative changes in the liver. In one the pancreas was atrophied ; in 

 three it showed a few greyish nodules, the nature of which was not 

 determined. 



In man, in whom the aetiology of diabetes has been carefully studied, 

 the principal causes are said to be improper or excessive food, abuse 

 of sugary and starchy materials, sedentar}- life or insufficient physical 

 exercise, gout ; finally, advanced age. The disease is oftenest seen be- 

 tween thirty and seventy years of age, but may also occur before 

 maturity, during adolescence, or even in infancy. 



In the dog diabetes is almost always confined to animals of fairly 

 advanced age. It is exceptional during the first half of life. Of Eber's 

 twelve patients, nine were more than eight years old. The influence 

 of special conditions of life is at least as marked as that of age. Almost 

 all cases are in animals freely fed, leading idle lives, or in pam- 

 pered pet dogs. Many of these are very affectionate and greatly 

 attached to their owners ; they become dull, ill-tempered, and 



