GENERAL REVIEW OF THE NUTRITIVE PROCESSES. 569 



Tubercle is deposited in the interstices of the tissues, instead of these tissues 

 being themselves regenerated by Organizable Fibrin ; and the same may take 

 place in a more rapid manner, in consequence of that disturbance of the 

 nutrient processes which is known in healthy constitutions as Inflammation 

 ( 606). It is obvious, then, that the treatment of the Strumous Diathesis 

 should be directed towards the invigoration of the general powers of the sys- 

 tem; and although, when disease of the Chest has once established itself, a 

 warm moist atmosphere may be necessary as a preventive of inflammatory 

 affections, it is a great mistake to imagine that such a plan is applicable to 

 those in whom there is merely a strumous predisposition ; for this should be 

 combatted by such means as are calculated rather to brace than to relax the 

 system, especially out-door exercise, a nutritious diet, in which easily-digested 

 protein-compounds should predominate, and an airy and well-ventilated habita- 

 tion. There can be no doubt that the Tuberculous Cachexia is encouraged, 

 and even developed, by injudicious management during the early ages of life, 

 in many cases where it might have been avoided.* 



715. Equally important is the regulation of the diet in regard to its non- 

 azotized constituents. If these are in excess, the elimination of them from the 

 Blood falls especially upon the Liver ( 664) ; and a continued excess gives 

 rise to disorders in its function, which a diminution in the quantity of Farina- 

 ceous or Oleaginous matter ingested would prevent or cure. This is especially 

 liable to happen to Europeans proceeding to warm climates, who are not 

 warned by their decrease of appetite that there is no longer a necessity for the 

 same supply ; but force themselves to eat much more than they have any real 

 occasion for. There is a very remarkable condition of the system, in which 

 there is a tendency to the presence of a large amount of Sugar within the 

 vessels ; either through the absence of power to convert that which has been 

 taken in ; or through the actual production of that compound, as a result of 

 the waste of the system. From Dr. Buchanan's recent experiments! it ap- 

 pears that Sugar may be detected in the Serum of healthy blood, drawn soon 

 after a meal; but that it soon becomes untraceable, probably in consequence 

 of its being carried off by the respiratory process. In the disease termed 

 Diabetes, or the "saccharine diathesis," there is a much larger amount of 

 Sugar in the Blood; and this appears to be constantly present, as if, from 

 some cause, its elimination by the usual channel were retarded. The Sugar 

 makes its appearance, also, in the Urine ; the Kidneys taking on the unusual 

 office of separating this compound, that it may not accumulate in the Blood. 

 Some late researches on the exclusive employment of azotized principles as 

 articles of diet, in the treatment of the Saccharine diathesis, have given 

 very favourable results. The plan was long since proposed by Dr. Rollo ; 

 and when the diseased condition has been uncomplicated by other maladies 

 (as is not unfrequently the case), the rigorous enforcement of such a diet has 

 been attended with success in numerous instances. One of the greatest diffi- 

 culties in the application of the system, however, has arisen from the longing 

 which the patients experience for Vegetable food ; since this tempts them to 

 gratify their appetites, to the complete prejudice of the remedial system, a 



tite, and the quantity of food taken is inconsiderable, must be regarded as a sign of dis- 

 ease. Although the opaque matter, when it rises to the surface, has very much the 

 appearance of cream, yet it appears that it may contain a large proportion of a protein- 

 compound; the relative amounts of which, and of oily matter, seem to depend in part 

 upon the constituents of the food ingested. It is probably from a check to the normal 

 assimilating processes, by which these substances are ordinarily withdrawn from the 

 Blood, that various forms'of diseased action originate. 



* See the excellent works of Sir James Clark, in which the importance of Hygienic 

 treatment is strongly insisted on. 



f Loc. cit. 



48* 



