HOME REMEDIES FOR COMMON DISEASES 723 



DIET FOR DIABETICS 



It may be safely said that physicians of experience 

 are agreed that in the treatment of this disease, by 

 far the most important measure is the regulation of 

 the diet. Sugar, starch, and all foods containing them, 

 should be, as far as possible, excluded from the dietary. 

 This requires that the patient should abstain from the 

 use of sugar in any form, from bread, potatoes, peas, 

 beans, rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, and other grains, chest- 

 nuts, and all other farinaceous articles of food. Sweet 

 fruits also must be avoided with equal care. The diet 

 should consist chiefly of meat of different kinds, includ- 

 ing fowl. Greens, green beans, lettuce, yellow beets, 

 asparagus, cucumbers, and radishes may also be eaten. 

 Mos:. acid fruits may be taken in moderate quantities, 

 such as lemons, oranges, strawberries, peaches, and 

 currants. In many cases, skim-milk, sour milk, or but- 

 termilk may be taken without increasing the proportion 

 of sugar, and hence without injury. Several eminent 

 physicians claim to have cured a number of cases of 

 this disease by means of an exclusive milk diet, the 

 patient being confined to this one article of food for 

 several weeks. The milk should be carefully skimmed. 

 The quantity required per day is from two to three 

 quarts. By the employment of a diet free from sugar 

 or starch, sugar may in many cases be made to disap- 

 pear from the urine. When this is the case, it may be 

 looked upon as a very favorable indication, and often, 

 so long as the patient continaes to abstain from those 

 kinds of food which occasion the production of sugar, 

 the disease will be held in check. Many so-called glu- 

 ten flours and gluten breads are manufactured and sold 

 to persons suffering from this disease, which are shown 



