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and it appears in the urine. A temporary sweetness of the urine 

 often occurs after a hearty meal on starchy food, but this is due 

 altogether to the superabundant supply of the sugar-forming food, 

 lasts for a few hours only, and has no pathological significance. In 

 many cases of fatal glycosuria the liver is found to be enlarged, or at 

 least congested, and it is found that the disorder can be produced 

 experimentally by agencies which produce an increased circulation 

 through the liver. Thus Bernard produced glycosuria by pricking 

 the oblong medulla at the base of the brain close to the roots of the 

 pneumogastric nerve, which happens to be also the nerve center 

 which presides over the contractions of the minute blood vessels. 

 The pricking and irritation of this center leads to congestion of the 

 liver and the excessive production of sugar. Irritation carried to this 

 point through the pneumogastric nerve causes saccharine urine, and, 

 in keeping with this, disease of the pancreas has been found in this 

 malady. The complete removal of the pancreas, however, determines 

 glycosuria, the organ having in health an inhibitive action on sugar 

 production by the liver. The same result follows the reflection of irri- 

 tation from other sources, as from different ganglia of the brain. 

 Similarly it is induced by interruption of the nervous control along 

 the vaso-motor tracts, as in destruction of the upper or lower cervical 

 sympathetic ganglion, by cutting the nervous branch connecting 

 these two, in injury to the spinal marrow in the interval between the 

 brain and the second or fourth dorsal vertebra, or in disease of the 

 celiac plexus, which directly presides over the liver. Certain chem- 

 ical poisons also cause saccharine urine, notably^ strychnia, morphia, 

 alcohol, ether, chloroform, ammonia, and arsenic. 



Symptoms. The symptoms are ardent thirst and profuse secre- 

 tion of a pale urine of a high density, rapid loss of condition, scurvy, 

 unthrifty skin, costiveness or irregularity of the bowels, indigestion, 

 and the presence in the urine of grape-sugar. This may be most 

 promptly detected by touching the tip of the tongue with a drop. 

 Sugar may be detected simply by adding a teaspoonful of liquid yeast 

 to 4 ounces of the urine and keeping it lightly stopped at a tempera- 

 ture of 70 to 80 F. for twelve hours, when the sugar will be found 

 to have been changed into alcohol and carbon dioxide. 



Treatment. It is most satisfactory in cases dependent on some 

 curable disease of liver, pancreas, lungs, or brain. Thus, in liver dis- 

 eases, a run at pasture in warm weather, or in winter a warm, sunny, 

 well-aired stable, with sufficient clothing and laxatives (sulphate of 

 soda, 1 ounce daily) and alkalies (carbonate of potassium, one-fourth 

 ounce) may benefit. To this may be added mild blistering or even 

 leeching over the last ribs. Diseases of the brain or pancreas may be 

 treated according to their indications. The diet should be mainly 

 albuminous, such as wheat bran or middlings, pease, beans, vetches, 

 and milk. Indeed, an exclusive milk diet is one of the very best 

 remedial agencies. It may be given as skimmed milk or buttermilk, 

 and in the last case combines an antidiabetic remedy in the lactic 

 acid. Under such an exclusive diet recent and mild cases are often 

 entirely restored, though at the expense of an attack of rheumatism. 



