220 THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES. 



are honey and liver, both of which contain sugar. Milk is usually prohibited because 

 it contains sugar, but it is found that if taken in moderation it does but little harm. 

 From the extensive diffusion of sugar and starchy matter through the vegetable 

 kingdom, nearly all the vegetable alimentary substances in common use will have to 

 be eschewed. Of course, starch is contained largely in bread and other kinds of 

 corn food, whether derived from barley, oats, rye, maize, or rice, and these are con- 

 sequently prohibited. Potatoes must be abandoned for the same reason, as must be 

 peas and beans. Carrots, parsnips, beetroot, turnips, arid radishes contain sugar, and 

 are ineligible as articles of diet. Sago, tapioca, arrowroot, and other forms of fari- 

 naceous food, must be avoided. Macaroni, vermicelli, and Italian paste are pre- 

 pared from wheat, and abound in starch. As regards vegetables other than those 

 which have been already mentioned, it may be laid down as a general rule that 

 anything white contains sugar, so that cauliflower, brocoli, cabbage, seakale, celery, 

 and asparagus are objectionable. Any vegetable which, by exposure to the light, 

 has become green, has lost its sugar, and may be freely used. Greens and spinach 

 are allowed ad libitum, and so are watercresses and green lettuce. Radishes and 

 celery contain sugar, but only in small quantities, so that, although they are pro- 

 hibited, they may be taken occasionally as a treat. All fruits contain sugar, and 

 must be avoided. 



Most people complain bitterly of the deprivation caused by cutting off bread. 

 We are all so accustomed to its use, that it is no joke to have to do without it. 

 There are several articles which are used by diabetics as substitutes for bread, one 

 of the best being the "bran cake." The husk or bran of wheat is quite devoid of 

 starch and sugar, and can consequently be used with perfect safety. When it is 

 washed and ground it may be made up into a kind of bread with butter and eggs, 

 and forms a valuable addition to the restricted diet. The following is the mode of 

 making these bran cakes : Take a quart of wheat bran, boil it in two successive 

 waters for a quarter of an hour, each time straining it through a sieve ; then wash 

 it well with cold water on the sieve until the water runs through perfectly clear ; 

 squeeze the bran in a cloth as dry as you can, then spread it thinly on a dish, and 

 place it in a slow oven. If put in at night let it remain till the morning, when, 

 if perfectly dry and crisp, it will be ready for grinding. The bran thus prepared 

 must be ground in a fine mill, and sifted through a wire sieve of such fineness as to 

 require the use of a brush to pass it through. That which remains in the sieve 

 must be ground again until it becomes quite soft and fine. Take three or four 

 ounces of this bran powder, from three to seven new-laid eggs, one or two ounces 

 of butter, and about half a pint of milk. Mix the eggs with a little of the milk, 

 and warm the butter with the other portion ; stir the whole well together, and add. 

 a little nutmeg, ginger, or other spice, according to taste. Bake in small tii^s 

 (patty-pans), which must be well buttered, in a rather quick oven, for about half an 

 hour. The cakes when baked should be a little thicker than a captain's biscuit. 

 They may be eaten with meat or cheese at breakfast, dinner, or supper, and at tea 

 they may be taken with rather a free allowance of butter. It is very important 

 to follow the directions given for washing and drying the bran. If not properly 

 washed the bran will not be freed from starch, and the patient will suffer ; whilst 



