Botanic Remedies 281 



On the improbable supposition that its tannin does 

 reach the kidneys, rhus aromatica is used in the 

 treatment of diabetes insipidus and incipient albu- 

 minuria, as well as in incontinence of urine and vesical 

 irritation. 



I have carefully tried the fl. aromatic rhus and 

 found it frequently useful in the nocturnal enuresis 

 of children. It is hard to judge its value in albumin- 

 uria. Certainly in inflammatory states such an 

 agent should not be used, and most cases of transi- 

 tory albuminuria recover without any drug. I have 

 seen albumin disappear from the urine while the 

 patient was taking aromatic rhus; but that does 

 not necessarily mean anything. I can say the same 

 regarding diabetes insipidus. I have seen patients 

 preparatory to using the cystoscope void such im- 

 mense quantities of urine that I had great difficulty 

 in using the instrument. As a matter of fact, the 

 term "diabetes insipidus" should be dropped. We 

 have a symptom, polyuria, associated with syphilitic 

 meningitis, hypophyseal disease, structural defects 

 of the kidney, and various transitory forms of nerve 

 stress. 



The first thing to do in a case of "diabetes in- 

 sipidus" is to make a Wassermann test. Further- 

 more, if the test is negative and no hypophyseal 

 involvement exists, the case is structural and de- 

 mands shutting down on the salts, and a definite 

 proteid reduction in the diet. Drug treatment is 

 purely symptomatic. Valerian and cannabis indica 

 have done most in my hands, and they did little. 

 An established "diabetes insipidus" is one of the 

 most baffling problems in therapeutics unless the 

 case is syphilitic, and that is bad enough. 



