118 PHYSIOLOGY FOR DENTAL STUDENTS. 



of the adrenal gland (adrenalin) causes a transient hyperglycae- 

 mia and glycosuria. 



These laboratory discoveries have in their turn caused clinical 

 investigators to pay close attention to the nature of the causes 

 of diabetes. It has been found, as a result, that oft-repeated 

 overstimulation of the nervous system nerve strain, as it is 

 called greatly predisposes to this disease. For example, it has 

 been found that a considerable proportion of students who un- 

 derwent a severe examination for a university degree had glyco- 

 suria in the urine, which was passed immediately after leaving 

 the examination room. Even more interesting was an observa- 

 tion on the urine of men waiting on the side lines as reserves in 

 one of the large football games; about one-half of them passed 

 sugar, due to nervous excitation of the glycogenic function. Be- 

 sides these types of nerve strain, nervous glycosuria may also be 

 brought on by fright and terror. This has perhaps been most 

 definitely shown by frightening a tom-cat by allowing a dog to 

 bark at it; the cat shortly afterward passed urine containing 

 much sugar. Now, whereas occasional attacks of such nervous 

 glycosuria are harmless, yet their repeated occurrence undoubt- 

 edly weakens the ability of the liver properly to control the per- 

 centage of sugar in the blood, with the consequence that post- 

 prandial hyperglycaemia becomes more and more marked and 

 takes longer to disappear, so that there comes to be a permanent 

 increase in the percentage of sugar in the blood. This persistent 

 excess of sugar acts as a poison and causes deterioration of many 

 of the tissues, and if unchecked will lead to severe diabetes. 



It is for these reasons that diabetes is relatively common 

 amongst locomotive engineers and ship captains; it is also 

 said to be distinctly on the increase amongst business men. A 

 most important element in the treatment of diabetes is therefore 

 removal of the possible causes of nerve strain. Rest and quiet 

 and freedom from worry, coupled with removal of sufficient 

 amounts of carbohydrates from the diet so as to keep the urine 

 free of sugar, is the correct treatment. One common symptom 

 of diabetes is loosening of the teeth. When such is observed the 

 urine passed an hour or so after lunch should be examined for 



