Polytechnic Association. 791 



Mr. Sharp — When one man has come down, another can draw up 

 the brass by the rope, attach the other end, and slide down the other 

 way. It works equally well in both directions. 



Yeast. 



The President — It has been stated that taking a spoonful of yeast 

 three times a day entirely destroys the disease diabetes. Yeast turns 

 ordinary sugar into carbonic acid and alcohol. My theory is that the 

 yeast, operating upon the blood, takes hold of the solid substances 

 that pass off as saccharine matter, and, turning the saccharine matter 

 into carbonic acid and alcohol, the alcohol goes to nourish the system. 



Dr. J. V. C. Smith — Some years ago, in a case of diabetes, I 

 recommended the use of yeast. The patient took it faithfully, and 

 for a few days thought it did some service ; but he afterward died of 

 diabetes. There may be cases in which the use of yeast may be bene- 

 ficial ; but I do not consider it a specific. 



The President — The cause of the disease is in the liver or kidneys 

 — this does not, of course, reach that. 



Dr. Van der Weyde — While this disease is there, poisoning the 

 blood, changing the substances by catalytic action, into grape sugar, 

 which is poisonous if allowed to remain in the blood, the kidneys take up 

 this sugar from the blood, and in so doing are overworked, and immense 

 quantities of urine are discharged. In any case the use of yeast will not 

 affect the cause of the disease. The sugar is found. It sounds very 

 plausible ; but the yeast can only be a palliative. In order to be 

 acted on at all by this yeast, the sugar must be grape sugar. Now, 

 it is very simple to test the presence of grape sugar in the urine ; for 

 it is a property of potassium to produce a salt with copper when 

 grape sugar is present. If a little sulphate of copper and a little 

 potassa are put into the urine, if no grape sugar is present there will 

 be no action ; but if grape sugar is present there will be a brown 

 deposit. A few drops of nitric acid will detect the presence of albu- 

 men. In health, there is not even a trace of either grape sugar or 

 albumen in the urine. 



The President — I knew of a gentleman, seventy years of age, who 

 was attacked with diabetes, and who was cured by the use of yeast, 

 in a short time. It is possible that the yeast, disposing of the sugar, 

 the system was invigorated and brought to its normal action so far 

 that the disease itself was cured. There are particular nerves which 

 cause the liver to produce sugar, and if we can restore them to healthy 

 action we can cure the disease. The } ? east sustains the body until its 

 natural powers can repel and eradicate the disease. 



