DIABETES INSIPIDUS 89 



thirst. Exhaustion, emaciation and death are next in 

 order. 



Diabetes insipidus must be differentiated from simple 

 polyuria. The latter is a transient condition free from 

 constitutional disturbances, and disappears spontane- 

 ously. Diabetes insipidus persists for weeks, slowly in- 

 creases in severity, and frequently terminates in death 

 if proper treatment is not instituted. 



Treatment. Begin the treatment of a case of diabetes 

 insipidus with the administration of a dram of resub- 

 limed iodin. Give this in a capsule with a little pow- 

 dered gentian. With few exceptions this is all the 

 medicine that is required. 



The remainder of the treatment is concerned with lim- 

 iting the supply of drinking water. Allow at first about 

 twice the normal amount; gradually reduce this to nor- 

 mal and eventually to less than normal for a day. This 

 controlling of the amount of drinking water imbibed by 

 the patient must be done very gradually, reducing the 

 quantity in proportion to the reduction of urinary excre- 

 tion. With the administration of the iodin and sensible 

 control of the drinking, even very marked cases come to 

 a satisfactory termination within two or three days. If 

 improvement does not show within twenty-four hours 

 after the iodin has been administered the same dose may 

 be repeated once. 



When the appetite returns the grain supply should 

 be fresh, so as to prevent reinfection in case the animal 

 had been fed mouldy grain. While the iodin treatment 

 and the control of the water supply promptly puts an 

 end to the alarming symptoms, the patient usually re- 

 mains in a weak, unthrifty condition for some time. Even 

 when the attack has persisted only for a few days the 

 horse is usually much the worse in condition at its ter- 

 mination. When an animal has gone through a marked 



