THE
STARVATION TREATMENT
OF DIABETES

With a Series of Graduated Diets
used at the

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

by

LEWIS WEBB HILL, M.D.

Children's Hospital, Boston

and

RENA S. ECKMAN

Dietitian, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston

With an Introduction by

RICHARD C. CABOT, M.D.

Second Edition

Boston, Mass.
W. M. LEONARD
1916

Copyrighted 1915
by
W. M. Leonard

Second Edition First Edition Printed August, 1915
Second Edition Printed January, 1916
Second Edition Reprinted April, 1916

INTRODUCTION.

Although Dr. Allen's modifications of the classical treatment of saccharine diabetes have been in use only for about two years in the hands of their author, and for a much shorter time in those of other physicians, it seems to me already clearly proven that Dr. Allen has notably advanced our ability to combat the disease.

One of the difficulties which is likely to prevent the wide adoption of his treatment is the detailed knowledge of food composition and calorie value which it requires. Dr. Hill's and Miss Eckman's little book should afford substantial aid to all who have not had opportunity of working out in detail the progressive series of diets which should be used after the starvation period. These diets, worked out by Miss Eckman, head of the diet kitchen at the Massachusetts General Hospital, have seemed to me to work admirably with the patients who have taken them, both in hospital and private practice. The use of thrice boiled vegetables, as recommended by Dr. Allen, seems to be a substantial step in advance, giving, as it does, a considerable bulk of food without any considerable carbohydrate portion, and with the semblance of some of the forbidden vegetables.

It is, of course, too early to say how far reaching and how permanent the effects of such a diet will be in the severe and in the milder cases of diabetes. All we can say is that thus far it appears to work admirably well. To all who wish to give their patients the benefit of this treatment I can heartily recommend this book.

Richard C. Cabot.

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.

DETAILS OF TREATMENT.

For forty-eight hours after admission to the hospital the patient is kept on ordinary diet, to determine the severity of his diabetes. Then he is starved, and no food allowed save whiskey and black coffee. The whiskey is given in the coffee: 1 ounce of whiskey every two hours, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. This furnishes roughly about 800 calories. The whiskey is not an essential part of the treatment; it merely furnishes a few calories and keeps the patient more comfortable while he is being starved. If it is not desired to give whiskey, bouillon or any clear soup may be given instead. The water intake need not be restricted. Soda bicarbonate may be given, two drachms every three hours, if there is much evidence of acidosis, as indicated by strong acetone and diacetic acid reactions in the urine, or a strong acetone odor to the breath. In most cases, however, this is not at all necessary, and there is no danger of producing coma by the starvation. This is indeed the most important point that Dr. Allen has brought out in his treatment. At first it was thought best to keep patients in bed during the fast, but it is undoubtedly true that most patients do better and become sugar-free more quickly if they are up and around, taking a moderate amount of exercise for at least a part of the day. Starvation is continued until the urine shows no sugar. (The daily weight and daily urine examinations are, of course, recorded.) The disappearance of the sugar is rapid: if there has been 5 or 6 per cent., after the first starvation day it goes down to perhaps 2 per cent., and the next day the patient may be entirely sugar-free or perhaps have .2 or .3 per cent. of sugar. Occasionally it may take longer; the longest we have starved any patient is four days, but we know of obstinate cases that have been starved for as long as ten or eleven days without bad results. The patients tolerate starvation remarkably well; in no cases have we seen any ill effects from it. There may be a slight loss of weight, perhaps three or four pounds, but this is of no moment, and indeed, Allen says that a moderate loss of weight in most diabetics is to be desired. A moderately obese patient, weighing say 180 pounds, may continue to excrete a small amount of sugar for a considerable period if he holds this weight, even if he is taking very little carbohydrate; whereas, if his weight can be reduced to 170 or 160, he can be kept sugar-free, with ease, on the same diet. This is very important: reduce the weight of a fat diabetic, and keep it reduced.

We have not found that the acetone and diacetic acid output behaves in any constant manner during starvation; in some cases we have seen the acetone bodies disappear, in others we have seen them appear when they were not present before.

Their appearance is not necessarily a cause for alarm. The estimation of the ammonia in the urine is of some value in determining the amount of acidosis present, and this can readily be done by the simple chemical method given below. If the 24-hourly ammonia output reaches over 3 or 4 grams, it means that there is a good deal of acidosis—anything below this is not remarkable. More exact methods of determining the amount of acidosis are the determination of the ratio between