The mucilaginous diabetes will require the same treatment, which is most efficacious in the dropsy, and will be described below. I must add, that the diet and medicines above mentioned, are strongly recommended by various authors, as by Morgan, Willis, Harris, and Etmuller; but more histories of the successful treatment of these diseases are wanting to fully ascertain the most efficacious methods of cure.
In a letter from Mr. Charles Darwin, dated April 24, 1778, Edinburgh, is the subsequent passage:—"A man who had long laboured under a diabetes died yesterday in the clinical ward. He had for some time drank four, and passed twelve pounds of fluid daily; each pound of urine contained an ounce of sugar. He took, without considerable relief, gum kino, sanguis diaconis melted with alum, tincture of cantharides, isinglass, gum arabic, crabs eyes, spirit of hartshorn, and eat ten or fifteen oysters thrice a day. Dr. Home, having read my thesis, bled him, and found that neither the fresh blood nor the serum tasted sweet. His body was opened this morning—every viscus appeared in a sound and natural state, except that the left kidney had a very small pelvis, and that there was a considerable enlargement of most of the mesenteric lymphatic glands. I intend to insert this in my thesis, as it coincides with the experiment, where some asparagus was eaten at the beginning of intoxication, and its smell perceived in the urine, though not in the blood."
The following case of chyliferous diabetes is extracted from some letters of Mr. Hughes, to whose unremitted care the infirmary at Stafford for many years was much indebted. Dated October 10, 1778.
Richard Davis, aged 33, a whitesmith by trade, had drank hard by intervals; was much troubled with sweating of his hands, which incommoded him in his occupation, but which ceased on his frequently dipping them in lime. About seven months ago he began to make large quantities of water; his legs are œdematous, his belly tense, and he complains of a rising in his throat, like the globus hystericus: he eats twice as much as other people, drinks about fourteen pints of small beer a day, besides a pint of ale, some milk-porridge, and a bason of broth, and he makes about eighteen pints of water a day.
He tried alum, dragon's blood, steel, blue vitriol, and cantharides in large quantities, and duly repeated, under the care of Dr. Underhill, but without any effect; except that on the day after he omitted the cantharides, he made but twelve pints of water, but on the next day this good effect ceased again.
November 21.—He made eighteen pints of water, and he now, at Dr. Darwin's request, took a grain of opium every four hours, and five grains of aloes at night; and had a flannel shirt given him.
22.—Made sixteen pints. 23.—Thirteen pints: drinks less.
24.—Increased the opium to a grain and quarter every four hours: he made twelve pints.
25.—Increased the opium to a grain and half: he now makes ten pints; and drinks eight pints in a day.
The opium was gradually increased during the next fortnight, till he took three grains every four hours, but without any further diminution of his water. During the use of the opium he sweat much in the nights, so as to have large drops stand on his face and all over him. The quantity of opium was then gradually decreased, but not totally omitted, as he continued to take about a grain morning and evening.