Starvation Treatment.—The Allen Starvation Treatment consists of first a period of about forty-eight hours in which the patient is given an ordinary diet, during which time the daily weight is taken and the urine examined and recorded.
Acidosis.—It has been found in some cases, such as with elderly patients or those in whom there is an evident acidosis, advisable to precede the period of starvation by a preliminary treatment.
Method of Treatment.—Joslin[138] suggests the following method of procedure:
“Without otherwise changing the diet omit fat. After two days, omit protein, then halve the carbohydrates daily until the patient is taking only ten grams, then fast.”
In the Michael Reese Hospital, the following series of test diets are given to determine the severity of the diabetes:
Diabetic Test Diets[139]
| BREAKFAST | |
| Grapefruit | ½ |
| Eggs | 2 |
| Bacon | 20 grams |
| Bread | 25 grams |
| Butter | 10 grams |
| Cream | 15 c.c. |
| Coffee | 1 cup |
| DINNER | |
| Cream soup | 3 oz. |
| Roast beef | 75 grams |
| Spinach | 100 grams |
| Kohl-rabi | 100 grams |
| Lettuce salad | 50 grams |
| Ripe olives | 15 grams |
| Bread | 25 grams |
| Butter | 20 grams |
| Wine gelatin | 4 oz. |
| Coffee | |
| Cream | 15 c.c. |
| SUPPER | |
| Lamb chop | 1 |
| Asparagus tips | 50 grams |
| Eggplant | 50 grams |
| Tomato salad | 50 grams |
| Custard (diabetic) | |
| Coffee | |
| Cream | 15 c.c. |
| Butter | 20 grams |
| Bread | 25 grams |
Diet in Mild Cases.—This diet contains approximately 70 grams of protein, 100 grams of fat, and 70 grams of carbohydrates, and the patient is kept on it for at least two days; then the carbohydrates are cut down by taking away 25 grams of bread every day.