Southern Medical and Surgical Journal - Georgia Regents University

—36•Spasmodic Asthma. [Januarysubject, who concluded, from observations made on the urineof old people at the Salpetriere, that sugar was habitually presentin the urine of old people. The author gave the particularsof nine cases of diabetes in elderly people, and thoughtthat the occurrence of this affection atthe latter periods of lifepointed also to the theory of diabetes as an indigestion resultingfrom an arrest of healthy changes in the food. The casesmentioned in this communication were, in the opinion of theauthor opposed to the view of diabetes depending upon an affectionof the nerves, or of the liver ; and his daily observationled him rather to the view taken by Dr. Prout, that diabeteswas an indigestion, and that it first affected the non-nitrogenous,and afterwards the nitrogenous, constituents of our food. Asregarded treatment, whatever was beneficial for excessiveacidity, was found equally serviceable in diabetes. Alkalieswere used in all the cases with benefit. Small meals, free fromlUgar and acid, and the substances that could glYe rise to sugarand acids, constituted the best diet. He found, also, that vegetableacids and alkalies were occasionally useful. In a footnote,the author mentioned some experiments he had not yetpublished, determining the quantity of sugar in several kindsof beer and wine. Porter contained from 27 to 57 grains ofsugar in each ounce of liquid; ale from 43 to 50 grains; beer2.">to 40 grains; port-wine 8.5 to 11 grains ; sherry 2 to 4.7grains; claret none. The absence of all sugar, and the presenceof a little alcohol, caused claret to taste highly acid, whilethe quantity absolutely present was not more, sometimes less,than in other wines which have no acid taste, as, for example,most port wine. [Med. Time* and Gazette.On Spasmodic Asthma. By Professor Eben Watsoiv, M. D.We find the following conclusions appended to a paper byDr. Watson, in the April number of the " Glasgow MedicalJournal:"" I shall now recapitulate in brief terms the chief propositionssought to be established in the preceding pages." 1st. That very many cases of bronchial asthma have theirorigin in laryngeal disease ; that some remain for a variableperiod, as a spasmodic affection of the glottidean muscles, andthat in all cases of the disease in question, although the bronchihave long been affected, the chief contraction still occurs inthe larynx."2. That if this contraction at the glottis be in any wayovercome, that of the smaller bronchi either simultaneously orspeedily relaxes.