Diabetes Mellitus

Physician and diagnostician William Morgan worked in the late 19th century: this book offers an understanding of diabetes mellitus as it stood at that time.

Although many of the diagnostic tenets and symptoms of diabetes were discovered and known, the methods of treating the illness were sorely lacking. The discovery and implementation of insulin was still decades away, and as such the remedies noted within this text are obsolete – chemical concoctions consisting of ingredients like Sulphur, opium, phosphates, and the inhalation of oxygen gas were often recommended. A further chapter is devoted to now-discredited homeopathic treatments.

While the general symptoms of the illness are known and stated, the distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes had not yet been made. Despite this the author notes the connection of diabetes with sugar, and is able to make some recommendations with respect to dietary intake and nutrition that carries some relevance to the modern-day clinic. A few recipes are appended, several attested by other physicians to have had favorable effects upon patients. Overwhelmingly however, we see in 19th century medicine a poor and lacking ability to treat diabetes mellitus.

Despite being outdated and surpassed by medical advancements, this book retains use in a historical and general knowledge context. Those curious about how medicine struggled to grapple with such a serious and potentially fatal illness will find the information herein insightful. This reprint contains the original edition’s drawings and charts.