Abstract
This artificially prepared fat (glyceryl ester of margaric acid) is absorbed to the extent of ninety-five per cent. If a psychologic distaste for it is not induced in the patient by the physician (who thinks it his duty to warn the patient of the supposed non-palatability of the fat), the patient will have little trouble in partaking of this artificial food. An experience with very many patients has convinced the author that all patients can easily develop a liking for this food. It may be administered with hot coffee or rubbed up with butter milk.
It has been found that the administration of this fat to phlorhizinized dogs causes a marked increase in the glucose elimination in the urine, showing that in the dog it is broken down to propionic acid and is then converted to glucose, according to the theory of Ringer and his collaborators.
To those individuals on whom insulin appears to have no effect, or to those patients who refuse insulin, or to patients on whom insulin produces a moderate effect, the odd carbon fat may be safely administered in portions that yield as high as 1,000 calories daily. If, for example, a patient's diet has been increased by means of insulin to an intake of 1500 calories daily, we can add 1000 calories to his diet by means of this fat and thus establish an approach to a maintenance diet.
Moderately severe cases of diabetes who altogether refuse insulin medication, or become discouraged with this medication after a period of months, may be kept in normal weight and their appetite sated by the administration in liberal amounts of this “odd carbon” fat.
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