A Walk Down The Long And Winding, 3500 Year, History Of Diabetes
Unlike conditions such as AIDS, autism and ADD
, diabetes is not a 'new' disease. You may be surprised to know that Egyptian physicians, 3500 years ago, were the first to observe that people with the condition we know today as diabetes, habitually manifested the hallmark symptom of frequent urination, thus marking the beginning of the history of diabetes. Along with the syndrome of frequent urination, others observed that ants swarmed around an area where these people had urinated. Although diabetes, yet unnamed, was known to become a debilitating condition, the physicians of the time were clueless as to the cause and had no treatment.
The history of diabetes took a long hiatus, with no progress made beyond this point for another 1500 years. At that time, the noted Greek physician Galen, wrongly concluded that this condition originated in the kidneys.
By the year 1000 AD, this now well known condition was named: diabetes mellitus, so named because of the sweet character of the urine of those who were afflicted with this condition. The history of diabetes, while almost 2500 years old, was sparse on facts and absent effective treatments. Doctors of the time used assistants to taste samples of the urine to determine the degree of sweetness and thus make a diagnosis!
Other than recognizing diabetes as a health condition, no progress was made in determining the cause or devising treatments for diabetes. It was not until the 16th century that diabetes was declared, by Paracelsus, as a life threatening disorder.
Another 200 years passed in the history of diabetes, with no new significant discoveries. Then, during the 1800s, a clinically reliable test was devised to measure the amount of sugar in the urine of patients, leading to a definitive diagnosis. However, besides a reliable diagnosis, little progress was made. Treatments were more or less hit-or-miss, ranging from massive doses of sugar to virtually jailing the patients in order to enforce a prescribed experimental diet.
Physicians across Europe, throughout the 1800s, started paying more attention to the mystery of diabetes. Several found that the pancreas seemed to be implicated.
At the turn of the 19th century, a focus on diet produced perhaps the first of the fad diets. Diabetics were advised to eat potatoes, oats, milk or rice. Starving the patient was one of the most prescribed and radical treatments. While patients hoped these various injunctions by their doctors would produce a cure, there was not a single case that was relieved.
Not until the discovery of insulin, in 1921, was there any significant progress in the history of diabetes. Following experiments with insulin on animals, a young man was successfully treated with insulin. This marked a significant turning point in the history of diabetes, with rapid progress in both identifying and treating diabetes.
During the 1940s, scientists finally made the connection between diabetes and eye and kidney complications. During the thirty years that followed, much progress was made in devices, such as home testing devices that allowed diabetic patients to precisely measure blood sugar levels. Oddly enough, it was not until 1975 that any distinction was made between diabetes types 1 and 2.
In 1974, the U.S. Congress created the National Diabetes Commission, whose mission was to coordinate research of diabetes with training programs for medical professionals, along with patient education. With government funding and research grants in a coordinated effort, it's now possible to manage diabetes with a variety of medications that help avoid or at least delay the onset of complications.
by: leresh
Where To Find Natural Products Online For You Diabetic Diet Understanding External Incontinence Devices Shopping Online For Diabetes Supplies Breast Cancer Awareness And Breast Cancer Jewelry Healthy Diabetic Plans Balanced Diet Plan For Diabetes Patients Ideal Diabetic Meal Factors To Consider When Constructing A Diabetic Menu Plan A Beneficial Menu Plan For Diabetic Patients Pre Diabetes Symptoms : How To Accurately Determine Whether Or Not You Have Pre Diabetes Diabetes Market Forecast To 2015 Diabetes - Cure And Treatment The Threats Of Diabetes