DISEASES OF METABOLISM AND NUTRITION

Abstract

DIABETES MELLITUS Protamine Insulin. —The discovery of Hagedorn¹ that protamines will combine loosely with insulin, giving flocculant precipitates that are relatively insoluble in the fluids of the tissues, whereby prolonged hypoglycemic effects are obtained, has received much attention during this past year. All the American and Canadian manufacturers of insulin, cooperating with the Insulin Committee of Toronto, have undertaken the manufacture of such preparations. A large number of clinicians have been supplied with material for trial, and several thousand patients have already received treatment with the new compounds. The reports of clinicians that have appeared are those of Hagedorn,¹ Krarup,² Root,³ Lawrence,⁴ Leyton,⁵ Kerr,⁶ Sprague,⁷ Rabinowitch,⁸ Winnett,⁹ Joslin,¹⁰ Black,¹¹ Bowcock,12 Smith13 and Allen14 and the associates of these workers. The verdict on the whole is highly favorable and almost unanimous. Fewer injections and, in most cases, a smaller number of units are required to maintain a satisfactory level of sugar in the