Old time Diabetic testing.

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Hope anyone here could clear up a (might sound strange) query, My fellow diabetes sufferer at work says that in days gone past, the doctor used to taste the urine to identify diabetes, all boils down to weather the urine tasted sweet or not. Is he having me on???
 

Hobs

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I think that could possibly go back to an old joke where the tester dips one finger but sucks another from the same hand :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

cugila

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NO........your mate is not wrong.

Up to the 11th century the urine of people with diabetes was thought to be sweet tasting, diagnosis was often made by "water tasters" who drink the urine of those suspected of having diabetes.

The Latin word for honey - mellitus - is added to the term diabetes.

http://www.ddri.org/ResearchTimeline.asp

Thank goodness we don't have to do that now........Yuk !! :shock:

Like the joke Hob's.....heard it before but it still fools medical students to this day....... :lol:
 

jaykay

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Wow Cugilla! fancy you remembering all the way back to the 11th century!! :lol:
Don't forget, not so long ago there was a big interest in people drinking their own urine for health reasons. Don't know if it's still considered a good idea :?: I'd rather have a nice diet cream soda from Sainsburys!! :D
 

cugila

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jaykay said:
Wow Cugilla! fancy you remembering all the way back to the 11th century!! :lol:


Well, I have been around for a while....but not as long as some people seem to think...... :twisted:

:D
 

sugar2

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I was diagonosed in 1977..and it was a lot of wee testing in those days...but not tasting! Are you sure you didn't mishear/

I did hear something once about one of the questions they asked parents of children, suspected of having diabetes was " are there white crystals aorund you loo seat?" ie sugar crystallising out of any drops of wee dropped by the small children...don't think it was how it was actually confirmed though, just somethingto watch out for.
 

noblehead

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signallergrade6 said:
Hope anyone here could clear up a (might sound strange) query, My fellow diabetes sufferer at work says that in days gone past, the doctor used to taste the urine to identify diabetes, all boils down to weather the urine tasted sweet or not. Is he having me on???

Who'd be a doctor back then! :shock:

I remember well before diagnosis that my urine would froth in the bowl (I know to much info).

Nigel