VALUE OF LOW CARBOHYDRATE FLOUR IN TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS To the Medical Profession and the scientifically curious public, recent advances in the treatment of diabetes mellitus have been intensely interesting. An incentive for advance was unquestionably the demonstration of the pancreatic hormone by Banting and Best in 1921. For many years after the first description of diabetes mellitus, the treatment was far from satisfactory. The prognosis in the acute forms of the disease was decidedly bad. Von Mehring and Minkowski in 1889 showed that an experimental diabetes might be produced by removal of the pancreas. More recently it was found that by restricting carbohydrate foods, generally speaking the whole condition of the patient improved. Tasting treatments were instituted. Diets were constructed with a minimum of fat and much protein, for too fatty diet was attributed acidosis, and excessive carbohydrate was known to aggravate the disease. Breads forming a large portion of the average diet contain much of the carbohydrate. It was perfectly natural, therefore, that bread substitutes were diligently sought. Most promising at first were those flours containing much protein and little or no carbohydrate. Many casein, gluten, soy bean and other flours were produced in an endeavour to allay the cravings of the sufferer for bread. These are not safe foods to be used uncontrolled, but these types of flours may still have their place. Wheat flour is objectionable by reason of the excess of carbohydrates it contains, and on the other hand gluten, casein and soy bean flours are just as unsatisfactory because they go to the other extreme in that they contain infinitely more protein than may be utilized with safety.