Ketosis and Epilepsy

Allan, Samuel Miller (1933) Ketosis and Epilepsy. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis is an investigation into the effects of Ketosis in epileptic patients. For hundreds of years it had been known that fasting had a beneficial influence on epileptics, reducing the number of convulsions and ameliorating the mental depression and anguish. This effect of fasting was attributed to so many things that not till recent years was a careful enquiry made. In 1921 wilder (1) maintained that the ketosis invariably associated with fasting was the factor responsible for the good results in epilepsy. However, since many diseases are favourably influenced by fasting much more was needed than a mere statement to prove that the ketosis was responsible. This led to patients being treated theapeutically in order to produce an artificial ketosis, a ketosis not dependent on the amount of food consumed. Consequently workers in the Mayo Clinic started a system of dieting in epileptic adults that had the production of ketosis as its object. The results were indifferent but in 1922 Helmholtz (2) treated children in this manner and found that 31% were free from attacks and 23% benefited. The remaining 46% were not improved. Later on, in 1924, the Mayo Clinic again started the treatment of selected cases in adults with more encouraging results than the first trial.The present investigation is on twenty cases of idiopathic epilepsy, that is, epilepsy in which there is no apparent organic lesion. The patients have not been selected because of preconceived ideas of their likelihood to react well, but vith the view of testing the diet on all types of major epilepsy. Care has been taken to have representative cases. Thus some have many fits, others few, some are bright and cheery, others are dull and demented. Many of the cases have violent bouts of excitement.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Medicine
• Date of Award: 1933
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1933-79954
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 31 Mar 2020 09:09
• Last Modified: 31 Mar 2020 09:09
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/79954