While diabetes mellitus is not a disease of the kidney, it finds its chief clinical expression in certain profound alterations in the character of the urine. This fact renders the study of that secretion of primary importance in the diagnosis and management of the disease. The great practical value of urinary analysis in these cases is generally recognized, but the importance of painstaking and frequently repeated examinations is not so extensively appreciated. An analysis which includes only the detection of sugar and the estimation of the specific gravity and reaction is rudimentary and neglects many valuable considerations. Close observation of the urine will help us to a more perfect understanding of the progress of the case and its prognosis, and will result in the early detection of developing complications.
I have been impressed by the comparatively casual manner with which the urinary changes of this affection are considered in special