Abstract
Anorexia is a symptom which may be seen in a variety of diseases. Although it has no specific meaning in the diagnosis of some diseases, and it may disappear with the recovery from the diseases, it may sometimes be an object of treatment by itself.
Among the patients in our hospital or in the out patient clinic, anorexia was found in the highest frequency in the patient with gastric diseases. Anorexia was the most frequent reason to restrict the food intake of the patients. The patients with psychosomatic diseases also complain of anorexia in high incidence. The patients with masked depression very frequently had anorexia. An appropriate psycho logical treatment was the best way to control this kind of anorexia.
A proper usage of spices in the preparation of patient's food increased the dietary intake of the anorectic patients. No hazard was observed by giving spices to the patients with renal or liver diseases.
A dietary supplement similar to that proposed by Peters et al, was also tried to the anorectic patients. The supplement was given to the patients not as a food supplement but as a prescription. The caloric intake of the patients with liver cirrhosis and other diseases improved by this mean and better nitrogen balance was observed in many patients.
An amino acid mixture having the same amino acid composition of human milk was also given to the anorectic patients by way of intravenous infusion. Observation of the changes in patient's serum amino acid levels and urinary excretion, indicated that these amino acids in the mixture were highly utilized in the body. The fact was confirmed by the increase inC14 incoporation in serum albumin whenC14bicarbonate was injected to rats receiving this mixture.
Decrease in thiamine levels in the serum was observed in anorextic patients, indicating the importance of vitamin supplement in the management of the anorectic patients.
