Problems Raised by the Treatment of Steatorrhœa with Antibacterial Drugs

Idiopathic Steatorrhœa

“…The function of every organ depends upon its blood supply and it is not surprising that steatorrhoea may follow mesenteric vascular occlusion or arteriosclerosis (Hawkins, 1957;Shaw and Maynard, 1958) and this may be suspected in the elderly. Various general diseases may be accompanied by steatorrhcea but there is usually little difficulty about the correct diagnosis.…”

“…Similarly, in the severe megaloblastic anaemia a reticulocytosis and a rise in the blood cells begins immediaetly after withdrawal of gluten and before any changes occur in the faecal fat excretion. Finally, some patients with osteomalacia are highly resistant to the action of vitamin D until gluten is withdrawn; resistance again occurs when gluten is reintroduced into the diet (Nassim, The gluten-free diet is successful in about 70% of patients, and the failures are indistinguishable, either clinically or at autopsy (French, Hawkins and Smith, 1957), from those which are cured. The cause of the failures is unknown.…”