1552 BC
Diabetes Symptoms Described in Ancient Civilizations
The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and India were the first to provide a description of diabetes. In Egypt, the physician, Hesy-ra, first documented an illness resulting in frequent urination. Around the same time Indian physicians identified a disease where the urine from the patient attracted ants. The Greek Physician Aretaeus (80-138 CE) named the condition Diabetes Mellitus because urine from the patient tasted sweet.