The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-18

The London press have, generally,
INDUCED in fitting and most expressive
tributes to his great talents and worth
They evidently fittingly portray the senti-
ment of the English nation, and its sense
of the great loss sustained in the death of
Mr.. Dickens.
The Heart and its Diseases.
BY AN EMINENT PHYSICIAN.
1t is an interesting and important fact
that the more grave diseases Of the heart
are not painful, or but slightly SO. Not
unfrequently the first disturbance of its
action which attracts attention indicates an
advanced and incurable stage of disease
that has been in progress months, and per-
haps years.
The converse of this proposition is emf
nently true-namely, nervous and function
al disorders OF the heart are painful, or
otherwise distressing, often to an apparent
| ly alarming extent. How many suffer from
palpitation and believe they are afflicted
with fatal disease of the heart? How
many have "pain about the heart" and
cannot be convinced that there is no dis
ease of that organ? How many have
irregularities of the pulse, and suppose the
heart must be in the last stages of disor-
ganization9 1t will interest this class of
real sufferers to learn some of the causes of
=
may be attributed.
| Palpitation and irregular action Of the
heart are often experienced i'll persons
between the ages OF sixteen and twenty
years; they are, or have generally been,
growing rapidly, are of delicate appearance,
and frequently are addicted to SEINE vicious
habits. In such persons, the blood is thin
and poor, and the heart and nerves fail to
perform their proper function for want Of
support Derangement of the stomach
often gives rise to these symptoms, and
they may persist for long period from
this cause. A lady who for years suffered
from violent paroxysms of palpitation,
which many physicians attributed to organic
disease of the heart, happened on one
occasion to take some medicine which
induced vomiting, and this act was followed
by immediate recovery. Subsequently,
whenever she had the symptoms of an
approaching attack of palpitation, she
resorted to an emetic, which not only gave
relief to the paroxysm, but finally relieved
her altogether. In another case, patient
entered hospital suffering severely from
violent action of the heart; he was bled,
and blistered, and pursed without benefit;
having taken large dose of medicine,
vomiting ensued, with immediate and per-
manent relief.
Tea, and especially green tea is very liza
BILE to disturb the hearts action when used
by susceptible persons. And there is no
doubt that an immense number of persons
in every community suffer from minor forms
of heart arrangement, due to the use of tea.
A physician once called upon brother
physician, in great alarm, saying: 81 have
called upon you to request you would let
me die in your house, His pulse was
scarcely discernible, and extremely irregu-
lar. He stated that he had drank a great
deal Of strong green tea during the proceed
ing night. On giving him stimulant, he
fell asleep, and on awakening, his distress
ing symptoms had disappeared.
A literary gentleman, accustomed to
much night work, was accustomed to take
large quantities of tea, which finally pro-
duced its results. lie began to have parox-
ysms of violent action Of the heart, dis
tress and oppression about the chest, and
feeling of impending death. He became
convinced that he had extensive disease of
the heart, and hence was low-spirited, fear
ing he should die in one of these attacks
At length he found it impossible to walk
without holding on to the fence through
fear Of falling, and in one instance got
down upon all fours to cross level space
He was cured by abstaining from tea and
taking sea-veyage.
Tobacco produces the greatest degree of
irregularity Of the heart, especially in the
young and susceptible. Hysteria, pro-
team disease, gives rise to great variety
of heart arrangements. Young women
when subject to much emotional excitement
suffer from palpitation, with choking sem
sation, as if something were rising in the
throat These symptoms may increase
until they reach painful degree of inten-
sity. Persons who have suffered from sun
stroke OF been overheated, often have
| Of fbo g.
period. Mental excitement and long con-
tinued depression often lead to derange-
ments of the hearts action.
The nerves of the heart are also subject
extremely severe. The popular term,
'breast pang," is a painful condition of
the nerves of the heart, coming on sudden
ly, and fixing the sufferer in the position
which he had taken, and almost completely
interrupting respiration.
In the treatment of all these forms of
mere arrangement Of the heart, the first
and most necessary thing to do is to re-
move the cause-that is, to avoid all those
causes which produce the disturbance. If
it is tea, tobacco, or other substance which
the person is accustomed to use, omit it
altogether; if it is a weakened habit, cor
rect it; above all, consult good physician,
and tell him frankly every cause which it is
suspected creates the difficulty. For tenn
perary treatment, a stimulant, rest, and the
application of mustard over the heart, are
important, and generally give prompt
relief.