The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
THE HEART
How 1t is Affected Injuriously by Various
circumstances.

A"SAN D |
substances as well that affect the heart
injuriously. These ought to be gener-
ally known, but mere possession OF
this knowledge manifestly can avail
nothing, while the injudicious april
cation of useful facts may spare many
much suffering and prolong some use
full lives.
The point first worthy of notice here
is the effect upon the heart OF undue
haste in the ordinary operations OF
life. Running up and down stairs,
running for cars or boats and all SINH
lar performances are grand follies and
suicidal to individuals with lame
hearts, especially if that lameness be OF
the valve. All inordinary violent
muscular exercise is equally injurious.
Boat racing, batting and sledging are
all accompanied by very violent mus
cular contractAns, which increase the
labor of the heart manifold. 1t is
worthy of noteAIust here that certain
amounts of the occupations just named
are very useful, out care must be TAX
en- not to go beyond a certain line, the
location of which every n ought to
know for himself. Alcohol and tobac-
co are heart poisons. It must be borne
in mind, however, that the way ID
which the alcohol is used has much to
do with it's effects. The persistent In
temperate use of alcoholic drinks over
stimulates the heart and weakens the
blood-vessels. Very grave events,
plainly enough. Aconite is also a very
powerful heart poison, but in the
hands of an intelligent physician it
becomes a valuable remedy. This ap-
plies equally to the drug last mention
ed. Chloroform has long been reck-
oned a heart poison. That deaths oc-
casionally occur during the inhalation
of this agent is well known. Some
recent observers contend, however,
that this untoward event was because
an insufficient amount of the drug had
been used. The venom of many ser
penis is an exceedingly active cardiac
poison, and when persons are killed
by it it is usually owing to this action
and coincident alterations of the
blood.
Enlargement Of the heart is a COM
mon abnormal condition, distinctions
in the course of the circulation; not
ably, the kidneys are at times instra.
mental in the causation of this trou.
Bile. The throbbing of an enlarged
heart is sometimes quite annoying by
its violence. If along with an en-
larged heart there be weak blood
vessels it is plain that a break is quite
possible. This win be followed by re
suits of greater or less gravity, accord
ing to the location of the broker
artery. A proportion of the sudden
deaths said to be due to heart diseas'
are in all probability due to the break
ing of an artery in the brain. Dyspep
tic persons often imagine that the,
have heart disease, and it is quite tru
that palpitation-irregular %action-o
the heart is a very usual c%oincidenc
of indigestion. An impoverished cor
dition of the blood renders the occur
renee of ~palpitation of the heart yer
much more likely.
Affections of the valves of the heal
ia the form of heart trouble most to b
dreaded. This affection arises usual
from extraordinary muscular effort
or in the course Of acute rheumatisl
of the joints. The gravity of tn
condition must nov be sufficient
plain. : individuals so affected ma,
4 however, prolong their lives much /
correct habits. Dropsy is also a resu
= of certain heart troubles; this is e,
E planned readily enough Suppose Il
8 heart becomes weak and cannot efic
entity do its work, what is there mo
natural than that the blood should Sc
tie in the extremities, the feet in pa
ticular? Pain, probably neuralgia,
!, the heart is a very distressing affectio,
' some cases of it are, however, qui
t durable. An abundance of good foe
and sleep, and every thing else that
s wholesome for the body generally,
. equally useful for the heart. Workir
or sleeping in ilIy-yentilated apal
ments impairs the blood, and this
e its turn very quickly deranges 4
neark-PhsladelpbSo Times