Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-06-19
BENDING FORWARD.
Birious Disorder Which Comes OF Com
preston of Blood Vessels.

Bthous Disorder Which Comes of Com
preston of Blood Vessels.
Every one knows that STOPPING for
ward, particularly after rising quickly
from tho bed In the morning, when
the stomach is empty and the heart
has less than ordinary support from
the viscera below tho diaphragm. is
very apt to occasion form of faint
ness, with vertigo. not unlike that
which occurs in seaslckness. We do
not at the moment speak of the faint
ness and giddiness from cerebral
anmmia which are directly consequent
upon suddenly assuming the erect after
long continuing in the rccumbont
posture, but of the moro alarming sem
saton of being in the center of objects
which are rapidly passing away, usual
ly from left to right, with loss OF power
to stand or cvtn sit, and an almost
nightmare feeling of inability TO call
for help, or do any thing to avert
catastrophe. while throughout the cx-
perienco the sufferer retains acute con-
seriousness.
This, We say, is familiar as one, ut
least, Of the effects not uncommonly
produced by STOPPING forward under
the special conditions indicated. With
many other varieties of the vertigo
consequent upon heart weakness or
cerebral anmmia. observation or ex-
pericncc has made us all acquainted.
We can not, however help thinking
that tho consequences of even par
tial compression of veins of the neck,
offering an obstacle TO the return OF
blood from the head, with its impor~
tant organs, are not so well recognized.
| The peculiar form-or, more accurate
", the several forms-of headache dis
tinctly caused in this way when the
head is long bowed forward on the
chest, bending the mock on Itself, can
not fail to occur to every one; nor will
tho high tension of the eyeball. the
turgid and heavy eyelids, the snulling
nose, the deafness. with buzzing and
throbbing in the cars. the heavy
breathing and tho puifed and perhaps
flushed or darkened color of tho face,
resulting from the obslructcd vcnous
circulation through the bonded neck.
be forgotten.
There are other and more perllous.
though secondary, effects of leaning
forward when the hoart is weak or the
blood vessels are not MS strong rs they
ought to be, which should not be over
looked. Beyond question the extra
strain upon the apparatus of the cir
culation by any thing that impedes
the free passage of the blood through
almost any part of the venous system
is more severe and dangerous than a
physically equal strain thrown on the
arteries. At least this is so in adult
life, and, without going further into
details in connection with tho modus
opcrandi of the mischief to which we
point, 1t may be permissible to urge
that the subj, ,ct is one TO which at
tention may be uscfully directed.
The weakly and those who arc moi
unlikely to have hearts readily over
burdened and blood vessels stretched
beyond recovery, or even ruptured,
should be warned quito rs earnestly
against suddenly assuming, OF
too long retaining, any post
urcs which do-however slightly
and partially-impcde the return OF
blood through tho veins. We know
how prolonged sitting may cause the
veins of the logs to extend and either
} give way or permit the cXtravasation
! of their contents. Whln this sort Of
thing happens, even though in triill ne
degree, in the casa of vessels directly
connected with such delicate organs
as the eye, the ear and the brain, it il
easy to see that the results may be
very serious in their character; and
J probably few postur1s commonly taken
, up by persons who lead somewhat
, sedentary lives are 50 prone to do mis-
chief unno'iced rs that of leaning for
ward rs at work at q table which Is
not sufficiently high TO insure the
head being so raised that the veins ol
the neck may not be in any way COM
t pressed or the return of blood from
| tho head embarrassed or delayed. We
l sec reason TO believe that if this ap
parently small matter were generally
= understood thero would be fower head
: and heart troubles. and we will go 81
far rs to say that some lives now los
+; would be saved. London Lancet