The Wilmingtonian., 1888-06-30

pens that from debility the heart is unabl
to drive the vital fluid through the lung
with its usual force and velocity. The easil
coagulated blood, moving lazily through tb
great cavities Of The heart, finds time ant
| opportunity to form clot, which fills th,
great artery going to the lnngs The con
| sequence of this is, no blood goes to tn,
lungs to be submitted to the action of tht
air-breathing is useless-and the sufferer
perishes as If shut up in an apartment from
which the air has been exhausted. Accidents
Of this kind are very rare, but are moi
always fatal when they occur. The ''helit
clog" may be but small and fill but one OF
the arteries going to the lungs. The other
ang being free to pei form It's duty, the clot
deposited is taken up by absorption after a
t'me aud all Is again we'll. But If the great
artey should become clogged completely at
some point before it divides into one each
fer the right and left lung, then death must
necessarily be sudden aud very painful.
There is another way In which pneumonia
may prove suddenly fatal. This Is by para
'Ssis OF the heart. Whom large proportion
of a lug is filled with the products of in
nan nation, it is about the consistenoe of
liver substance. The blood finds difficulty
in finding its way through this consolidated
structure, which is so different from the
sp1ngy normal lung substance. Under these
circumstances, If the blood Is present In the
body in large amount, and Is sent around
the circulation with considerable force,
there is, occasionally, condition of danger
developed from an accumulation of an over
plus 10 the right side of the heart, which
cannot be sent through the lungs to the left
side fast enough, because of the intense
congestion OF the lungs. This danger of
paralysis from overIstension is one that
must be continually guarded against in the
treatment of this most formidable disease.
1t is here that the use of alcohol becomes of
such surprising value.
eoNsUMPTIvE SUDDEN DEATH.
Consumption of the lungs sometimes comes
TO very sudden and unexpected termina-
tion in the following nanner Rather late in
the disease the upper portions of lungs are
occupied by dense deposit of tubsrcle, to-
gether with in6ammatory products that
render the organs useless for br,ath'ng pur-
poses for one-third or one-half their extent.
The extent of lung that is still available for
breathing becomes more and more limited
with each deposit of tuberole. If now the
cavity of the pleura (pleural sac), in which
the lung Lies, and expands, and contracts in
the movements OF breathing, sho lid become
connected with cavity in the diseased lung,
SO that air can penetrate and Gil the pleural
sac, then, Of course, all movements of ex
pansion or contraction of tlat Jung must
cease, for there Is no room left for the move
ments of breathing. The opposite lung be-
ing already half useless or even more dis
abled, the sufferer suddenly finds himself
deprived of most Of his breathing space,
aud must perish within very short time
dying actually and literally of suffocation.
There are one or two rare and unusual
modes by which valvular disease of the heart
may prove suddenly fatal. One of these is
the formation of olot or concretion from
the blood upon one of the valves; this being
washed away into the circulation, travels
along in the blood-current until 1t reaches
place two narrow for 1t to pass, where it
lodges. This plug-called an embolus-
shuts of all blood from the parts beyond,
and If there is no other way for the oircula-
tion to reach that region It becomes starved
and decomposes-in the brain It softena
Softening is the common result of embolism
of an artery In the brain; but, if It should
be large vessel that fas become plugged
and the parts thus cut off from nourit hment
of great importance, death may result
almost instantly. Such cases are rare; still,
they have been known to occur.
HEART RUPTURE
In fatty degeneration of the heart, or as a
result of chronic inflammation OF the mus
cular substance of the organ, the heart may
rupture-actually "breaking," not from any
sentimental affection of the emotions, but
from some sudden and violent excitement OF
the feelings or violent sxertion of the mus
calar system.
There are authentic instances Of sudden
death occurring in consequence of pow erful
mental emotions, The mechanism of these
seems to be rapid dilatation Of the bl BOD
vessels, especially those of the abdominal
cavity, aud a flow blood away from the
brain, producing bloodless condition ui
the brain like that which is present during
fainting. 1t is the same condition present
in surgical s'shock" when the latter is moi
due to himorrhage.
In conclusion:
Sudden death is due usually TO som,
disease of the heart, great vessels or brain
1t is not so common as is generally sup
posed.
| II is not TO be feared SO much as long ant