The morning call., 1891-09-06
Why A HEART
GROWS TIRED.
fhe Physical Strain Of To-Day Too Great
to withstand.
That Important Vital Organ as Susceptible Of
Fatigue as he Muscular Attachments Of
the Human Frame.

The heart always furnishes interesting
food for discussion, and when learned
physician drops into that vein 1t is good
idea to encourage and draw him out. So
thought O ST. Louis Star-SayiDgs reporter
when, in discussing "valYular diseases of
the heart" with City Physician Priest, the
latter said:
eyes, heart disease Is common; it is, per-
haps, much more frequent than is generally
realized, If you take into consideration all
the forms OF heart disease. The heart. like
other organs, is the seat of large number
of diseases, and the expression heart dis
ease is as indefinite as the term skin dis
ease, it may have a score of different mean
ipgs. / am inclined to believe that
heart diseases are more common than
they formerly WERE" he continued. This
is due to the great nervous and physical
strains which attend our modern modes OF
living. But it is a great wonder that the
heart is not more frequently the seat of
disease than it is when we consider Its deli
cate mechanism, its ceaseless labor and,
might add, the abuse 10 which 1t IS SUBJ
jected. The heart is one OF the most eX-
Quisitely constructed machines that can be
conceived Of With its four chambers, its
motive power, it tolls constantly, faithfully
for its three score years and ten without
rest, without repair. responding to every de-
mand, however unreasonable, until, nnally
exhausted by labor OF degenerated by
disease, it is no longer capable of carrying
Oh its function. 1t falters then resumes lis
work, falters again as if to warn its host
that he must be less exacting; again re-
sumes and again falters. until, sooner or
later the last point of endurance is reached
and it ceases to beat.
ACUTE INFLAMMAToRY RHEUMATISM
Is the most frequent cause of organic heart
disease, particularly of the valves. 1t
causes the formation of small negotiations,
little wart-like projections from the sur
faces of the valves. And, unfortunately,
these little projections are located Just
where they will do the most harm, right at
the line OF contact between the leaflets Of
the valves. They prevent tho accurate
closure OF the oriice. The valves may grow
together and cause permanent partial
closure of the opening which they guard"
docs the use of liquor cause heart dis
ease?"
"The excessive use of liquor does very
markedly affect the heart. 1t causes changes
In its muscular structure. 1t impairs its
powers or produces changes in the great
vessels about the heart that are less easily
recognized but none the less fatal. The
effect OF very small quantity OF alcohol
on one not accustomed TO IL is easily recog-
nizable in the flushed face, due to the in
creased flow of blood and in the increased
rapdity of the heart But tolerance is soon
gained, and the more serious changes are
slow of development Unjust be admitted,
however, that the circulatory system is the
last to fall as q result OF alcoholic poison.
Most of the evil effects OF whisky-drin King
are found in other organs, particularly the
liver and kidneys, and only secondary IN
the heart.
"a beer-drlnker acquires, along with his
portly abdomen, fatty heart. Minute lines
of fat-cel!s push themselves In between the
fibers of the heart and weaken it in proper
ton to their abundance. The heart be-
comes large. They are big-hearted in the
most setiou5 sense OF the word The heart
Is sometimes so completely surrounded with
a dense layer Of fat as to be entirely hidden
from view when the chest is opened after
death.
IN EXTREME GASES
The fibers of the heart muscles actually turn
to fat. This Is the beginning of the end
for, unless the cause Of the fatty change is
removed, the individuals days are num-
bered. He begins TO get short of breath,
his ankles have propensity to swell, he
can't 20 upstairs, he becomes an invalid. un-
able to leave home, and ultimately dies of
dropsy.
disturbances of the heart, conditions in
which there is absolutely no disease of the
organ III bdlt. pub nIicit tuC Dcdlb 10
manifestly acting mpropery-jumping,f iut-
tering, skipping beats. soaring its unfOrtu-
nate owner out of his wits and into his
physicians care, until it Is discovered that
lie is eating too many late suppers, smoking
too many cigars, drinking too much wine.
or otherwise imprudent Or, he may be in
nocently working too hard, losing sleep, etc.
working women, and, perhaps, more
frequently young school girls, suffer from
this trouble, either as result of direct ia.
tgue or rs result Of impoverishment Of the
blood acting directly on the heart-robbing
il of its proper nouIiShment
Dangerous functional disturbances of
the heart are sometimes produced by indi-
viduals who attempt TO rapidly develop their
muscles. A valve Of the heart has been
ruplured in this way, but usually the result
Is weakness and irregularitv OF Its action.
Book-keepers and other Office people are
especially liable to over exercise after leav-
ing their work. They 20 to the gymnasium
and work like blacksmiths or baseball
players, swing heavy clubs, etc The sud-
den demand put upon the heart is enough
to cause its rupture or paralysis. These
are the people who suddenly die of heart
failure
HEART FAILURE IS NOT A DISEASE,
It is but the closing chapter of a great
many diseases or disorders. A man who
dies in the dentists chair or under the ad-
miuistration of chloroform dies of heart
failure. The same is true in case of death
from fright, sudden strong emotion or ex-
treme loss of blood A faint is partial
heart failure. Heart failure is merely the
inability of the organ, from some cause, to
continue It's work 1t Is, too, the termina-
ton of most cases Of organic heart disease.
Unfortunately the term, Objectionable at
best, has come to be in many cases shield
of igporance-a satisfactory term to apply
to a mysterious death. Used alone, the
term is virtually an admission Of ignorance
on the part of the one using it to explain the
cause of death.
Ibid you ever hear of a tired hearth
No one ever thinks that the heart may be-
come fatgued. But it is true, and fire.
quently the fact. The heart Is Just as liza
BILE to suffer from fatigue as is any other
muscle in tho body. l have never seen 1t
mentioned in the books, but the condition
may be recognized almost as positively as
any other abnormal state Of the organ. A
positive diagnosis cannot be made at once
In most cases, because Of the resemblance
of the physical Conditions to those present
In dation of the heart. But under rest and
proper treatment. tie heart returns to its
normal condition in a comparatively short
time, which Is almost an impossibility in
the case of dilated heart. Not a few cases
of so-called nervous 'prostratiOn' are moth
more than fatigue of the heart.
Life would be prolonged by little more
attention to the heart; by paying a little
respect to the most faithful servant we ever
have. A good deal of good might be done,
also, il parents would teach their children
the danger of overtaxing the heart. They
ahDuld teach them to stop and rest few