Evening star., 1896-12-19
\ TOMATO HEART.
A C7ncinna tiaR Afflicted &AIh q Pecu-
liar Disease

A Cincinnati tinn AMictedAnh a Pecu-
liar Disease
From the Cincinnati ENQUIRER
Epicures especially and the r,ub.ic in rem
eral should be warned by the fate of Paul
D. Warner. who was yesterday discharged
from the City Hospital. not because he was
entirely cured. but because. afflicted with
two diseases. he decided to seek a different
climate, beneficial to the more fatal of
the two When admitted to the institution
several months ago Warner, while showing
symptoms of consumption, was also suffer-
ing from a peculiar heart affiction. which.
after repeated examinations by the attend
ing physicians. was pronounced to be ly-
coperS1cum cardiOpathia or toma to heart.
Curious as 1t may seem the mans debili-
tated condition and the weakness of that
important organ was due to the patients
love for that luscious vegetable. which he
ate at every meal. 1t was not until the
beginning of the-ciYH war that the accept
ance of the tomato an edible became
general and Europe. up to the present
time, has not given 1t a welcome. Analysists
have placed 1t among the vegetables con-
slsting of over 80 per cent water and its
fluid element has been found to consist of
an acid called by some acdum lycopersi-
cum, and by others as acetic and mailic in
combination. Scientists have long ago dis
covered. however. that to some persons the
tomato Is veritable poison. In some cases
the symptoms develop Immediately and are
alarming, and in others the results are
cumulative. In the latter, as in the case of
Warner. an abnormal hypersensitiveness of
the heart and circulatory apparatus is dis
covered. First, simple heart irritability
with latent Inflammation. is observed
thcn an Inflammation of the inner wall
especially about the oartic roots and
valves. The heart passes out of the condi-
ton of equilibrium into a habit of irregu-
larity and inequality of rhythm and force
Difficult breathing supervenes and limits
the capacity of exertion.
When first admitted. Warner exhibited
all the symptoms of acute poisoning and
for a while his case baff1ed the skill of the
attending physicians Only when his in
ordinate fondness for the fruit was dis
covered was a diagnosis made possible He
suffered pain and gastric uneasiness, sue
ceeded by choking, belchings and heartburn
and vomiting. Then came an arrest of the
vital activity within the chest and the poor
patient suffered as much mentally as physi-
Cally, peculiar action of the disease heinp
that 1t impresses itself upon the mind, Gre
atfng depression and gloomy premonitions
Cold sweats appeared upon his forehead.
being produced by heart fright. Head
aches and tension about the temples be-
came manifest. accompanied by Ianguor At
times also Warmers speech became i'm
peded. and he found it difficult to articuIate
followed by an incoherence of thought sev
eral ideas seeming to seek expression at
the same time. He also experienced n,Iuh
ness OF the fingers and tongue. and general
perversion of the senses. During Warner s
stay at the hospital he was treated freely
with acetanilid and alcohol in equal nro
portions, and while improving under this
treatment he was by no means cured when
he was discharged. This was only done.
however, at the earnest solicitation of the
patient himself. as he was afflicted with
consumption. as before stated and desired
to go to a different climate for relief from
this disease, the more dangerous of the two