The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-19
CURE FOR HEART DISEASE
Medical Scientists Claim Exer-
else Is the Only Remedy.
A THEORY DEMONSTRATED
A Patient Put Through the Prescribed
Couse Showed Marked Improve
ment-Forms of the Ex-
erciSe.
Written for the Sunday Standard.

| Written for the Sunday Standard.
New York, Feb. lit is startling, to
say the least, to learn that an eminent
physician has discovered that the only
method of curing heart disease is to
put the patient through an energetic
course of gymnastics. Formerly the in
| dividual with weak or ailing heart
| was advised to keep as still as the ex-
| igencies of life would permit, to avoid
all excitement and to be particularly
careful not to take any form of eXer-
else that would tend to agitate the
hearts action. Now science, with the
free and easy grace characteristic of
nineteenth century progress, takes a
| Numerically opposite view of the
treatment of heart disease. and comes
| forward with the positive statement
that it can be cured by course of ex-
ercises.
The physician who makes this state
| ment has been quietly experimenting
| with patient afflicted with heart dis
ease of a kind that was formerly re-
garded as incurable, and at a recent
private exhibition of the subject it
was shown that the mans heart had
greatly changed for the better under
the treatment. 1t was acknowledged
by the physicians who examined the
man before the treatment began and
again after a certain lapse of time, that
the true method of dealing with heart
troubles had at last been discovered.
With organic weakness of the heart,
and so many forms of heart trouble
prevalent, it is of the first Importance
to give to the world the forms of eX-
ercise found to be most beneficial, for
if heart disease can be cured medical
science will have advanced as great a
step as when the antidote to consump-
tons ravages was claimed to have
been found.
The exercises are done with the aid
of an assistant who moves the limbs of
the patient, while the latter 'resists"
the efforts of the attendant to exert his
strength. That is to say instead of
hauling on pulley weights, the patient
gently resists the treatment he gets,
thus deriving a form of exercise that is
safe and benefits directly the spot it is
intended to reach.
To begin with. the patient lies on his
back with the head little elevated;
the operator standing at his side.
passes his two arms beneath the chest
and raises it slowly and gently as far
as 1t will CO. without lifting the patient
off his bed. Then the chest is allowed
to gradually return to it's normal posi-
ton. This exercise is passive: that is,
it is not a "resisted' movement. 1t is
of the nature of artificial respiration,
and is to be repeated 10 or Is times for
a minute to correspond more or less
with the natural movements of respira-
tion, which it is designed to assist The
patient may at the same time aid the
operator slightly.
The patient next stands with his arms
dependent and close to his side. The pa
tient then raises his arms, the operator
resisting. The muscles of the neck, the
deltoid and shoulder muscles are
brought actively into play. The arms
are now carried up above the head. In
the return movement there should be a
very slight resistance on the part of the
patient because now the pectorals and
abdominal muscles would be brought
into play, and they would tend to fix
the chest.
A low chair is then brought for the
patient, who sits down With the attend
ant behind him. One of the operators
hands rests on the patients shoulder in
order to fix it, and one on the wis 1
The patients arm being extended for
ward it is then carried first upwards,
then backwards, then doWnWards and
finally forwards so as to make COM
plete circle, the operator RESISTING dur
ing the active revolution. This move
ment is called "Wheeling.' 1t can be
done in both directions. The muscles
chiefly involved are the deltoid. trape-
gin and scapular muscles and the latis-
SINH dorsi and pectorales majors The
action of these latter two does not in
terfere with reSpira ton because they
do not compress the chest.
The next exercise is the f1exing of the
ankle and knee. The limb is supported
on "a trestle and the patient tries to eX-
tend it, the operator gently resisting.
The more resistance the assistant can
throw into the exercise without disturb
ing the hearts action the better.
To give the most effect from the next
exercise the patient should ST. on a
chair or couch with his back firmly sup
ported. This position is not only COM
Portable for the patient, but it enables
the operator to use a little more resist
ance than would otherwise be deemed
advisable. The trunk is then gently
moved from right to left.
The exercises end With fleXion and
extension of the elbow. The arm of the
patient is supported by one hand of the
operator applied above the elbow, and
the other rests over the patients hand.
The patient now f1eXes the forearm on
the arm ito the extreme limit, the oper-
ator at the same time resisting the
forearm. When the fexion is complete
the palm of the hand is turned towards
the shoulder. Then the arm is allowed
to return easily to it's place.
During the entire seance the patient
is instructed to breath naturally. Each |
muscle is made to do it's work with
increasing force, from the be- |
to the end of the course. The |
exercises both improve the heart and |
the circulation. At first the changes
are not marked, but they become grad !
ually visible; while at the same time
the patient expresses himself as CORE
spondingly relieved of discomfort.
The claim that heart disease can be
cured in this manner has made a pro-
found impression in medical circles here
and further experiments will be made
in the hospitals to test the claim thor
oughlv.