Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-02-03
KEEP CALM, THEN
YOU'LL LIVE LONG.
Back In 1868 There Was a ow Death
Rate-It Is Quite Different In These
Days.

D~SN -" sOV0 hVsC wac . wv VG0tu
Rate-It Is Quite Different In Thes
| Days.
When New Y ork was leading a sim
pie life in 1868. the deaths due to ner
vous strain, mental anxiety and suddel
shock were comparatively few, says tn
New York Herald. Since then, will
the growing compIexity of life, the con
9 ,ntration of business and the incrsas
OF its hazards. the luxuries with whicl
existence in enwrapped and the inten
sity with which all pursuits, social OIL
commercial, are carried on, the deatf
rate from organic heart disease ant
Bright's disease has mounted con
stantly, with occasional lapses. after
having taken decided leap upward.
In 1904 the rising tide touched high
water mark, there being in Manhattan
and the Bronx $500 death due to heart
disease and Bright's diseae (including
n sphritif). OF these $500 were due tC
Bright's disease and .020 to heart dis
ease. This means that 1852 out of ey-
cry 10, 900 died from one of these dis
eases that register the strain upon the
heart and other organs affected by the
action of the heart.
In 1868 only 615 persons died from
heart disease, and 634 from Bright's
disease. the death rate being 13 5 per
10000.
IN EXCITING YEARS.
A popularity of the fluctuations of
these diseases seems to be that they
are most fatal in years of tremendous
business activity, just preceding, at
least twice, great financial panics.
Whether the high death rate from these
diseases in the year just ended passages
q period Of disaster remains to be seen.
It was without doubt an eventful
year in many evidences OF high pres
sure.
When Health Commissioner Darling
ton was asked for an explanation of
the increase.in the mortality be replied: !:
II think it is due to two things. In
the first place, the increase is perhaps
not so great as it appears from glance
at the records. Physicians diagnosed
more correctly in 1904 than they did
in 1858. Consequently. more diseases
have been properly reported and re-
corded under the head of Bright's dis
ease. However, changed conditions of
life, in my judgment, are to a great
degree responsible for this cases of
disease. We work too hard and make
too hard work of our amusements. We
eat too much meat, have too many fla
vorings and seasonings too many
courses at dinner and too late dinners
and, worse yet, too late and too heavy
suppers.
I'VE drink too much-not of water
we smoke too much. We do not take
enough outdoor exercise and we worry
too much. Business is too absorbing
and the effort to live up to false stand
hluo tOU tdXluks
ACTS ON THE HEART.
"All thisiacts upon the sheart, ;the
the kidneys, the nervous
system. Hence we have more and
more cases of what the physlcians are
coming to recognize as Bright's dis
ease and affections Of the heart.
Just why the death rate leaped
from 27.2O per 10. QUO in 1908 to 90 81 in
1904 is not entirely explicable on eth
er OF the grounds that have spoken OF
as accounting for its general increase.
1t was hard year in every way. The
weather was exceedingly trying and it
seemed to be one of tsthose.--years that
occur at. irregular periods when con
dlti0ns are peculiarly lnimical to
health. Pneumonia has increased
frightfully also, and some of the causes,
at least, may be found closely related
to those that are responsible, for the
heart disease and Bright 3 dlsease-ex.
posure to bad weateer, lack of proper
precautions, bad air in the house and
a general rundown condition from over
work, over worry or improper eating .