The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-07-14
IRREGULAR HEART
Now Sign Of Health-New Theories
Upset the Older Opinions.

| DR. James Mackenzie, distinguished
physician and an authority on diseases
OF the heart, recently has upset all oil the
old.fashioned notions concerning what i
known as heart failure, as well as good
many opinions entertained on this subject
at the present day by the majority OF the
medical profession. The results of his in
vestigations were made known IN the iirst
of the iverSharpey lectures lately de
livered before the Royal college OF Ply.
sicians Of London.
| Striking features of DR. Mackenzie's lee
ture are these He says that heart trouble
due to damaged valves may persist for
80 years and not interfere with good health
and long life. Again, he makes an asser-
! ton that should ease the minds OF millions
OF apprehensive persons who fear that they
are in danger of death because their hearts
sometimes beat irregularly. The British
physician thinks that a skip and Jump
once in while is good evidence of a
! healthy heart.
The lecture delivered by DR. Mackenzie
is analyzed by the editor OF the Medical
Record who says
| DIR. Mackenzie emphasizes the fact that
the position OF the general practitioner IN
the ranks OF Investigators has not been APP
precated and his attempts have been too
| frequently received with a chilling indlf-
| ference while the usual opponents of medi-
cal science are not brought into intimate
contact with the varying manifestations
of disease Particularly in the study Of
diseases of the heart the general practi.
toner has the opportunity OF observing
the subtle changes that go on as the dis
ease advances
The views OF Mackenzie upon this sub
iect arrest the attention, because they are
those of clinician whose brilliant work in
he study OF heart disease enables him to
speak with authority. He notes that the
popular conception OF heart failure is err
roneous. In accentuating the Importance
of limited LESSONS the appreciation of the
hearts action as a whole has been lost
sight Of, with the result that the real sig
nifcance OF symptoms has never been fully
appreciated. while the study of heart af-
fections from the viewpoint of isolated dis.
ease has actually led TO a misinterpreta-
ton of the meaning OF many OF the most
obvious phenomena.
The real nature OF heart failure not be-
ing understood and experience showing
that death occurs unexpectedly, signs or
symptoms which are considered abnormal
and whose nature is not known, are view
ed with suspicion or as portents OF evil.
an impaired heart The assumption has
been made without sufficient evidence that
all valve murmurs are signs of defects
For example. the tricuspid valves are
normally barely competent; slight de-
gree Of physiological dilation will render
them incompetent The auricles are special
" constructed to meet this incompetence
Wilkinson King has shown that this tri-
cuspld incompetence, with the reservoir
function of the auricles and great veins.
and even of the liver, is special provision
IN diving animals, and he described the
modified condition in man as the Safety
valve function" of the tricuspid valve.
Mitral regurgitation due to damaged valves
can go on for 30 years, without Gripping
the heart IN its work, which shows that
even organic valvular incompetence is not
incompatible with good health and lon
gevitv
Mackenzie emphasizes the fact that ir-
regnlantles of the heart are not necessarily
sign OF Impairment. Any cause that ir-
rltates or excites the heart muscle, as
fever, excitement. or effort. at once abol.
lshes the irregularity. So marked are
these causes in abolishing the irregulartv
that Mackenzie has for some wears looked
upon, the presence of the irregularitv as a
possible evidence of the integrity of the
heart muscle, and so far from considering
IT an evidence of disease or OF infrmity
1t may within certain limits. be consider.
ed positive evidence of healthy heart
Dr. Mackenzie's knowledge of this sinh.
lect was gained from studying the condi.
tons OF nearly 1000 patients affected by
cardiac ailments over period of wears !.
New York Times