The Washington herald., 1912-04-21
A STUDY OF DEATH RATE
At DIFFERENT PERIODS
Progress of Medical Science in This Direction Is
Outlined
Outlined.

/ jority Of all deaths after nifty. Il being
really immaterlaI whether you call II
apoplexy. paralysis. heart or kidney dis
ease. the Underlying pathological con-
Gitions are in all the cases the same.
excepting only those cases OF heart and
kidney disease that are the sequslae OF
rheumatism or scarlet fever. Therefore.
assuming that arterio-sclerosis is the
most common cause of death after mid
die age and that Il Is largely a pre-
ventable disease. or at the worst. a
postponable disease. a brief allusion as
to its causes. prevention. and treatment,
| as in this disease the ounce OF preyen-
ton Is more than worth the pound OF
cure.
The causes OF arterio- scierosfs are
manifold Among the most common are
the degenerations Of old age, The stren-
uous life. intemperance In eating and
drinking. an excess OF meat diet. intes-
tinal indigestion. gout. rheumatism, to-
bacco, alcohol. &c.
Tobacco is the most extensively used
narcotic poison: the annual crop Is es-
timated at 100000 tons. Tobacco Is
considered a cause Of arteriO-sclerosis,
of functional and organic heart disease,
and Of certain forms of blindness
As nearly all alcoholics are first ad-
dictsd to the immoderate use Of tobae-
GO. and as tobacco Is a sedative poison.
and alcohol is stimulant poison. the
use OF one In measure counteTacts the
effect of the other on the circulation
and therefore tobacco may be regarAad
asNone of the causes OF alcoholism.
A committee appointed by the French
government reported that tobacco was
possibly dangerous at all ages. and 'espe-
cially so in youth. Legislatures are pass
ing laws to restrict the use OF the weed
to adults, and corporations will not trust
cigarette smokers with responsible posi-
tons The record of Yale College for
eight years showed that the nontobacco
users were 20 per cent taller than the
smokers. e5 per cent heavier, and had S.
per cent more lung capacity.
Tobacco increases the excitability of
the heart by a direct action on its nerve
ganglia. The spinal nerves become az
fected, a staggering gait and swimming
in the head are prominent symptoms OF
its poisonous action. Nicotine Is a most
active poison. resembling dydrocyanic
acid in the rapidity of its fatal effects.
Eight drops Will kill a horse: two drops
will kill a dog. II affects both the heart
and the blood vessels, this being espe-
cially the case in old smokers. Nicotine
retards the absorption Of oxygen by the
blood. and the nervous and arthritic
are said to be more susceptible to its
poisonous effects. 1t is thought that
tobacco lessons the resistiye capacity
and renders the organism more suscep-
tIble to infection, especially tuberculosis.
Our modern club life. with its highly
seasoned dishes Of rich animal foods
alcoholic drinks and sedentary habits.
is the recruiting ground for our hos
pitals. sanatoriums, and asylums.
Alcohol is a frequent cause of artsrio-
sclerosis and Of the degenerative diseases
Of middle age and old life
Intemperance in eating kills as many
as intsmperance in drinking, and verifies
the truth OF that trite old adage that
a great many. people dig their graves
with the teeth" Early recognition of
these degenerative diseases Of the old
and middle-aged is of vital Importance.
as forewarned is forearmed. and preven-
tion Is always better than cure.