Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-14
10 Check Heart Disease
BY H. ADDrNGToN BRUCE.

BY H. ADDrNGTON BRUCE
is no exaggeration to say that the situation
created by the increase during recent wears of
diseases of the heart is rapidly becoming as
serious as the tuberculosis problem Indeed it
the two.
While the death rate for tuberculosis has been
getting lower and lower, that for heart disease has
Deen steadily rising. In some communities today
as many people are dying from heart disease as
die from tuberculosis.
Thus in New York City, according to statistics
which take from the authoritative journal of the
American Medical association, the death rate for
tuberculosis in 1870 was 421 per 100 900 of pop
ulation. By 1914 it had been reduced to so ner
100000.
On the other hand, whereas the death rate in
New York for diseases of the heart only seven
ty-tour per 100000 in 1870, it had risen by 1914
to exactly the same rate that for deaths from
tuberculosis-that is, 169 per 100000.
What does this mean? Is heart disease essen
TALLY less preventable than tuberculosis? Can
nothing be done to cope with it?
Medical authorities agreed that even in
comparatively advanced cases much can be done
This has been strikingly demonstrated by for ex-
ample, some experimental work carried on in
Bellevue hospital, New York.
This work in the nature of establishing
classes in which heart patients could learn what
precautions they ought to take to avoid bringing
acute attacks, thus rendering their heart action
weaker and weaker. A social worker was enlisted
to do follow-up work after the patients had been
discharged from the hospital.
Some remarkable results are reported Six pa
tents who had spent total of Psi days in Bellevue
before the opening of the class, did not have to
spend a day in any hospital during the first year
after the class started
But prevention, of course, is better than anne
Iteration, and it is necessary both to detect heart
in their incipiency and to educate the public
to avoidable causes of heart trouble. TO attain
both these ends many agencies will have to CO.
operate.
No man, no matter how strong his heart may
be- afford to worry, to lose emotional con-
troll. If he persistently allows his emotions to
overwhelm him, he is almost certain to weaken his
heart
Editorially, the Journal of the American Med
zeal Association makes some important recommen-
dations.
1t urges more careful medical examinations for
heart defects in school children specialized school
ing and vocational training for affected CHILDREN
more emphasis on the control of those infectious
diseases which have serious heart after-effects and
widespread education regarding necessary precau-
tons and suitable occupations for cardiac patients
To these well-considered suggestions, L would
add the education of the general public develop
ing emotional control.
Medical science has yet a good deal TO learn
disease But among other things that it definitely
is that worry, fear, anger, and similar emo
tiona states, If persisted in, have damaging effect
on the heart.
This one fact alone, if kept in mind and acted
on will do much to check the increase in heart
disease viewed with real apprehension by med
ical authorities.
1t is not only the with the weak heart who
should control his temper, avoid worry and in gen.
eral curb emotional excitement of any kind.