The evening world., 1921-03-31


at the mortality Of broken hearts.
putting it IN the category with deaths
from brain fever-that other com
plant so overworked in fiction.
- But Dr. j. Strickland GoOdau, an
eminent London heart specialist, now
asserts that actual broken heart is
a physiological possibility Rupture
OF the heart fbres, ne says, may re
suit from emotion--even more often
from Joy than from grief
Two New York physicians confirm
this statement one of them is Dr..
Francis Joseph Murray, eminent sur
geon, who recently has been one OF
GArusOs attending specialists. The
ether is DR.. Mary Halton, well
known woman physician.
THAT both men and women die of
broken hearts is literally true" Dr.
Ha1ton told me when talked with her
in her Office at No. II East 3sth street.
The explanation lies in the peculiar
construction Of the heart muscles, and
in their almost instant response TO
poisons coming from the brain through
the blood.
The heart muscles are non-stiated,
that Is, they are not under the con
troll Of the will. The muscles in your
arm are stuated; you can make them
pick up a pencil from your desk or do
any other act within their power to
perform. at the bidding of your con-
scious wish. But the heart muscles
expand and contract without this con-
scious direction. Also they are most
Interestingly constructed; one FITS into
+be other exactly like the parts OF
chinese furniture, which is dovetailed
together without the use Of nails.
.rWhen a person is i'll Of pneumonia
and vet is said to have died from
heart failure. It means that the poison
oS the disease has so worked on the
heart as to pun apart these dovetailed
muscles and break the hearts ibres-
thus keeping the organ from doing It's
work and sending the blood through
the body.
-'Exactly the same effect may be
caused TO a susceptible heart by Sc
we're emotional shock such as intense
pr,ef or equally intense joy. The i'm
H -pact Of this emotion on the brain may
generate a poison similar to intense
fatigue poison, which quickly travels
through the blood to the heart and
. breaks apart the muscles and hbres''
.~Therefore, there is at least
chance that the girl who learns her
lover has jilted her may die Of
broken hearth" / asked DR., Halton-
,Dn Certainty" she agreed. Then a
twinkle came into her black dashed
blue eyes, for, despite her scientific
training, she is both youthful and hu-
p man. "You remember" she pointed
out. that tho London specialist said
10y often had more serious effect
than grief. Personally, / think death
from a broken heart quite as likely to
occur in the case of the girl who has
fished for a young man five years or
so and finally landed him. The shock
of joy might well be too much for her!
Intense emotional shock" DR.. Hal
ton continued more seriously, some
times has another fatal effect on the
heart. 1t may paralyze the nervous
system and thus prevent the nerves
of the brain from controlling the cir
culation of the blood through the
heart. This has happened TO women
who believed their husbands killed IN
the war and 10 whom these husbands
suddenly reappeared alive and WELL
"Can a broken heart ever be
fnended?" asked.
'-- "Often," she replied, cheertully.
when q person drops under an emo
? tional shock and the heart muscles
~ null apart, there are three methods OF
z treatment which should be applied at
once. Hypodermic stimulants should
he given: there should be massage OF
the arms and legs, working upward
from the hands and feet, TO help the
blood TO circulate in some slight de-
gree; and the pulmotor should be used
10 promote artificial respiration.
with this combined treatment nature
'Tds given chance to reasseTt herself.
2 Carrel and others have proved that
life will return even after the heart
las almost stopped functioning for
long period"
-~r Are both men and women likely TO
, break their hearts," | inquired.
No. yes, but not for the same rea-
cons" smiled Dr. Halton. when a
man dies OF physiological broken
heart it Is very likely due TO over
. strain in athletics. AS for the effect
. OF love on his heart-well, you remem-
, her what Shakespeare said: Men
have died and worms have eaton
them, but not for love
"a woman's heart is far more
susceptible than that Of a man to
emotional shocks, The modern
woman has more emotional resist
ance than her grandmother, since she
has a broader and more interesting
life, yet even to-day her heart Is
more likely to be broken by over
towering emotion than the heart Of
a man."
"If you use the term broken
heart in the sense OF a physical
ruptur| Of the heart nbres through
an emotional shock Of JOY or grief,
DR. Goodall of London Ia correct in
sayinS that IL Is a perfectly possible
occurrence" admitted DR.. Murray,
who lives at the Hotel Vanderbilt.
n 'Both men and women may suffer