Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-23
TO AVERT HEART DISEASE
BY H. Addington Bruce

~ ECENTLY, delivering the Shattuck lee
* ture at the annual meeting Of the Mas
sachusetts Medical Society, DR.. Haver
Emerson, of New York, made this declara
| ton:
cit is within the range Of possibility, with
| in the reach of present-day medical and So
cial knowledge and resources, to make as
much reduction in sickness and premature
death from heart disease as has been obtained
by teaching, by diagnosis by organized medi-
cal services in the control of tuberculosis"
This is cheering ENTHUSIASTICALLY IN
view of the fact of which most people are
unaware, that heart disease leads all
other causes of death.
| Since mortality statistics first were sys
tematically assembled in the United States
! the death rate from diseases of the heart has
been pretty steadily mounting upward. Fol-
! the last ten years, according to DR.. Emerson
it has not been less than 200 per annum pei
100000 population in New York City. It is
not so high for the country as a whole, but
is nevertheless deplorably and alarmingH
| high.
| And among the measures calculated to les
sen it's incidence first in Importance would
seem to be hygenic upbuilding of the bodily
resistance to infectious diseases and avoid
ance Of needless exposure to infection.
For heart disease, in most cases, is re-
| suit not of strain or any intrinsic heart
weakness, but of the action of various dis
ease germs. Germs LnaC cause Influenza
pneumonia, other diseases Of the respira-
tory organs are especially likely to cause
heart disease also. So are the germs re-
sponsible for dental disease tonsilitis, rheu-
matte fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria and
measles.
In their occurrence personal carelessness
often plays large part-for example, in neg
| lecting to keep the mouth and teeth clean
| in letting ones self become run down." in
| frequenting crowded places when one is
| physically exhausted. With increased atten-
ton to the rudiments of physical hygiene
| there is bound to follow a decrease in every
one of the germ-caused diseases mentioned
hence of heart disease as their sequel.
! Increased attention to the dictates oil
morality will also mean a lessening of heart
| disease.
Those who live immorally are subject, as IS
generally known, to sundry serious germ
| diseases, notably syphilis. 1t is not so gen
orally known that some of the direst forms
! of heart disease are an edriv or belated prod
uct of syphilis
| And, besides leading a decent hygienc life
bodily, it is important to practice mental n.y.
giene if the death rate from heart disease
| is to be lessened.
Emotional extravaganza and lack of con-
| trol-particularly in the way of worry and
morbid fear-are held by many authorities
to affect the heart directly. And most GER
tainly they affect the heart indirectly
through the interference caused to nutrition
| sleep, rest, etc.
| So that, in the last analysis, education in
| the way of right living is the surest pre-
ventive that can be found for heart disease
as we'll as many other diseases. Wise are
those who seek from every possible source oil
competent authority information on chow tC
| live" and apply for themselves the informa-
| ton gained.
Copyright, 1921, by The Associated
Newspapers