The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-16

New York City. April 1.-THE
broken heart" SO frequently en-
countered in romantic felton,. II
now declared to be scientific fact.
Hearts actually do break. . fam
GUS heart specialist finds. and such
breakages are by no means uncom-
mon. she died of q broken heart
can no longer be considered q
mere figure Of speech. Perhaps
she really did.
A surprising thing about broken
hearts, moreover, according to this
scientist, is that they are more Oft
en- caused by Joy than sorrow. Per-
haps it Is Just ~ we'll that the
worlds supply of Joy Is limited. In
the light of this new discovery, in
fact. the joy-killer. now An unap-
preciated figure in our midst, Is
seen to be in some cases a pub
lie benefactor.
Broken hearts," says this Brit
ish doctor, occur not only among
human beings. but among animals.
I, myself, have known an animal
to rupture its heart through Joy.
Indeed, l have seen this as it hap
pened.
THE disaster is not caused by
grief. the emotion. nor by
Joy, but indirectly. 1t is the
result of the presence in the blood
of chemical substance poured into
it as the result Of one Of those
curious reactions of which we know
SO little. Grief, joy, worry, love
| all these emotions and probably
others, produce definite chemical
reactions resulting in the genera
ton Of actual substances. Hate,
for example, produces chemical
poison, which affects the blood Of
him who hates. And so for all Otl-
er emotions. Those that are pro-
duced by JOY seem most likely to
break the heart The fatal result
is caused by an overstimulation of
the heart nerves.
This is undoubtedly the most in
teresting information that has yet
been contributed to the meager
data which exists concerning the
heart and itaarious idiosyncras-
les. The heart is perhaps the least
understood Of mans organs. Its
breakdown, il not its actual break
age, causes more deaths today than
any other affection. Over a hun
dred thousand persons die of heart
disease in this country every year
In New York City alone the an
nual death rate from organic dis
eases Of the heart is over 10000,
or about the same as the entire ma
tional death rate from automobile
accidents. 1t is estimated that 90
900 children in the New York
schools are already handicapped by
permanently damaged hearts, and
that an even greater number of in
dustrial workers are suffering from
various forms of heart disease, and
it is known that per cent of the
boys examined in the draft were
rejected because Of damaged hearts
Combating Heart Trouble.
While it has by no means done
enough, New York has notably done
more to combat this greatest of ma
tional Affections than any other
city. 1t has an association for the
prevention and relief of heart dis
ease, which has accomplished splen-
did work in promoting the study OF
heart ailments and in providing
special facilities for cardiac pa
tients. About Is cardiac clinics
are now operated in connection
with city hospitals, while various
convalescent homes for cardiacs
have recently been opened.
Yet none of these activities have
thrown great light upon the origin
of heart disease The association
is inclined to place most of the
responsibility upon environment
They point out that, like tubercu.
losis. heart trouble is found chief
ly among the poor and those who
by bitter necessity or by careless
ness, live under unfavorable condi-
tons. If the disease is discover
ed in its early stages. and the pa
tient given plenty of rest, proper
food, fresh air and well ventilat.
ed sleeping quarters, 1t is usual.
ly easily cured. they assert, but
where the disease has existed for a
number Of years, the cure is ex.
tremely difficult. While they be,
lieve with the British specialist
that emotional excitement is prob.
ably a contributary cause of hear
trouble, bad living habits have The
most to do with it.
"The heart may be damaged BY
certain infectious diseases or b,
the constant use of stimulants OF