The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-16
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Haze You a Good Heart?

by unsuitable modes Of life" r..A.
q pamphlet now being distributs,
by the association.
THE infectious disease most 4,
quently affecting the heart. -.
rheumatism and syphilis. In e,,,s
life rheumatism 10 the chief cans.
while the cardiac damage due /.
syphilis is generally apparent onlv
In later life.
Although the causes Of seu,.
rheumatism are not defditelv
known, 1t is quite certain that h !.
a germ disease in which the inisc-
ton probably enters through Az.
eased .tonsils. adenoids and decav,s
teeth. The removal Of such tons.
lis, adenoids and the proper en-.
of the teeth seem to be the mos,
direct and effective preventive msa'
sures against Rheumatism. Also
the value of outdoor exercise AMI
SUFFICIENT sleep in we'll ventilated
rooms as preventive measures can.
not be overestimated.
Adults leading sedentary lives
whose activities are chiefly mental
who get but little outdoor exer.
else and who eat more and slsea
less than they should. freauently
suffer circulatory changes" con.
tinues the data Of the association
THE exact effect on the heart Of
persons developed by this mode Of
life as well as those derived from
the habitual and Incorporate use Of
alcohol. tobacco. tea and coffee, can
not be precisely stated, but II IL
evident that they play a definite
role in causing degenerative dis
eases OF the heart. Education mur
be the strongest ally against these
preventable causes Of heart dis.
ease.
The association believes that 4
nation wide campaign against heart
disease Is q crying need at the pres
ent time. Tuberculosis, they poin,
out, has declined with encourage 4
abruptness since the Anti Tubercu.
losis society began its well organ
lied and we'll financed attack, but
the control and prevention Of heart
disease has scarcely been attempt
ed.
THE prevalence of heart disease
among children and young people,
with the ensuing years Of incapac-
ity, puts a burden upon society
which can be better met by pre-.
vent;on than by relief measures
alone" declared the secretary o!
| the association the other day.
These handicapped children lose
much elementary education; they
fail to become self-supporting;
they are excluded from all but q
few occupations, and they are usu-
ally dependent upon their family
or upon the public throughout their
lives"
Under favorable conditions most
persons suffering from chronic dis.
ease of the heart maintain a fair
degree of health for many years.
But when conditions are unfavor-
able the course of the disease is
! usually marked by periods OF sefi-
GUS illness, when the heart, for the
time. fails in its effort to perform
the work required of it
Mere medical care for patients
of this tyne is not enough. They
need intelligent supervision in their
! homes, in the schools, and in tho
workshops. In the case of cardiac
children, parents and teachers
! should be instructed as to their
care. Adults with damaged hearts
/ should be provided with suitable
occupations, entailing a minimum
+, Of strain.
One of the most important relief
measures, from both a medical and
an economical standpoint, is the
vocational, training Of children in
suitable trades, and the adjustm.=::
of the adult heart cripple to some
form of labor which is within bis
physical capacity. The work OF The
Trade School for Cardiac Conul-
escents has demonstrated clearly
that patients with even the more
severe grades Of heart disease are
able. under proper supervision and
control. to earn their livings IN
spite of their somewhat precariou!
state of health.
| But the point the association
wishes to emphasize is that Grip
pied hearts can be prevented
they are discovered in time. Thu
only way this can be assured I
through periodical examinations b.
physicians. A heart which Is Il
good condition one year may b
running on only half power tn
next and in no condition to surviy
! . sudden ecstasy of joy or grief.