Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-19
HAVE YOU A GOOD HE ART?
BY Frederic j. Hask1n

famous heart specialist finds, and such break
ages are by no uncommon. 'She died
of broken heart" can no longer be consid-
cred mere figure of speech. Perhaps she
really did
surprising thing about broken hearts,
moreover, according to this scientist, is that
they are more often caused by joy than sor-
row. Perhaps it is just as we'll that the
worlds supply of joy is limited. In the light
of this new discovery, in fact, the joy-killer,
now an unappreciated figure in ~,idst, is
seen to be in some cases public benefactor.
Broken hearts, says this British doctor,
occur not only among human beings, but
among animals. I, myself, have known an
animal to rupture its heart through JOY In
deed, have seen this as it -l2 2ned.
"The disaster is not caused by grief, the
emotion, nor by joy, the emotion, but in
directly. 1t is the result of the presence in
the blood of chemical substanc poured into
it as the result of one of those curious reac-
tions of which we know so little. Grief Joy,
worry, love-a1l these emotions and probably
others produce dof"ite chemical reactions re-
sulting in the generation Of actual sub
stances. Hate, for example, produces chem
1cal poison, viii affects the blood of him
who hates And SO for all other emotions.
Those that are produced by joy seem most
likely to br ak the heart. The fatal result
is caused by l overstimuIation Of the heart
nerves."
This is undoubtedly the most interesting
information th;.t has yet been contributed to
the meager data which exists concerning the
heart and it's various idosyncracies The
heart is pc na1 least ,--.--1tood of
mans organs. It's breakdown, if not it's act
ual breakage, causes more deaths today ian
any other affliction. Over hundred thou
sand persons die of heart disease in this coun-
try every year.
In New York City alone the annual death
Of h. ic
over 10000 or about the same as the entire
national death rate from automobile acct
dents. 1t is esti nated that 20, 200 children
IN the New York schools are already handi-
capped by permanently damaged hearts, and
that an ever greater number of industrial
workers are suffering from various forms of
heart disease, and it is known that 2 per cent
of the boys examined in the draft were re-
1ected because of damaged hearts.
Combating Heart Trouble
While it has by no means done enough,
New York h. probably done more to combat
this greatest of national Affections than any
other city. 1t has an Association for the
Proven and telief of Heart D. ,ease which
has accomplished splendid work in promot-
ing the ldy Of heart ailments and in pro-
viding special facilities for cardiac patients.
About Is cardiac clinics are now operated in
connection with city hospitals, while various
convalescent homes for cardiacs have re-
Gently Oee1 opened.
Yet nom of these activities hav> 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 tuberculosis, heart
trouble is found chiefly among the poor d
those who, by b tier necessity or by careless
ness, live und unfavcrable conditions. If
the disease is discovered Ill it's ~4rly stages
and the patient given plenty of rest prop
food, fresh air an we'll ventilated sleeping
quarters, It is usually easily ed, they as
sert, but where the disease has existed for
number Of years, the cure is extremely diff
cult. While they believe with the British
specialist that emotional excitement is rob
ably a contributary cause o" heart trouble,
bad living habits have the most to do with
it.
''The heart may be damaged by certain in
fictitious diseases or by the constant use of
stimulants or by unsuitable modes of life,
reads pamphlet now being distributed by
the association.
"The info ctious diseases most frequently
affecting the heart, are rheumatism and
syphilis, In early life rheumastim is the
chief cause, -. the cardiac damage due to
syphilis is generally apparent only in later
life.
"Although the causes of acute rheuma-
tism are not definitely known, it is quite
certain that it is a germ disease in which the
infection probably enters through diseased
tonsils, adenoids and decayed teeth. The re-
moval of such tonsils adenoids and the
proper care of the teeth seem to be the most
direct and effective preventive measures
against rheumatism. Also the value of out
door exercise and sufficient sleep in we'll
ventilated rooms as preventive measures can
not be oVereStimated.
adults leading sedentary lives, whose &C
tivities are chiefly mental, who get but little
outdoor exercise and who eat more and
sleep less than icy should, frequently suffer
circulatory changes" continues the data of
the association. 1.-THE exact effect on the
heart of poisons developed by this mode of
life as we'll as those derived from the ha-
bitual and Incorporate of alcohol, to-
bacco, tea and coffee cannot be precisely
stated, but it is evident that they play def
mite role in causing degenerate diseases of
the heart. Education must be the strongest
ally against these preventable causes of heart
disease"
Education Needed
The association believes that nationwide
campaign against heart disease is a crying
need at the present time. tuberculosis, they
point out, has declined with encouraging alb
ruptness since the Anti-Tuberculosis society
began it's we'll organized and well financed
attack, but the control and prevention of
heart disease has scarcely been attempted.
'The prevalence of heart disease among
children and young people, with the ensuing
years of incapacity, puts burden upon So
ciety which can be better met by prevention
than by relief measures alone" declared the
Of the association the other day.
''These handicapped children lose much
elementary education; they fail to become
they are excluded from all
but few occupations, and they are usually
dependent upon their family or upon the
IT,