The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-16
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, ID. G.
HAVE YOU A GOOD HEART?

| heart" so frequently encountered in
J romantic fiction, is now declared to be
/ a scientific fact. Hearts actually do
break, a famous heart specialist finds,
and such breakages are by no means
uncommon. ''She dies of a broken
heart" can no longer be considered
mere figure of speech. Perhaps she
really did.
! A surprising thing about broken
hearts, moreover, according to this
scientist, is that they are more often
| caused by JOY than SORROW Perhaps
it is just as well that the worlds sup
ply of joy is limited In the light of
\ this new discovery, in fact, the joy
killer, now an unappreciated figure in
our midst, is seen to be in some cases
a public benefactor.
| Broken hearts," says this British
doctor, occur not only among human
| beings, but among animals. /, my
self, have known an animal to rupture
| it's heart thru joy. Indeed, I have
seen this it happened.
| THE disaster is not caused by grief,
the emotion, nor by joy, the emotion,
but indirectly 1t is the result of the
presence in the blood of chemical
substance poured into it as the result
which we know so little. Grief. joy,
worry, loVe-all these emotions and
probably others produce definite
| chemical reactions resulting in the
|
for example, produces chemical poi
son, which affects the blood of him
who hates. And so for all other emo
tions. Those that are produced by joy
seem most likely to break the heart.
| The fatal result is caused by an over
stimulation of the heart nerves.
This is undoubtedly the most inter-
| esting information that has yet been
| contributed to the meager data which
exist concerning the heart and its
various idiosyncracies. The heart is
| perhaps the least understood of mans
organs. Its breakdown, if not its act.
ual breakage, causes more deaths to-
| day than any other affliction. Over
a hundred thousand persons die of
heart disease in this country every
year.
In New York City alone the annual
death rate from organic diseases of
the heart is over 10000 or about the
same as the entire national death rate
| from automobile accidents. It is esti-
mated that 10000 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 2 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 probably done
more to combat this greatest Of ma
| tiona1 Affections than any other city.
1t has an Association for the Proven
ton and Relief of Heart Disease,
which has accomplished splendid work
| in promoting the study of heart all
| ments and in providing special faciH-
| ties for cardiac patients. About fIf-
| teen cardiac clinics are now operated
in connection with city hospitals,
| III IL iOIIe NT
fcardiacs have recently been opened
/ Yet none of these activities have
| thrown great light upon the origin OF
heart disease. The association is IN
| clined to place most of the response
biIity upon environment. They point
| out that like tuberculosis, heart trou-
Bile is found chiefly among the poor
| and those who, by bitter necessity or
| byLcarelessness. live under unfavorable
| conditions. If the disease is discoX-
cred in its early stages and the pauent
given plenty of rest, proper food, fresh
| air and well ventilated sleeping
quarters, it is usually easily cured,
| they assert, but where the disease mas
| existed for a. number of years, the
J cure is extremely difficult. While they
believe with the British specialist that
! emotional excitement is probably a
! contributary cause of heart trouble,
bad living habits have the most to do
with it.
"The heart may be damaged by
| certain infectious diseases or by me
constant use of stimulants or by I'M
| suitable modes of life" reads
pamphlet now being distributed by
/ the association.
i THE infectious diseases most fire.
| quently affecting the heart, are rheu-
| rnatism and syphilis. In early Ire
rheumatism is the chief cause, while
the cardiac damage due to syphilis IS
generally apparent only in later life.
| "Altho~ the cause of acute rheuma-
tism are not definitely known, it Is
quite certain that it is a germ disease
in which the infection probably enters
thru diseased tonsils, adenoids and de-
! cayed teeth. The removal of such
tonsils, adenoids and the proper care
of the teeth seem to be the most di-
rect and effective preventive measures
against rheumatism. Also the value
| of outdoor exercise and sufficient
sleep in we1l-ventilated rooms as pre-
ventive measures cannot be, over
estimated.
! adults leading sedentary lives.
whose activities are chiefly mental,
/ who get but little outdoor exercise
and who eat more and sleep less than
they should, frequently suffer circu.-
latory changes" continue the data OF
the association. 1.-THE exact effect on
the heart of poisons developed by this
mode of life as well as those derived
from the habitual and Incorporate
use of alcohol, tobacco, tea ana cor
fee cannot be precisely stated, but 1t
is evident that they play definite
role in causing degenerative diseases
of the heart. Education must be the
strongest ally against these prevent
able causes of heart disease.
I Education Needed.
The association believes that a ma
tion-wide campaign against heart dis
ease is a crying need at the present
Nh thew out.
has declined with encouraging abrupt
ness since the Anti-Tuberculosis so
ciety BEGAN its well 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 a burden upon society which can
be better met by prevention than by
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