Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-26

"TLe medical profession feels today that
tie majority of heart disease cases in chill
drcn are caused by acute and chronic ron
sillit,e. chorca ,St Ntus dance and acute
rheumatic fever. this last being the principal
cause Seventy five per cent Of the chill
drcn attacked by acute rheumatic fever get
heart disease.
"In adults. the most frequent cause is a
violent form Oi social disease. improper eat +.
ing, drinking and smoking. IT is not caused
directly by any %. these except the hrSt. but
the others are contributing causes.
'In the children the greatest problem Is
To get the parents to TAX" the right Kind OF
care Of their little ones in cases "l tonsilIiti".
Also. parents pay it'll" attentio TO growing
pains in children. They do not tesr the
child fc" Temperature and let him b. up and
around when lie should be in bed under sur
yaillance at least. Growing pains are the
forerunnrrs OF acute rheumatic fever. and
the child should. therefore b" carefully
days. until the severity Of the case is aScer-
,ained by the physician. In this way lot
Of acute rheumatic fever may b" ward'd of,
The Great Mortality Diseases
1.-TWO per cent Of the population "f the
United States die OF heart disease. In
phi,sdelphia last year 1921 there were
a5o, deaths from tIs cause, 2507 more than
from tuberculosis. Heart disease, tuberyu-
iosis nnd cancer are the three great mortality
showing steady increase Cancer remains
about stationary and tuberculosis has shown
a decrease during the last six years.
.Another circumstance showing the prey.
o,ence of heart disease is that during the
draft period Of the war there We're 200 ,0WI
Unnng Americans rejected by the military
authorities either for active Or incipient
heart disease
"In the schools of Philadelphia it is i'm i
nossible to make as thorough examination OF
The children az should be made because the
law forbids the opening OF the clothing OF
,he child below the first button, and it is
;mnossible to use the stethoscope through the
clothing. All that can be done. therefore,
ia tn follow UP cases OF acute rheumatic
feyer. St. Vitus dance, etc, IN IN" clinics
| N see TINT these do not develop into cases
| ~ heart disease. or ii they do SO develop, Ia
Leep il in a stage where II Will not do
serious damage TO the child.
Not Necessarily Fatal
"Once person has heart disease II j.
vary seldom that a cure can be effected. bu,
| if tho life Of the sufferer IL properly regu :
| ioted he can live a useful life and probably
| die from some other cause in the end
| This Of course. relates to incipient cases
| NOT much can be done with advanced cases
"it is necessary. first of all, to educate
| the public to the danger OF heart disease
and TO the danger Of neglecting cases Of ton
sillitis and other diseases which lead directly
m heart disease. When the public and tn,
| narents understand that such cases of Hines.
sshoulj be given immediate and careful at.
tention much will have been done to care foI
| The heart disease situation throughout tn,
country.
"We have in Phiiadel lphia thirteen hear,
clinics and ten diagnostic clinics under tn,
direction of the Department of Public
Health. The diagnostie clinics locate th,
tsHe and send the patient to the hear
| clinics for special examinations.