The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-23
yAI.yULAR DISEASE CONDUCEs TO
 LONGEVITY


 Writing this far from library or even a aico .,ea tionary I can't take off with mention Of the mans name but some great philosopher, poet or physician has made an epgrarn, about ,n man an poor health bringing him longer life because ne lives carefully should prooa4iy meet nee aata ae to support my contention, but on lnIormauOh and belief do think moderate valvuar ieaR .;aFt age conduces to longevity, provided the patient is fairly intelligent and discovers the delect fairly early.
 animation for everybody on one pretext or an other there still good many persons With definite valvular disease who live good long lives without ever becoming aware of the handicapped condition of the heart, but that IS just good iucK It is much better, everything considereo' tn.t ts individual with a Valvular leakage be informed of it as soon as the diagnosis is made. On the other hand think it is the surest test of an an in competent doctor when patient or his friends are informed that there is a murmur or that the heart is just little weak or any such or a frank declaration that the doctor does not know what if anything is the matter. There are such burden and in every instance it spells medi- cal incompetence or dishonesty. It takes good' reliable doctor to dare to say T don't know.
 Is there any sense in the idea that damaged or
 eaky heart valves possibly increase a per sons days? To understand this you must first understand what valvuar leakage is; the condi- tion otherwise called Navular disease, chrome endocarditis and mitca insufficiency or aoric stenosis according to the valve affected or the character of the lesion" Without going into the particular nature cause of the damage here, suffice that the mitral valve is a membranous structure which normally permits blood to pass from the auricle-the cavity which receives the blood from the lungs--into the main heart cav
 ity, the ventrice: but closes to prevent any back flow leakage of the blood into the aurcle again while the ventrice is contracting and cont pressing the blood to drive it out into the great | artery If this mitral valve becomes roughened | or distorted it cannot close perfectly and there will be more less backward leakage of blood through it when the heart beats. trifing leak age with each heart beat.
 The inevitable effect of such a valvular leak | age is that the heart must do more work at each beat in order to maintain efficient circuaton it must pump the normal amount of blood plus the amount that leaks back between beats. In | order to accomplish this the heart inevitably enlarges. more muscle is developed in the wall of the heart; so "enlargoment of the heart is | natural and essential feature of any vavular leakage.
 If you have a valvular incompetencv your heart must do greater work to compensate for the loss of power at each beat, and that for life if the valve defect is a permanent one Your heart and will do this if you are properly ad- vised about your ways of living and if you are
 fortunate enough to evade accidental or casual
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Compulsory Luxury
 For the life of me don't understand why chtects and builders do not incorporate suitable apparatus for maintaining proper humidity in Yet I suppose this never will be done until the federal government passes proper laws prescrb-
 ing the purity of the air we breathe, just as 1t
 has prescribed the purity of our food. (E. A. w., Jr).
 Answer-If any movement 10 bring about en- actment of such laws ever begins,' count me as one health authority unalterably opposed to it. | Such humidifying equipment may be built in. and 1 is generally desirable and healthfu. but at the | same time it is a luxury and such should pay | a rather large tax. A poor man, wise one.
 may provide healthful humidity in the air of his
 home shop office more economically if he
 cares to have it. The Cimplest way is to keep the indoor temperature at about 65 degrees F. and
 never permit it to rise higher. If is kept at 68 l or higher. then some water must be evaporated
 in the air from open reservoirs stove, register
 or radiator If the air temperature is kept at the temperate 65 it's natural content of water vapof will be sufficient rule.
 Dementia Precox
 Some time ago you told about lecture trcat- ment for dcmentia prccOx which had been found effective by DP w. E. Lazel. If you have Dr
 Lazels article please mail it to me and will rec turn 1t after reading. am much interested in dementia DrccOx. (G. F. M.. M. D.
 Answer-I haven't the article. Doctor. It was published in the Medical Bulletin of the Vet erans Bureau early in 1880, think. fear I owe | you an apology. for from the index mark your | letter have already answered by mall declining
 to comply-which did under the impression you were a layman. Perhaps it would be well to write to the author for reprint You can get hiS l.address from the medical directory q am far | from my own files at present. would send it to you.)