The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-23

the list with 2.6S4 deaths; chronic
heart disease came next with 2.425
deaths; accidents. third. with 2.332
deaths: cancer OF the digestive
tract. fourth. with 1919 deaths.
Cerebral hemorrhage or apoplexy
ranged hfth with 1900 fatalities;
endocardltis. or Inflammation OF the
lining Of the heart. came sixth with
l'l3l deaths, and tuberculosis was
seventh, with l.O52 deaths.
Old age. you see, is operating
within this forty-fve TO sixty-hve
age group, with diseases OF the kid
ney and OF the heart and blood YES
sells causing most deaths.
The kidneys can be thought OF as
two organs. each about the size OF
a douhled-up fist. that are shaped
like kidney bean. In fact, II Is
because OF this resemblance that
the vegetable kidney bean gets Its
name. These organs are specialized
glands for the excretion OF water
and dissolved substances from the
body. II Is just as important for
the kidney TO excrete water as II is
for II 10 excrete the dissolved salts,
urea and other substances which
are poisonous 10 the body when al
lowed TO concentrate In the blood
stream. The kidney represents the
dam that allows the constant flow
OF the end products OF metabolIsm
from the body.
The secreting units OF the kid.
ney are specialized small twists OF
capillaries that are like small ball
Of yarn. and are located In rhe out
er portion Of the organ. There are
several million OF these small Sc
cretory units. whose Job II Is TO
secrete urine every minute Of the
time. day and night. Nature Is prodi.
gal with the number Of these Sc
creting units. for there are many
more than are needed for daily use.
She has provided for a reserve sup
ply In each kidney. so that In case
Of emergency. these can come to
the rescue
Now during childhood or ado
lescence. person may have had
an infectious disease common 10
young people. such as measles. diph.
iberia or scarlet fever. Although
apparently recovered. there may
have been some damage to one or
both OF the kidneys. which was not
sufficient. however. to cause acute
kidney disease. and the reserve Sc
creung units were able TO carry on
the normal functions OF the kid.
neU. And for the next 20 or 30
years the Individual was left hap.
PLY In ignorance that the kidneys
had been damaged. for there were
no extra demands placed upon them
The when this individual reaches
an age past forty. and the aging
processes OF the body begin to take
place in him, he suddenly finds him.
self with bankrupt excreting sys-
TEN. for his kidneys have no fur.
ther reserve secreting units TO draw
upon. Such an individual then has
chronic nephritls.
Vaccinations against diphtheria
scarlet fever and measles were not
available forty years ago. and SO
heart and kidney disease patients
In the over-forty age group can
hardly blame anyone If the dam.
age to their heart or kidneys oc-
Cured from an infection due to
one of their childhood diseases. But
the child today can be spared this
danger. We have the vaccine now
we know that these childhood dis
eases need not be inevitable" ac.
compartments of young years; we
could stamp them out If the commu.
nifty so willed. Certainly every
adult who Is paying the penalty for
childhood infections now with a
heart or kidney ailment. should see
TO 1t that every child under his
guardianship Is protected against
these avoidable childhood diseases
Science has not yet been able to
vaccinate against the kidney OF
heart wearing outl The chances are
it never will. The way to keep these
organs functioning without impair.
ment of reserve power is to keep in
fectious germ diseases out of the
body. Then scar tissue will not be
formed as the result OF a secondary
infection, or Inflammation, on either
of these organs. Scar tissue on a
kidney impedes the functioning
power of that kidney just as much
as the loss OF one of our hands
would impede the working ability oi
our arm.
But the person with an impaired
heart or kidney will add years tC
I his life, If he Will learn how tC
live with this impaired heart oil
kidney. He must let them now be
the master of his activities. If he
/ does this sensibly, he will often be
able to live many years without In
validism In bed, except for short
complete-rest periods.