The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-09-30

Shortly after I
graduated in medi-
cine the superin-
. ~s-s's'seA =. tendent of large
DR.. Barton sanatorium told me
that he believed that
In at least half the adult population
evidences of past or healed tubercu-
losis could be found. Today 1t is
believed that If every part OF the
body could be examined some evil
dence OF tuberculosis would be found
in everybody, which, for the time
being at least, was in quiet
state
Caused by IN Organism.
Why then, II tuberculosis can be
found in practically everybody, do
we not all suffer with the symptoms
or at least show some signs Of it?
1.-THE specific or definite cause OF
tuberculosis Is germ or organism.
II few tuberculosis germs get into
a healthy body no harm is done
because the body fights back. But
II one lives daily with a careless
person who has the disease the
| danger Is great. Kissing, coughing
and splitting may be the means of
spreading tuberculosis germs. Any
thing which has touched the sick
persons lips may have germs on
it."
1t would be well for all of us to
remember also the first signs-the
danger signals-pointing to tubercu-
losis. These signals may not mean
/ tuberculosis in every case but
should cause one to suspect tubercu-
losis. These signals are. Cd too
easily tired; (2) loss of weight (3)
Indigestion; (4) cough that hangs on.
Overweight and the Failing Heart.
One of the hard tasks for physi-
clan and patient is when there is
great amount of fat in and on the
body and the patient has weak or
damaged heart.
The most effective method of re-
ducing weight is cutting down on
the food intake and increasing the
exercise. Unfortunately the over
weight patient with heart condi-
ton needs food to maintain his
strength and can take little or no
exercise owing to the strain exer-
else puts upon the heart.
In addition to getting out Of breath
easily many of these patients begin
to get little swelling in the feet
which means they must get off the
feet more, and keep the feet on an
other chair when sitting. While this
may mean less work for the heart
it of course means less work or ex-
ercise for the body and more fat
accumulates.
Therefore when the physician I'M
dertakes the treatment Of the over
weight heart patient he does SO, not
with fear and trembling as to what
must be done, but with fear and
trembling that his patient will not
follow his suggestions faithfully,
that he will continue to eat more
than his body needs.
One of the laws that applies to
all the organs or functioning proc
esses of the body is briefly: IAN
organ performing its work with diff.
ficulty undergoes gradual deteri.
GRAFTON, if increased activity is per.
sisted in" This doesn't mean thai
the organs or tissues will not OF
are not able to do many times the
necessary work, but it does NEAR
that if an overload is placed on it
and it has TO work with this over.
load for a long time, the fibers or
tissues of the organ lose their
strength and elasticity, just as 9
piece of elastic kept great,
stretched too long will lose some d
its power to contract.
1t is, therefore, getting these over.
weights to lessen the amount d
their food intake and thus take the
overload off the heart (due to its
having to nourish this extra fat anC
weight of the body that the physi
clan so persistently aims at.
The converse or opposite of thi:
rule is: IF the work demanded Of {
diseased or failing organ be lit
tie less than it is really able to do
certain degree of power will b,
restored" In the case of the hear
this is known as heart reserve"
You can see then how importan
it is to the overweight heart patien
that he get rid of his fat and lesser
the work on the heart. when th,
heart muscle is suffering from an.
abnormal mechanical handical
(such, for instance, as having t,
.. pump blood to a large qantity o
inactive fat tissue) and shows sign
of failing. it should be given a
-