Evening star., 1938-03-11
HEART 'CR|PPLES'
HELDLAW VICTIMS
Health Forum Speaker Says
Compensation Acts Shut
Door on Work.

heart disease was described last night
in the final weekly public health lee
ture at Georgetown University as a
hapless victim of the depression and
Of liberalized compensation laws that
are gradually forcing industry to deny
him gainful employment.
For this reason especially, DR.
James Esler, professor of clinical
cardiology in the university's Medical
School. urged modification of the
compensation acts in the District Of
Columbia and elsewhere so as to pro-
vide a greater opportunity for en-
ployment to this afflicted group OF
manual and "white-collar" workers.
Because industry is being faced
with the necessity Of paying full COM
pensation claims to workers whose
cardiac symptoms have become ag-
gravated by occupational duties, Dr.
Esler said, many large companies are
refusing to hire persons known to
be suffering from this disease. There
fore" he explained, "the liberality of
such laws are beginning to have a
detrimental effect on the cardiac
group"
U. S. Provides Precedent.
Industry should not be criticized as
selfish for declining to assume these
liabilities, he contended, when the
United States civil service itself fol-
lows the same policy. DR.. Esler was
asked by member of the audience
If it were not possible for a cardiac
cripple to waive his claim for COM
penSation so as to secure employment
That cannot be done" he replied
1T is impossible for an employe to
sign away any rights under the Com
pensation Act"
Between go and 70 per cent of
the employees in most large industrial
concerns, DR.. Esler said. fall within
the functional" classes of the cardiac
groups. That is, the great majority
of them are fitted over period { .
some 10 to Is years to perform their
duties as regularly as more fortunate
workers before they are ready for
the industrial scrap-heap.
Because of the many variations OF
the disease, he suggested that the
problem of finding suitable work for
the cardiac cripple is one that must
be individualized. AS important as
any other factor. he claimed. is the
need of sustaining the moral, self
respect and independence of those
suffering from the disease.
DR.. Esler indicated that the problem
of fitting the cardiac patient into in
dustry is not unSolvable. He cited a
Philadelphia survey of 100000 manual
labor jobs which he said disclosed
that $4,000 positions could be occupied
well by persons whose heart ailments
are not too pronounced.
In providing work for this group
he pointed out, care should be exer-
clsed to strike a proper balance be-
tween the kind of work he can do anG
the amount of work he can do.
Special Hospital Suggested.
During a panel discussion that
followed the lecture. suggestions were
made that the District of Columbia
should provide separate hospital for
the treatment and rehabilitation OF
cardiac patients the same as is being
done now for tuberculosis patients
There was also local need, it was
suggested, for a convalescent home
where children with cardiac symptoms
might rest and be taught to do useful
things for themselves. There is only
one such convalescent home of this
nature in the Washington region, ii
was said, and that is near Rockville.
DR.. John r. Cavanagh, chairman
of the Public Health Forum. in an
nouncing the close of the sessions, ex-
pressed the wish that the persons who
have been attending them regularly
would make suggestions for subjects
in which they would be most inter-
ested in hearing discussed in a public
forum next year.
The members of the panel last night
consisted of DR.. Thomas Lee, DR.
William Argy, DR.. Michael McInerney
DR.. Samuel Dessoff and DR.. Frank
Horvath. all members of the George
town faculty.