Evening star., 1938-09-13

light Of day for At least another montl
radio public by Station WMAL this nj
mother in Georgetown University Hosp
The unusual sounds Of the fetal
clicks minute-were explained by DR..
John r. Cavanagh, In charge OF the
dtpensary at Georgetown Hospital.
during the first broadcast Of this kind
In Washington. It was unique DEM
onstration arranged in connection with
the third annual alumni clinic now
being conducted by the School Of Medi-
cine.
The heart beats of this unborn baby
climaxed 4 series Of cardiac sounds,
some normal and others abnormal, As
the physician hears and interprets
them through his stethoscope. Sew
eral attempts had to be made before
the sounds Of the fetal heart could
be heard successfully for the reason,
DR.. Cavanagh explained, that the un-
born baby was extremely restless at
the time
Stethoscope Catches Sound.
Dr. J. G. Burd. an inferno, held the
amplifying stethoscope over the ex-
pectant mother while DR.. Cavanagn
explained the sounds to Bill Coyle,
radio interpreter for Station WMAL.
Scarcely less interesting and equally
as dramatic were the sounds of the
slow but steady heart beats Of a coura-
geous l7-year girl, Helen Elizabeth
Beck, who was carried to the operat-
ing room 4 few minutes later to un-
dergo a major operation. As Mr.. Coyle
announced, the heart is thought by
many to be the seat of bravery" 1t
was in the case Of Helen who has had
80 blood transfusions and who has
visited Georgetown Hospital for oper-
atoms and treatment IA times in less
than two years.
Prepared for her operation, Helen
smiled and showed intense, eager in
terest in the demonst. alton Of her own
heart beats which she could hear dis
tinctly. Her heart was slower and
showed less excitement than the heart
Of the average laymAn in attendance.
Prenatal Case Explained.
Helen Is suffering from q very seri-
Gus blood disturbance, something sim
liar to hemophilia, which DR.. Cavanagh
explained, has caused her to bleed
seriously at the slightest injury since
she was 7 years old.
After the radio demonstration DR..
James A. Cahill, professor Of surgery
at Georgetown. performed an opera
ton by removing her splenectomy. It
was believed this surgery will succeed
where other attempts to halt her
strange malady have prevailed only
temporarily.
Explaining the prenatal case, DR..
Cavanagh said the heart beat starts
many months before the baby comes
into the world.
"One Of the most important parts Of
prenatal care Is frequent examination
Of the baby y's.heart sounds by the pros
pective mothers physician" he ex-
planned. With the aid of this instru-
ment 1t Is possible to amplify the heart
sounds OF the unborn baby 80 that they
may be heard by all of u.s." The in
strument amplifies the sound 1000
times.
In another patient, DR.. Cavanagh
explained that the man had q heart
murmur which resulted from q con-
genital malformation of his heart. In
still another he demonstrated q case of
aortic repatriation in which the
mitral valve Is disturbed and produces
an equally typical murmur. known to
doctors Is murmur Of mitral stenosis.
Nine Types Demonstrated.
Nine different types Of heart in all
were demonstrated In the unusual
broadcast.
The first demonstration was that Of
the normal breath sounds produced in
the lungs. A. DR.. Cavanash described
1t sounds like the wind blowing
through the tops of trees" It was .
low, faint moaning sound very dis
tinctly heard. Another curiously in
teresting demonstration was the
squeaky and very musical breath
sounds in Asthmatic patient.
DR.. Cavanagh demonstrated that
heart sounds differ little between age
and youth, except In fate. A man of
10 years was the next patient, and
his heart rate was about 10 . minute.
A small child's heart beat WAS only 4
little more rapid.
The smaller the animal the more
rapid the rate" he explained. "An
elephant has . heart rate Of about 50
beats . minute and . canary has .
heart rate Of nearly 1000 beats .
minute" ,
An attempt was made to listen to
the heart beats Of . two-month-old
infant The s*ethnscope was almost
'T---7~ .1'-