The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-08
Medical Care
BY LOGAN CLENDENING, M. d.
What is Napoleon's disease?

BY LOGAN CLENDENING, M. d.
What is Napoleon's disease?
I realize that this question re-
quires a little explanation. My cor
respondent went to a doctor for
fainting attacks and he, being in a
quizzical mood that day, replied
by telling me that she had Napol-
cons disease. She goes on by ex-
planning her symptoms which do
not include the invasion OF Russia,
but simply that every once in a
while lately-she is 52-she has a
very dizzy spell a n d even at
times passes out completely. She
also has a slow pulse, which is
recorded as one of the physical
peculiarities of Napoleon. Napol-
con also had such fainting attacks.
They have been called epilepsy.
1t has been a matter of wonder
that an epileptic could display
such vigorous intellectual cacacity
as Napoleon. Some epileptics are
men of intellect, but it is not the
rule. Julius Caesar is another his
torical character of supreme in
tellectual attainments who is said
to have had epilepsy, He hath
the falling Sickness" as Casca
says.
Considering the slow pulse, it is
probable that the cryptic doctor
meant that Napoleon had heart
block, or Stokes-Adams disease,
This is a condition of the heart
muscle which constitutes a block
of the muscular impulses going
over the heart muscle. The block
makes the ventricles beat on their
own rhythm which is quite slow
as slow as 20 a minute, and conse-
quently every once in a while the
brain is entirely deprived of boood
so that the sudden fainting attack
occurs.
Often the condition passes away
and the heart beats normally and
the fainting attacks cease.
What are kidney function tess?
The best kidney function tests
to determine whether the kidney
is capable of performing it's func-
tons of %excreting waste products,
are based on the principle of put
ting a measured quantity of some
substance into the blood stream
and measuring how soon it comes
out in the urine. The substances
most frequently used are dyes.
Perhaps it would be made more
understandable if I reminded you
of the properties of asparagus, in
its immediate appearance in the
urine after you have eaten even a
small amount.
A physiological friend of mine
carried the asparagus test a little
further-and I add this because l
think even doctors don't know
about it. He wondered whether his
blood would smell of asparagus
after eating that vegetable, and
put it to the test by removing a
s%yringeful of blood. He found that
the blood did smell strongly OF
asparagus.
There r other tests of kidney
function.
UESTIONS AND ANSWERS
A.D.R.: Does incubation f o I
whooping cough prevent it or does
it just make it lighter?"
Answer: In about 80 per CEN
of all cases, it prevents whoopins
cough altogether. When the immu
nization from the serum has MOI
been complete and a child catches
whooping cough, the case is usual
ly a light one.
E.J.W.: SIS there any danger ii
the use of sulphur ointment as {
relief from scabies or ringworm?'
Answer: Yes. It is liable to brin9
on severe Inflammation of the Skin
it used too intensively. It should bt
used for one or two nights fol-
scabies and then stopped for some
time. 1t is not advised for ring
worm.
H.T.A.: Both eggs and Dor
give me asthma. What fruits Of
juices are the best to counterac'
these foods?"
Answer: 1t has been suggested
that fruits at the beginning of
meal may counteract substance.
in a meal which cause asthma OF
hives, but no exact advice a BIZ
given. Each person must expert
ment for himself. We would be
glad to have the experience O:
readers of this column on t h
subject. The question is, wha-
fruits do act favorably; how much
should be eaten: whether fresh OF
canned fruits work.