The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-14

Va eNAANA1A
only, and then only through
his column.
Marie the evidence to show that
the outlook in heart disease is bet
ter today than it was a quarter Of
a century ago. 1t was once a sort
of accepted idea that heart disease
was hopeless and that the patient
was doomed TO life Of invalidism.
Neither Of these ideas remains
true today. ~
OF the various causes Of heA7
disease, we may say that the in
fectiens, rheumatism and syphilis,
are both better treated than they
were two decades ago, and the
modern treatment leaves the pa
tent with heart disease in better
condition to face the future with
out danger Of early circulatory
failure than he was at that time.
We have often pointed out in
these articles that acute articular
-rheumatism is disease, not Of the
joints, but Of the heart and that
the greatest care should be taken
with these patients to insist on a
long period Of rest and care after
the acute symptoms have subsidized.
This makes much for the preven-
lion of late crippling forms.
The Thyroid Gland
Another large field Of potential
heart damage lies in disease Of the
thyroid gland and here modern
medical management and surgical
management have done much to
step in and prevent these patients
from going on to period Of Grip
ping disease. The thyroid can be
removed or quoted in its early
stages long before it has had an
opportunity to continue to be poi
sonous and by the secretion of its
poisons- cause serious crippling
damage to the heart muscles. The
same is true of conditions of
lowered secretion of the thyroid
gland, which occur in middle-aged
women and men. Nowadays our
ability to detect these cases has
gtatly improved and our meth
ool of treatment take them out of
the field Of the chronic invalid.
In the great field of arterio-
sclerosis, one Of the prominent
causes of heart disease, we are
able to do much by early treat
ment of diabetes, which so often
complexities the picture.
Heart Surgery
The surgery Of the heart in
some respects has enabled us to
prevent certain Gripping mechan-
zeal deformities.
Besides this, our understanding
of different forms of medication
for the heart has greatly improved
so that nowadays the use of fox
glove and of drugs to relieve short
ness of breath and dropsy is far in
advance Of what it was twenty or
thirty years ago.
1t may not be quite fair to say
chat cure occurs in cases of heart
disease, but there are plenty of
examples Of people who have once
been considered hopeless invalids,
who have been rescued by modern
methods Of treatment from such
life, so that they are able to carry
on ordinary activities with COM
fort and without depending on
others for their livelihood and
happiness.
o The modern clinic in heart dis.
ease is one that is permeated with
a spirit Of hopefulness and opti-
mism.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
CD. T.:-"Q) Is thick, slow
flowing blood an indication Of any
kind of disease or lack of some
hing in the diet? (2) Is a mastoid
Infection caused by hereditary
disease ?"
Answer-(D I doubt II any
cody on earth could make a dag
1osis of thick, slow flowing blood,
and in health it is very unlikely
that it ever occurs. (2) Heredity
has nothing to do with mastoid
disease. 1t is caused by infection
of the throat going up the Eusta-
chan tube into the middle ear.