The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-10

lOSlS.
Another may be acute rheu-
matte fever, sometimes called in
fammatory rheumatism" This
disease does far more damage
than infantile paralysis and ten
other diseases that such a fuss is
made over. Its danger lies in the
fact not that it affects the joints,
but that it affects the heart.
Probably three-quarters of the
heart cripples under 40 years are
that way because they are victims
of acute rheumatism.
Crippled Hearts
The disease is insidious in its
progress. A child may be stricken
with fever and pain in the joints.
Treatment of the immediate .
symptoms is simple and satisfac-
tory. The use of some form of the
salicylates usually relieves the
acute condition within a week. To
all apparent purposes and even
on careful examination, the child
seems to be perfectly well; pain,
swelling and redness are gone
from the joints, and no signs are
in the heart, but in the majority
of cases, the damage has been
done and as the years go by, 1t
becomes evident that there was
some residual trouble left in the
heart, which finally causes Grip
ping disability.
If all patients with acute rheu-
matte fever were made to rest for
long period, much of this heart
trouble could be prevented. Such
a period of rest is easy to arrange
for in a household where there is
somebody who can take care Of
the child, keep it in bed and amuse
it, and where nourishing food is
plentiful. Ideally, child with one
attack of acute rheumatic fever
should be removed to a warm
climate for an indefinite period in
order to prevent recurrent at
tacks.
All this means that the under
PRIVILEGED child has to take his
chances and that is why rheumatic
fever is a community health prob
lem.
1t now is increasingly apparent
that rheumatic fever is widespread
among undernourished children,
crowded together in unhealthful
environment, and that provision
for their care under these circum-
stances is altogether inadequate.
! have before me the report Of
a .sanitarium near Boston, which
has been made available for the
care of children with rheumatic
fever. The sanitarium has had
several years experience and its
conclusions are worth noting. The
children are kept outdoors, ex-
posed to plenty of air and sun
shine and even in the unfavorable
environment of Boston they re-
spond well. Most of them have
had one attack of rheumatic fever
and the idea is to give them con-
tlnuous rest so as to cut down the
chances Of heart damage and to
harden them by open air and sun
shine so as TO prevent recurrence
Of infections, especially the re-
currence Of an attack of rheuma-
tism.
England, before the war. took
the lead in accepting community
responsibility for the care Of
rheumatic fever. In London. il
was recognized some years ago
that the problem was too urgent
and too extensive to be dealt with
entirely by private. or charitable
organizations. The Ministry of
Health, therefore, took active
steps in the matter, the result
being the provision of over 1000
beds for children in the London
area.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
f. r. M.:-"What causes the
network Of small red veins to ap-
pear on the sides of the nose? Is
there any remedy for them ?"
Answer-Dr. VIM Osler wrote
extensively on this subject. 1t was
a mystery to him why the veins
appear and it still remains a mys-
terry. They apparently do not in
dictate any organic disease. Their
removal is merely a matter of re-
lief 70 the aesthetic sense. The
X-ray man and plastic surgeon
can relieve them quite easily.
If the Axis can be licked, the
Communists can be attended to
later
Just at the moment Congress.
sional Anti-American Investigator
Martin Dies. with all his anti-Com.
munistic talk, is a nuisance.