The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-25


PLANTATION upon symptoms and
conditions that had long been
familiar, but the causes Of which
were not entirely understood.
Such is the case with the symp-
tom long known as heartburn. If
you ever lived in the more remote
parts of the Ozark mountains of
Missouri you might not under
stand unless it was referred TO as
water brasil" Sour stomach is
also used, although because the
stomach is always sour, at least
acid, this term does not appeal
TO purists.
1t is supposed TO be associated
with acid dyspepsia or possibly
ulcer, although this is not 100 per
cent true. What it consists Of, to
get down to facts, is the rising up
of or reorganization of acid mater
ial into the throat after a more
or less full meal. The acid, which
is nothing more than the normal
hydrochloric acid of the stomach
contents, gives a sensation of
burning up and down the esophe-
gus and over the heart region,
hence the name heartburn.
Familiar symptom
It is, as | say, a familiar symp-
tom, long known to stomach spe-
cialists, as we'll as the unlearned
general public and both the stom-
ach specialists and the general
public know it is relieved by soda
and milk Of magnesia and other
alkalis. EXpectant Others in the
early stages Of pregnancy are very
badly annoyed by it often, and
that is the circumstance that gave
two Denver physicians, DR.. John
r. Evans and Dr.. John S. Bous-
log, the idea Of investigating it
in order to relieve the discomfort
Of some Of their very iutractable
cases. They brought lie N-ray in
to help their invest n.
There has long ,C.1 nown q
condition of herniauJ. O.. the. abb
dominal organs througA The dia-
phragm. The diaphragm is the
muscle which lies between the
chest and the abdomen, separat-
ing off the two sets of organs. 1t
moves up and down in breathing
and is probably the most impor-
tant muscle used to alternately
expand and collapse the lungs
in respiration. Of course it must
be air tight and there is some
mechanical difficulty about this
at the point where the esophagus
goes through it to join with the
stomach. Sometimes the place Of
opening through which the ESQ.,
phagus goes, gives way, allow
ing the stomach and some of the
intestines to 60 up into the chest.
This is the condition of dia-
phrsgmatic hernia.
Hiatus Hernia
But the X-ray investigators, in
watching great numbers of people
who are swallowing opaque meals,
found that quite large percent
age who could not be said to have a
diaphragmatic hernia have a
high placement of the esophagus
so that part Of the stomach, es-
pecially when distended, is found
about the diaphragm in the lower
part Of the chest. This is called
hiatus hernia and probably FIVE
per cent Of the human race is
more or less affected in this way.
1t can easily be seen that the abb
dominal distention Of pregnancy
would predispose to this condition.
Whenever any Of these hiatus
hernia folk eat little too much
the stomach rises above the dia-
phragm and a cough or a little
extra pressure brings acid stom-
ach contents up the relaxed ESQ
phagus into the back of the
throat, constituting heart burn.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
B. E. J.:-You mention mumps,
measles, whooping cough and
scarlet fever as the principle dis
eases of childhood. Is not chicken
pox one Of the contagious diseases
that few people escape from? Is
this disease one that might have
serious results without proper
care?
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