Show exercise that Is of benefit to weak heart by DR JAMES W BARTON VEARS ago what was known YEARS 1 I as the nauheim bath and schott system of exercise was the treatment for a weak m muscular u la r heart the pa tient raised his u HEALTH c N I 1 T u callih arm leg hand or foot a against COLUMN the resistance LJ of the hand or hands of the physician or nurse who could thus regulate the amount of work or exercise the patient was allowed to dp do during the last few ew years there has been a 9 tendency among physicians sic ians including heart specialists to give these patients with a weak moscu lar heart no exer else cise whatever believing that as men 0 and women grow older at it Is rest reft the heart needs not more work that the heart needs rest after or dr harton barton illness ot of any kind and needs four to six weeks a absolute bed rest after a heart attack Is admitted that a weak heart hear t should not be given any exercise I 1 Is s considered unwise by many physicians who point out that certain kinds of exercise can aid the heart without causing too mu much h heart activity it might be wl well therefore to recall the suggestions of dr josef B nylan philadelphia in medical record who points out the exercises tharald that tha aid the heart 1 massage which presses the blood out of the veins and causes the ahe little blood vessels carrying blood from veins to arteries to open more widely and let more blood move to and from the part being massaged 2 passive movements where the nurse moves the arms and legs and thus exercises the muscles which cause caus the heart t to send more blood to th the parts this sucks the blood from the part exercised and sends it back to the heart 3 breathing exercises which in crease the flow of used blood on the right side of be heart artto to the left side from whence it goes to lungs to be purified and to all parts of the body now there ls Is a great diler difference euce between the amount of work the heart must do when the patient takes exercise such as walking or games and the amount done when the muscles are massaged or given passive movements and the sim pie breathing exercises but the heart does get exercise by these methods |