Show CAUSES OF HEART FAILURE ordinarily and in normal conditions of the system and in adults the pulsations vary in number from 60 to 80 inja in a minute but this rule is not without its exceptions I 1 have known healthy persons in whom the heartbeats heart beats beato were as few as 40 a minute and others in whom it exceeded 90 they are gene generally raly increased in all persons by mental excitement cit elt ement by stimulating food or drink or even ly by an ordinary meal and by physical exercise I 1 think tt it undoubtedly true that the heart beart far more rapidly at the present 4 say than it did fifty years ago a re sult suit which must be ascribed to the greater mental activity of the age As asa a consequence the heart wears out more quickly now than it did with our ancestors and cases of heart weakness and heart failure which in former times were almost unknown are now quite common like every other muscle of the body the heart is strengthened by exercise but this exercise must and not so excessive as to make too great a demand on the powers of the organ for instance a person who has not been in the habit of taking much physical exercise has a heart which like all the other muscles of the body is comparatively weak he is suddenly forced to exert himself in a manner which is unusual to him he runs yards or so or rapidly ascends a long and steep staircase this exertion causes him to brea breathe themore more rapidly than is natural to him the blood must be sent into the lungs in increased quantity the heart must respond to the demands made upon it and in order to accomplish its ita work its pulsations are greatly increased in number it may be unable to accomplish its task and it suddenly stops altogether and in the twinkling of an eye death ensues another may think he is leading a very regular life his business is of a sedentary character and when he has to go from place to place he rides in a horse car or drives in a carriage he probably does not walk altogether as much as a quarter of a mile a day suddenly some violent emotion is excited within him the heart participates bici ates in the general disturbance it throws more blood into the lungs than they can manage the pulmonary vessels are clogged it cannot overcome the obstacle of a column of almost stagnant blood it stops and the individual is dead of heart failure we can hardly pick up a newspaper without reading of some such occurrences as these not the result of organic disease of the heart such as derangement of its ita varv valves es but a functional disorder the result of a vicious mode of life that in many cases the heart may be strengthened by proper hygienic measures an and d medical treat treatment men t is not a question in regard to this there is no doubt systematic but moderate exer exercise else w which strengthening the other muscles of the body also strength streng th ens the heart jis Is probably the most valuable of all ah the means to be adopted and of this climbing heights should be a prominent feature A person unaccustomed to this kind of physical exertion should of course proceed very care carefully fuDy and under the direction of a physician till the body has become habituated to the work the food should be of the most nutritious character not over stimulating and especially not excessive in quantity aue indue vi ui hie chonia ue be buca us LO wililam mili late agugust the oi 01 lat la I 1 in the bouy I 1 llie ht alb a lb m u man mail lou luji way muy ue km baroug lui au all bue blie pur pubes 01 ol lite hie bub bum u tie liu lueas lub hia bouy meigu aw W pounds the proper proportion is destroyed and the heart is relatively weak the materia medica embraces several agents which are directly heart tonics and by the use of which the tone of the organ is increased but they are not to be employed without the advice of a physician it is just as easy to make the heart strong as it is to strengthen the muscles of the arms or legs and if proper views on this subject can be caused to prevail and to be carried out in practice we shall hear less of weak heart and heart failure A person will then be able to dispense with an elevator when he has to ascend to the seventh or eighth story of a building and he can then indulge in a fit of anger if so disposed without running the risk of dropping dead at the feet ot of his antagonist dr wm A ham mond in Syn syndicate dUcate article ardem |