The People's Common Sense Medical Adviser in Plain English Part 66

_Gentlemen_--When I commenced taking your medicines, eighteen months ago, my health was completely broken down. At times I could not even walk across the room, without pains in my chest. The doctor who attended me said I had lung-trouble and that I would never be well again. At last I concluded to try Dr. Pierce's medicines. I bought a bottle of "Golden Medical Discovery," took it and soon commenced to feel a little better, then you directed me to take both the "Golden Medical Discovery" and the "Favorite Prescription," which I did. Altogether I have taken eighteen bottles of "Golden Medical Discovery," twelve of the "Favorite Prescription" and five vials of "Pellets." I am now almost entirely well and do all my work without any pain whatever, and can _run_ with more ease than I could formerly _walk_.

Yours truly, MRS. CORA L. SUNDERLAND, Chaneyville, Calvert Co., Md.

ASTHMA, OR PHTHISIC.

WORLD'S DISPENSARY MEDICAL a.s.sOCIATION, Buffalo, N.Y.:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mrs. Owen.]

_Gentlemen_--For six or seven years I have been a great sufferer from asthma, being for weeks so I had to sit in my chair night and day; and to all people suffering with the disease, I am glad to recommend your medicines of which I have taken only a few bottles. I now call myself cured, for I have not had asthma for a long time.

Yours respectfully, MRS. EMILY OWEN, Hinsdale, Cheshire Co., N.H.

NERVOUS PROSTRATION FOLLOWING GRIP.

WORLD'S DISPENSARY MEDICAL a.s.sOCIATION, Buffalo, N.Y.:

[Ill.u.s.tration: W.S. Nicholson, Esq.]

_Gentlemen_--In January of '90 took the "grippe," went to work before I was well, was caught in a rain which gave me a very bad relapse, resulting in lung fever and complete prostration; was on my bed two months, and when I did get out, the strength to walk any more than just a few rods did not come back. My family doctor and two prominent physicians of Sioux City, did me no good. Late in the fall I got a bottle of Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery, which quieted my trembling nerves and gave me an appet.i.te to eat. I then concluded to try the Doctor, personally. Up to this time I was in a pitiable condition.

Sometimes I could not sleep until I felt almost wild, then sleep so much I would be stupefied. I could not digest any food and my whole system was wasting and failing fast. I doubt if any one who saw me expected me to get well. I took the treatment sent me by the World's Dispensary Medical a.s.sociation for more than a year. The medicine never gave me any distress as other medicines had done before. I began to improve from the start, but the change from one extreme to the other was like the growth of a child.

To any one suffering from nervous prostration I would say, "don't be impatient." It takes a long time for weakened nerves to grow strong. I have at last become strong and well, thanks to the Giver of all good and the grand Inst.i.tution at Buffalo. I nave since married a n.o.ble-hearted young woman, and when I am playing with our sweet, healthy, baby girl, I give way to the thought that at last the long, Bad chapter of my life is ended; at such times her merry laugh sounds like a song of triumph of life over death.

Gratefully yours, W.S. NICHOLSON, Willow Creek, Clay Co., Iowa.

DISEASES OF THE HEART.

Diseases of the heart are cla.s.sified as either _functional_ or _organic_ We shall dwell only briefly upon purely _functional_ derangements of the heart; as _increased_, or excited action, _defective_, or enfeebled action, and _irregular_ action.

Increased action of the heart, indicated by palpitation, or increased number of the beats, may be caused _mechanically_, as by distention of the stomach, which, by preventing the descent of the diaphragm, excites the action of this organ. Or it may be a _sympathetic_ disturbance produced through the nervous system; thus the emotions and pa.s.sions may suddenly arouse the heart to excessive action; or the presence of worms in the intestines, improper food, and masturbation, may be the cause.

The use of tea, tobacco, and alcoholic drinks excites the heart. We have found that the excessive use of tobacco is very frequently the cause of functional derangement of this organ. Deficiency of the blood, as in anaemia, may be the cause of palpitation of the heart.

Functional disturbance of the heart's action is manifested by palpitation, irregularity, intermissions, a rolling or tumbling movement, and a feeling as if the heart were in the throat. These symptoms often give rise to great apprehension, anxiety, fear, and depression of mind.

TREATMENT. The curative treatment of functional derangement of the heart must have reference to the causes producing it. If it is in consequence of indigestion, the appet.i.te and digestion should be improved by observing regularity in the time of taking the meals, and eating very easily-digested food. The use of strong tea, coffee, tobacco, and spirits, should be interdicted, and regular exercise, rest, and sleep should be enjoined.

In all cases, the domestic management should include daily bathing, exercise in the open air, regular habits, and the avoidance of all causes which tend to excite the heart's irregularity.

_The remedial treatment_ of these functional affections ought to be confided to some experienced physician, as the remedies are not within the ordinary reach of all families, nor if they were, would they have sufficient experience and knowledge to select and properly administer them.

ORGANIC DISEASE OF THE HEART.

By organic disease we mean disease pertaining to the structure of the heart itself, in contradistinction to _functional_ disease, which has reference merely to the _action_ of the heart. The heart is subject to various organic diseases, but we have only s.p.a.ce to consider, in the briefest manner, those which are the most common. It is essential that the reader should have some knowledge of the anatomy and functions of the various parts of the heart in order that its diseases and their effects may be comprehended; therefore the anatomy and physiology of this organ, given in Part I, Chapter VII, of this work, should be carefully studied.

It is very evident that any disease which affects the structure and function of any part of the heart must, necessarily, give rise to certain modifications of the pulse, sounds, etc. It is through the observation and study of these modifications and changes that we arrive at a correct diagnosis as to the precise location and character of the disease.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 1.

Pond's Sphygmograph.]

Until within comparatively recent years, physicians were very much in the dark regarding diseases of the heart. Now, however, with a thorough knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the heart and the parts surrounding it, and with the aid of instruments which modern ingenuity has given us, we are able to diagnosticate with precision the slightest lesions of any part of this important organ, and, knowing their nature, to map out an appropriate course of treatment. With the aid of the stethoscope, invented by Laennec and improved upon by Camman, we are able to distinguish the slightest deviation from the normal sounds, and, by noting the character of the sound, the time when it occurs, the area over which It is heard most distinctly, and the direction in which it is transmitted, to locate the lesion which produces it. By the aid of the sphygmograph, first invented by Herrisson, and afterward improved upon by Ludwig, Vierordt, Marey, and lastly by Pond, of our own country, the pulsations at the wrist are registered, and thus made perceptible to the eye.

We herewith give a cut, Fig. 1, of Pond's instrument, and two tracings made by it. The first is a healthy tracing, and the second indicates enlargement, technically called hypertrophy, of the heart

PERICARDITIS, or inflammation of the membranous sac which surrounds the heart, may be either acute or chronic. The symptoms in acute pericarditis are made up from co-existing affections, and are frequently a.s.sociated with articular rheumatism, Bright's disease of the kidneys, or pleuritis The intensity of the pain varies in different individuals.

The action of the heart is increased, the pulse is quick, and vomiting sometimes takes place. When this disease is developed in the course of rheumatism, it is known as rheumatic pericarditis, and is almost always a.s.sociated with endocarditis. In some cases acute pericarditis is very distressing, in others it is mild. The fatality is not due so much to the disease itself, as to co-existing affections. When it does not prove fatal, it sometimes becomes chronic.

In chronic pericarditis, pain is seldom present. The heart is generally more or less enlarged, its sounds are feeble, the first being weaker than the second.

ENDOCARDITIS, or inflammation of the membrane lining the cavities of the heart, is one of the most frequent forms of heart disease. It is almost invariably a.s.sociated with acute rheumatism, or some of the eruptive fevers, as small-pox, scarlet fever, etc., and is due to the irritation of the unhealthy blood pa.s.sing through the heart. The disease is generally attended with little or no pain, and, consequently, if the attending physician be not on the alert, it will escape his observation.

When a.s.sociated with acute rheumatism, the disease is only in rare instances directly fatal, but in the great majority of cases it leaves permanent organic changes, which sooner or later develop into valvular affections, and these may eventually destroy life. When the disease occurs, however, as the result of pyaemia (blood-poisoning produced by the absorption of decomposing pus or "matter") or of diphtheria, or when it is a.s.sociated with any other septic conditions, it const.i.tutes a very grave element. Collections of matter formed on the membrane lining the heart and covering its valves, are liable to be detached and carried by the circulation to the brain, spleen, or liver, where they plug up some artery, and thus cause death of the parts which it supplies with blood.

Chronic endocarditis generally occurs in rheumatic subjects, una.s.sociated with any acute disease, It may exist without any marked symptoms, except, perhaps, a sense of oppression and uneasiness in the chest, with palpitation. It produces a thickening and hardening of the membrane lining the heart, and generally causes a retraction, adhesion, and degeneration of some of the valves of the heart, thus bringing on valvular disease.

VALVULAR LESIONS are, as we have seen, very frequently the result of endocarditis. They are of two kinds. First, those which prevent the valves from flapping back close to the walls of the ventricles, or arteries, thus diminishing, to a greater or lesser extent, the size of the valvular orifices, and offering an obstruction to the free flow of blood through them; and which consist of a thickening and retraction, or adhesion of the valves, chalky deposits, morbid growths, etc. Secondly, those which prevent complete closure of the valves, and thus permit a return of the blood into the cavity from which it has just been expelled. These latter consist of retractions, perforations, and partial detachments of the valves, chalky deposits around the base of the valves and in them, and rupture of the chordae tendineae.

These two forms of lesions are usually co-existent, one generally being more extensive than the other. Thus, the regurgitation may be slight, and the obstruction great, or _vice versa_. The symptoms and disturbance of the circulation are altogether dependent upon the location and form of the lesion, or lesions. Each valvular lesion has its characteristic sound, or murmur, which is heard at a particular period in the cycle of the heart's action, and it is, as before stated, from these sounds, from tracings of the pulse, and from the many other indications, that we arrive at a diagnosis. Thus, in obstruction of the orifice at the junction of the aorta with the left ventricle, one of the most frequent of valvular lesions, a murmur, generally harsh in character, is heard with the first sound of the heart, with greatest intensity directly over the normal position or the aortic semilunar valves. This is conveyed along the large arteries, and may be heard, less distinctly, over the carotids. In the sphygmographic tracing, the line of ascent is less abrupt than in the normal tracing (Fig. 2), and not nearly so high, and it is rounded at the top. In aortic regurgitation, the line of ascent is similar to that of the healthy tracing, but the line of descent is very sudden. The left side of the heart is almost invariably the primary seat of these affections, but in the latter stages of their course, the right side also is liable to become involved, and, as a consequence, there then exists great disturbance of the venous circulation, with a damming back of the blood in the veins, and pa.s.sive congestion of the liver, kidneys and brain, followed by dropsy, alb.u.men in the urine, etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2.

The above is a representation of a tracing of a healthy pulse as made with the Sphygmograph.]

HYPERTROPHY OF THE HEART consists of a thickening of the muscular walls of this organ. It may be confined to one portion of the heart, or it may affect the entire organ. The affection has been divided into the following three forms: _Simple hypertrophy_, in which there is an increase in the thickness of the walls of the heart, without any augmentation in the capacity of the cavities, and which is usually the result of chronic Bright's disease, or great intemperance; _eccentric hypertrophy_, in which there is an increase in the thickness of the walls of the heart, together with increase in the capacity of the cavities, and which is generally the result of some valvular lesion; and _concentric hypertrophy_, in which there is an increase in the thickness of the walls of the heart, with a decrease in the capacity of the cavities. Valvular lesions, obstructions in the large arteries, or, in fact, any thing which calls upon the heart to constantly perform an undue amount of labor must, necessarily, produce hypertrophy of its muscular walls, just as the undue amount of labor which the blacksmith's arm is called upon to perform produces hypertrophy of its muscles. With this condition, the pulse is hard and incompressible, and the line of ascent in the sphygmographic tracing (Fig. 3) is higher than in health.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3.]

DILATATION OF THE HEART is a condition which is closely allied to hypertrophy of the heart, and which consists of an increase in the capacity of the cavities of the heart, with diminished contractile power. In simple dilatation, there is an increase in the capacities of the cavities, without any marked change in the walls of the organ. It is usually the result of some disease which has produced great muscular prostration, and which has interfered materially with nutrition. More frequently, however, dilatation is the result of valvular lesions, and is a.s.sociated with hypertrophy, there being an increase in the thickness of the walls with a diminution of the contractile power. The hypertrophy from valvular lesions goes on increasing until it reaches a certain stage, when dilatation commences, the two conditions then being a.s.sociated.

ATROPHY of the heart is the opposite to hypertrophy, and signifies a wasting away of the muscular substance, and a diminution in the thickness of the walls of the heart. Its power is diminished in proportion to the degree of atrophy.

FATTY DEGENERATION of the heart consists in the deposition of particles of fat within the _sarcolemma_ (the sheath which invests the fibrils), which are subst.i.tuted for the proper muscular tissue. If the fatty degeneration exists to any extent the muscular walls present a yellowish color, and the heart is soft and flabby. This may be confined to one ventricle, or it may affect the inner layer of fibres, the outer layer remaining unchanged. Degeneration of the left ventricle occasions feebleness of the pulse. Difficulty in breathing is one symptom of this disease, especially when the right ventricle is affected. There is pallor, feeble circulation, cold extremities, and frequently dropsy.

Fatty degeneration is more liable to occur in corpulent persons, and between the ages of forty and fifty years.

ANGINA PECTORIS, also termed _neuralgia of the heart_, might be included among the diseases of the nervous system, but as it is usually a.s.sociated with a derangement in the action of the heart, it may be properly considered in this connection. The pain varies in intensity, sometimes being very acute, at others a.s.suming a milder form. The action of the heart is more or less disturbed. The beats are irregular, at times being strong, while again they are feeble. A feeling of numbness is experienced in those parts to which the pain penetrates. These paroxysms _usually_ continue but a few minutes, although they sometimes last several hours. Persons suffering from angina pectoris are liable to sudden death. It is connected with ossification, or other organic changes of the heart. Usually these paroxysms, if the life of the patient continues, become more and more frequent. The danger is not to be measured by the intensity of the pain, but by the co-existing organic disease. Although it is not absolutely certain that organic disease is present in all cases of angina pectoris, yet the exceptions are so rare that when the signs of organic disease cannot be detected, it may be inferred that angina is not the real affection, or that the existing lesions escape observation. Those who suffer from this disease are, in the great majority of cases, of the male s.e.x, and rarely under the age of forty.

TREATMENT. In the foregoing consideration of organic diseases of the heart, we have omitted to speak of their remedial management, for the obvious reason that unprofessional readers are unable to correctly distinguish between the various diseases of this vital organ; and it would, therefore, be useless for us to attempt to instruct them as to the medicinal treatment of the different cardiac affections.

In the vast majority of instances, diseases of the heart are not necessarily speedily fatal. Persons have been known to live twenty years or more with very extensive organic disease of this organ.