LORE AND SCIENCE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 4, 5 July 1927, Page 11

LORE AND SCIENCE

SOMETHING ABOUT THE HEART

A short talk on "Cardiology" was given by Eotarian Dr. P. T. Bowerbank at the Botary Club weekly luncheon to-day.

Knowledge of the heart and its functions had varied during the ages, said Dr. Bowerbank. For instance, Hippocrates, "the Father of Medicine," thought that the blood simply ebbed and flowed in the arteries and veins; that the arteries were full of a sort of ethereal substance; and that the heart was the centre of all the emotions—lore, hatred, and fear. The immortal Harvey made the discovery that the blood circulates from the heart through the body and back again; that it circulates through the lungs, is puriiied, and carries oxygen to the tissues. Some quaint ideas as. to the heart were held by savage tribes in former days. Somo native people took the heart out of a famous enemy prisoner and ate it, thinking it gave thorn courage. Ono native people used to eat the hearts of tigers, being under the impression that it gave them great courage; but they did not give any of the .tiger's heart to their women folk, for fear it would make them too strong minded (laughter); and an Indian, after drinking alcohol, said it must be made of hearts and tongues, because after he had drunk it "he feared nothing, and talked a great deal." (Laughter.) By means of a picture, the speaker described the heart. The valves allowed a certain amount of blood to go out, but not to return. In the case of a leaky valve, a small quantity got back, but this, with prosont-day knowledge, was of little importance, provided "o heart muscle was healthy. This great discovery, he said, we owed to tho genius of Sir James Mackenzie, who died only two years Ago. Tho speaker showed what a wonderful organ tho heart was in pumping about 1350 gallons a day. In exercise and running, there was immediately a call from the limbs for more blood, to which call tho heart responded, and during sleep there was a reduced call. Although in a senso automatic in its action, the heart was controlled from the brain. The lecturer described the uso of the electro-cardiograph in determining the amount of voltago of the'heart and its speed, and thus estimating tho condition of the heart muscle. The sphygmomometer, which estimate* the blood pressure, was also described. He would not deal with disease of the heart, but ho did want to assure them that heart diseaso was not so dangerous or aweiiispiriug as many people seemed to think. In the latter decades of life, of course, this affection, had to be borne in mind. Tho speaker told the story of the Scotchman who went from Invorness to Edinburgh to consult a specialist. On his way back to Inverness, it was noticed that he got out at every station to gat a fresh ticket, and, on being questioned by the guard, Baid that he had been told by the specialist that "I might die any minute; so I am just taking a ticket from station to station." (Laughter.) The lecturer concluded by quoting from Harvey, who said that the heart is "the foundation from which all strength is derived, and on which all strength depends in the body."

A vote of thanks was accorded to Rotarian Bowerbank for his address.