Page 5 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 5 (Supplement)

REAL CTtOKEN HEARTS. As inquest was recently held on the body of a woman at Hackney, and the doctor who made the post-mortem examination discovered that the woman had a broken heart. This, he said, was the most remarkable instance which had come under his notice, and he had in his time performed about 800 post-mortems. The late Sir George Paget, in one of his lectures stated that in most cases where death is attributed to "broken heart" no rupture of that organ has actually taken place, although undoultedly mental troubles do frequently cause disease of the body. He mentioned an a< tual case of broken heart which was citec. by Dr. J. K. Mitchell, of the Jeft'erscn College, Philadelphia. In an early per od of his medical career, Dr. Mitchell arced as ship's doctor to a vessel sailing from Liverpool to one of the American ports. He became on very good • terms with the captain, who was eagerly anticipating the return voyage because then he ' was married to the lady of his choice. When the ship land- ! ed'. however the bridegroom-to-be was informed that his sweetheart had proved faithless and married someone else. On learning the news he clasped his hand to his breast and fell heavily to the ground ; he was carried to his cabin, but before Dr. Mitchell could arrive he died. A post-mortem examination proved that his death had-been :ausid by a broken heart, that organ being torn literally in two. The doctor seated that the tremendous propulsion of blood consequent upon such a violent shook to the nervous system forced - the muscular tissues asunder, and life .was at an end. v