Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension, with Chapters on Blood Pressure: 3rd Edition.Warfield, Louis M. (Louis Marshall)
Science
Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension, with Chapters on Blood Pressure: 3rd Edition.
Warfield, Louis M. (Louis Marshall)
Arteries -- Diseases; Blood pressure
The contents of every cachet corresponds to 15 c.c. of the fluid serum
or to 150 c.c. of blood serum. The preparation called antisclerosin
consists of the salts contained in the serum. As to its efficacy, I can
not judge, as I have never felt that it was worth while to use it.
Reports of cases in which it has been tried do not speak very highly of
it.
In the general treatment of arteriosclerosis, there is no one factor of
more importance than the regular daily bowel movement. Attention to this
may save the patient much discomfort and even acute attacks of cardiac
embarrassment. The choice of the purgative is immaterial, with this
reservation only, that the mild ones, such as cascara, rhubarb, licorice
powder and the mineral waters, should be thoroughly tried before we
resort to the more drastic purgatives. Plenolphthalein in 3 to 5 grain
doses acts remarkably well in some people as a pleasant laxative.
Agar-agar with or without cascara may be useful.
Liquid paraffin under a variety of names is a most useful and
efficacious laxative. As its action is purely mechanical it may be taken
indefinitely without doing harm to the intestinal musculature.
The old Lady Webster dinner pill is an excellent tonic aperient. When
the heart is embarrassed and edema of the legs and effusion into the
serous cavities have taken place, then it becomes necessary to use the
drastic purgatives that cause a number of watery movements. Epsom salts
given in concentrated form, elaterin gr. 1-12, the compound cathartic
pill, blue mass and scammony, or even croton oil may be used. Since the
observation of a greatly congested intestine from a patient who had been
given croton oil, I have ceased to use this purgative, and I doubt much
whether its use is ever justifiable in these cases.
The management of the ordinary case of arteriosclerosis resolves itself
into a careful hygienic and dietetic regime with the addition of the
iodides, aconite, or the nitrites. A diet consisting of very little
meat, alcohol in moderation or even absolutely prohibited, and not too
much fluid should be prescribed. Condiments and spices should also be
used sparingly. Cold baths, shower baths, cold and hot sheets
alternating, are of great benefit in assisting the heart to do its best
work by making the large capillary area of the skin more permeable. It
is not true that such baths raise the blood pressure so markedly.
Certain acts, as sneezing, violent coughing, etc., increase the blood
pressure much more than judicious bathing.
=Symptomatic Treatment=
The fact that arteriosclerosis really loses much of its own identity
and, in later stages, becomes merged with the symptomatology of the
diseases of various organs, as the kidney, brain, heart, compels us, for
completeness' sake, to say a few words about the treatment of these
complications.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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