The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 327 of 653Not unfrequently the fat dips into the interstices of the musculafibres, impairs their nutrition and either results in atrophy orfatty degeneration of the muscular tissue.In fatty degeneration which affects more particularly the left heas the other form, fatty heart, affects more particularly the righeart, the affected parts of the heart have a pale, yellowish colare flabby and easily torn. Commonly the degeneration is confinedto striated portions of the muscular tissue, is apt to afiect thecolumnse carnece, and, if very extensive, is always accompanied bconsiderable dilatation of the heart. The single muscular fibrilswhen seen under the microscope, are seen filled with fatand have lost their transverae strise.Symptoms and Course. The lesser grades of fatty heart andfatty degeneration of the heart may run their course without anymorbid phenomena; there may even exist a considerable depositionof fat, and yet the general health of the patient may be perfectlsound. Morbid symptoms may not take place until the pressureof the fat causes atrophy or fatty degeneration of the musculartissue. The first symptoms of this disease consist in functionaldeficiency of the heart: peculiar feelings of weakness, dyspnoeafrom the least exertion. In addition to this we have dispositionto vertigo, fainting fits or paroxysms resembling syncope and somtimes even apoplexy. Except a distressing sensation of pressurethe patient does not experience any pain. In the higher grades* "884 Diseases of the Heart.this disease the skin becomes cool, disposed to perspire profuselassumes a pale and sickly appearance, oedema sets in, and theexcessive weakness of the circulation may result in dropsy. Thephysical signs are the following : Increasing weakness of the impof the heart ; feebleness of the sounds ot the heart, especiallythe first ventricular sound; increased extent of cardiac dulness,only in far advanced cases; blowing murmurs in the region of theorifices, owing to the circumstance that the diseased columnsecarneie no longer permit the valves to completely close the orifieasily compressible, soft, unresisting pulse which may show everypossible irregularity and is often extremely slow.This affection only runs an acute course if the fatty degeneratiosets in rapidly and very extensively in consequence of inflammatoprocesses ; otherwise the disease runs a very chronic course andpending upon the following conditions. If the fatty degenerationaffects an hypertrophied heart with valvular disease, dilatationfinally paralysis of the heart result, or else rupture of the heatakes place. This may likewise result from a less extensive fattydegeneration, after partial dilatation has occurred. The diseasevery commonly characterized by marked remissions or even complete intermissions. Death takes place, although not in a majoritof cases, either by general marasmus with dropsy, or by oedema ofthe lungs or paralysis of the brain, or, which is most commonlythe case, very suddenly by acute ansemia of the brain, rupture orparalysis of the heart.In treating this disease, we have to aim in the first place atarresting its progress by the avoidance of every hurtful influenchttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt