THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1926, Page 4

THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATISM.

CAUSE OF HEART DISEASE. At a special meeting of the International Society of Aledieal Hydrology, jointly with the Section of Balneology and Climatology, of the Royal Society of Medicine, was held in London recently, the subject discussed was the “ Treatment of Rheumatism, in Industry;”

Dr Gustav Alonod (France) the president of the society, who occupied the chair, said that one of the greatest philosopcrs who over lived, Pascal, taught that “ the greatest charity we can show towards those who have passed beyond is to act in their absence exactly as they would have us act if they were still among us.” At the time they were gathered together Queen Alexandra was being taken to her last resting place. Some might wonder why they had met on such a day. It was because they knew the profound sympathy the Queen always showed in the cause of suffering people and towards the preservation of public health. They felt that her gracious desire would he that their meeting should not bo postponed. With profound respect for the Queen’s memory and deep sympathy with the King and Royal Family, he asked all present to stand in silellee for a moment,

Proceeding to refer to the subject before the meeting, Dr Alonod said rheumatism was not a. common complaint in France. This might he due to the climate and dieting. The hospitals did not publish statistics, and no special accommodation was provided. Sir George Newman, Chief Aledieal Officer of the Ministry of Health, said he desired to express the thanks of his Department to the society for the efforts they were making to grapple with so formidable a disease as rheumatism. All countries should deal with this very widely spread malady. Physicians, dentists and others must form a group and deal with the whole question scientifically. They want keen research for

the gaining of new knowledge, and preventive treatment in childhood should he given special attention. It was a great national problem of public medicine. Dr J. van Broenieu, Director of the Institute of Physical Treatment, Amsterdam. stated that official data on rheumatism were unknown in Holland; although the number of rheumatic patients was very great in that country, the scientific study and the social combating of the complaint were still in their infancy. One of the conclusions he had arrived at was that to secure better prevention of .the invalidity caused by rheumatism the wide application of physical treatment and hath.' was necessary. The spas should take measures to ensure the efficient treatment of panel patients. Every occupation had its own destructive rheumatism. The foundation of an international committee Lo bring more scientific and practical unity into the study and combating of rheumatism was essential. Dr E. P. Pouiton, secretary of the society, read a communication front Dr G. Kahlmeter (consultant to the Direction lies Pensions do Retraite, Stockholm), in which it was stated that in Sweden they bail no exact statistics as to the incidence of rheumatic diseases, hut figures showed that next to old-age infirmities articular rheumatism was the most serious cause of invalidity. Every year there were about 1500 tiersons in Sweden pensioned (out of a population of six millions) for articular rheumatism. Again, the significance of rheumatism, from the view of political economy, was increased by the Filet that this disease was generally of long duration, entailing great expense to the community. In his opinion

Sweden must first of all seriously attack rheumatism, in order to reduce the number of pensions. Dr L. J. Llewellyn, president of the section of Balneology and Climatology of the Royal Society of Medicine, in

dealing with clinics, said that in acute rheumatism nearly 59 per cent., and in siih-aeiilo rheumatism nearly 25 per cent., of the patients showed signs of reicnl or old heart disease. When they realised that death from rheumatic heart disease was preceded by a period of disablement averaging as much as ten years, they got an idea of the immense cost of rheumatic hear disease to the State and to the approved societies. Rheumatism in childhood was responsible for a great amount of heart disease, and was the recruiting ground from which many of our middle-aged invalids were drawn. It: was calculated that in Great Britain there were between 45,000 and 50.000 children of school age with organic heart disease, fn London routine insepetion showed that of children, aged 12, ,*» per cent, of the hoys and I per cent of I lie girls had heart defects. In the Children’s Hospital in London,

during the year 1919-20. it was found that of 172 eases of rheumiiCle fever, fid per cent, developed heart disease, ol which 22 children died and 35 wore permanently invalided. In the United States cardiac diseases were responsible for one in every six or seven deaths. Tuberculosis was rcponsible for one in every ten deaths. The Statistical Bulletin of the Metropolitan Life Assurance Company, New A orb, stated that a child at 10 years of age was three times as likely to die eventually from heart disease as from tuberculosis. At 35 years of age the

probability in favour of heart disease was nearly four times that of tuberculosis among men and almost six times among About one in every five of the population living at the age of If) would eventually succumb to organic heart disease. After 40 years of age the proportion was i«oronsed. On the other hand, ;the chance of dying from tuberculosis decreased with advancing age. Among others who addressed the meeting were Dr Hans Jansen (Denmark). Dr A fax Borg (Germany). Dr Fortesene Fox, Dr Ray, Dr Kerr Pringle and Dr Rneklov.