306 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



of the heart would undoubtedly be followed by a de- 

 crease in the number of cases of this disease. found in high 

 school graduates. The high death rate from organic 

 heart disease demands renewed emphasis upon the im- 

 portance of routine medical examination of the heart and 

 chest. Much will be done in the prevention of this disease 

 when parents, as well as physicians, appreciate the close 

 relation of rheumatism, chorea, and tonsillitis to endo- 

 carditis. 



It should be generally understood that the symptoms 

 of rheumatism vary in severity from so-called "growing 

 pains" to obvious acute rheumatic fever with an immed- 

 iate, impending dissolution. The publiic must be so edu- 

 cated as to understand that repeated sore throat and St. 

 Vitus' dance are truly menaces to life, because of the fre- 

 quent damage to heart valves and to the cardiac muscle. 



Both parents and physicians should be on the alert for 

 diseased or permanently enlarged tonsils and adenoids, 

 and should have them removed. The child complaining 

 of tiredness, aching limbs, or who is fidgety or does not 

 desire to work or play should be given a medical exami- 

 nation. Children with even the mildest attack of rheu- 

 matism or chorea should receive medical attention and 

 should be watched most carefully to prevent, if possible, 

 the development of inflammation of the heart. The child 

 with an impaired heart should be given close supervision 

 and special school work. Finally, parents as well as the 

 victims of heart impairment should know that a damaged 

 heart, properly treated and cared for in its earliest 

 stages and guarded intelligently through life, is not in- 

 compatible with old age and many useful years of service. 



HERNIA 



The average incidence of hernia among the men gradu- 

 ates of high school registering at the University for the 

 first time over a period of four years is approximately 

 one in twenty-five examined, or 3.7%. A number of these 

 cases observed are of congenital origin or are superin- 

 duced by anatomical abnormalities. This condition is 

 also in evidence of the inability of the lower abdominal 

 muscles and fascia to withstand the extraordinary ab- 



