II. COST 



Up to date there has been no widespread agitation nor infor- 

 mation concerning heart disease. For that reason little has been 

 thought of the expense incurred by the community for patients 

 suffering from this disease. When the first break comes and the 

 patient reports to the doctor for treatment he must remain idle 

 for weeks. During this time some provision must be made for 

 his family. 



CASE MR. B. This last winter when prices of groceries were 

 so high, one family was given two dollars' worth of groceries by 

 the Charity Organization Society every other day for nine weeks. 

 The man was out of work on account of his heart condition and 

 the family had to be fed until he could return to some kind of a 

 gainful occupation. After the long time of unemployment an 

 attempt was made to obtain a light job for him. This was an 

 almost impossible task for, as in many such cases, the man was 

 uneducated and untrained. He had gone to school only three or 

 four years and had had no occupational training. Finally a 

 place was secured for him in a wood-working factory. Here he 

 had to pile lumber, which was much too heavy for anyone in his 

 condition. The constant lifting caused the heart so much extra 

 work that another break was feared. 



Besides being a great expense to the community, which supports 

 all relief agencies, the employer of such a man must face the 

 possibility of a collapse at work, which may cost him much. Even 

 if accidents can be averted, it would not be very satisfactory to 

 try to operate an establishment with ''half men". 



The family, too, often suffers from such an example in early 

 life. The children learn to expect their employers to give them the 

 easy job and the community to furnish support at any or all times. 

 They thus become mere parasites on the next generation. 



Another less tangible result of heart trouble, yet one that is 

 an outgrowth of all idleness, is delinquency. This adds greatly 

 to' the general cost. As Chaucer has said, "Idleness is the gate of 

 all harms. An idle man is like a house that hath no walls ; the 

 devils may enter on every side." The boy or girl, man or woman, 

 who is told by the doctor to cease work, but is given no legitimate 

 substitute, is sure to meet with many temptations that might help 



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