Thompson: The Cardiac Case 



17 



as chorea and she was treated for that. Later it was found that 

 she conld not stand much exertion and she was taken out of 

 school. Hospital treatment was prescribed and it was while 

 in the hospital that the heart involvement was noted. Treatment 

 for this was started and after three years she was sent back to 

 school. Her heart trouble has been arrested and unless unlooked- 

 for trouble conies up in the future, she probably will be very 

 comfortable when grown. 



CASE O.S. A patient entered the hospital this year with ton- 

 silitis. She had been doing indoor work, as telephone operator, 

 and intended to return to that occupation as soon as possible. It 

 was learned while she was still in the hospital that she had a 

 serious heart lesion. A tonsillectomy was necessary, but the 

 damage to the heart had been done. She left the hospital very 

 much improved, but she will always have to be careful not to 

 overwork her heart in any way. 



CASE CM. This is a bright, attractive girl of about fourteen. 

 She lives with her widowed mother, grandfather, and small 

 brother. For a number of years the mother has had the respon- 

 sibility of the family from a financial standpoint. She was, 

 therefore, forced to work in a store and leave the little girl to do 

 the housework and go to school. The child has nephritis with 

 concomitant infectious heart complication. Her trouble seemed 

 to follow diphtheria. By one period of treatment in the hospital 

 and constant care and observation, she has been kept in school. 

 If the nephritis can be checked or cured and the heart protected 

 from further infection, the child may live mau}^ years. Her 

 mother thinks she will die within three or four years at the most, 

 for "a cousin of theirs died when eighteen". 



CASE G.Z, A little ward of the Orphans ' Home was watched 

 by the Home doctor for some time. It was noted that she con- 

 stantly had sore throat and was not strong enough to play with 

 the other children for long at a time. Some treatment was pre- 

 scribed but not carried out, so she was brought to the hospital. 

 The doctors in the hospital found that she had heart trouble, 

 probably due to some infection. Perhaps it was the same infec- 

 tion that was causing the sore throat. She was treated for some 

 time and then returned to the Home with instructions as to her 

 future care. After about a year she was examined again and her 



