20 



Indiana University Studies 



CASE W.R. One man has been referred to the Department 

 whose heart trouble might be attributed to alcohol. He was 

 suffering from alcoholic neuritis with a heart complication. 



CASE F.P. This woman was addicted to the use of morphine. 

 She was suffering from nerve trouble with a heart complication. 

 The Department worked with her for some time, but little could 

 be done. Could she have had institutional treatment, some 

 results might have been obtained. The doctors ordered the drug 

 kept from her, but who was able to comply? In fact, she came 

 here from another city in order to obtain morphine more easily. 

 These cases ma}^ have been cardiac trouble from other causes 

 associated with alcohol or drug habit. 



Overwork sometimes Indirectly causes heart trouble. No 

 patient has ever been referred with this alone as a diagnosis, but 

 from the nature of the work done by some this is probably a con- 

 tributing cause in many cases. 



CASE MR. N. This man has ahvaj^s done heavy w^ork. Heavy 

 lifting has been his lot for the most part. Most of his time has 

 been spent with a lumber company where he piled the heavy 

 planks. Whenever an attempt was made to change his work, 

 his lack of training thwarted all plans. It is sometimes thought 

 best to ""stick to" a certain type of work when once started, but 

 it is much better to be a "jack-of-all-trades" when you have a 

 weak heart. Overwork may not be the cause of this man's condi- 

 tion, but it certainly is much against his recovery. 



Excitement and nervousness are often considered causes of 

 heart trouble, but more often only produce symptoms. 



CASE I.W. One patient had a slight heart trouble. The doc- 

 tor did not know the man's temperament, so mentioned his 

 condition to him. From that time on that patient had visions of 

 dropping dead any time and any place. He was afraid to do 

 hard work of any kind because ".people with heart trouble should 

 be careful." This Department added fuel to the lire by sending 

 a visitor to call on him. He thought then his condition was 

 serious. ]N^o doubt the man suffered much from this fear, but his. 

 nervous, excitable disposition prevented him from understanding 

 any explanation that might be made. When he was visited last 

 he was clerk at a soda fountain and complaining that the work 

 was too hard. 



