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January, 19J/2 The Health Bulletin 9 lessened or abolished his sex life. Pathologically its onset is visualized in extensive arteriosclerotic changes which make impossible an adequate distribution of blood and oxygen to the tissues. Healthy, normal old age with equal wearing out of the parts is so rare I only mention it as a classification. Pathologic or abnormal old age is burdensomely common. In a 6tudy of three hundred patients sixty years or more in age Barker determined that the circulatory apparatus was most commonly affected, next the nervous system, then the locomotive apparatus, finally the digestive system. Since heart disease is numerically the leading cause of death and ranks first in all adult age groups at present, it is one of the most important problems in the field of preventive medicine as well as treatment. Diseases which, only a few years ago, were considered the special prerogative of older people now have become the property of middle-aged and younger individuals. The almost universal cause of heart disease of old age is arterial degeneration and I must confess until someone successfully completes the quest of Ponce de Leon for the Fountain of Youth, blood ^vessels will continue to degenerate, but we must use all the instruments at our disposal in a strong attempt to retard the degenerative process. At the risk -of stirring up controversy, I shall set out but a very few of the things that are credited with accelerating the degenerative process. A fairly good cause has been built up against the excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. I contend that intemperance in all habits plays a vital role. The same holds good for arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and cerebral hemorrhage which are predominately conditions of old age. These diseases rarely produce death in individuals under 45. After this time their significance rapidly grows. The death rate for males exceeds that for females. This sex difference may be caused by the greater strain on the male in the business world but may also be due to an inherent difference in the arterial structures. The most distressing development of old age are the mental symptoms. In the past this branch of medicine has been very much neglected because of the belief that arteriosclerosis or senile atrophy was the sole and only cause of these symptoms. In recent years study and observation have shown us not to be content that all mental symptoms are interpreted as straight pathologic developments of the aged, but to take into consideration other possible factors, toxic conditions, such as a definitely excessive use of sedative medication, operations, trauma, infections, emotional disturbances, etc. The physician who studies these cases with an open mind cannot help but conclude that pathologic conditions alone such as senile dementia and arteriosclerotic psychosis are not the sole causes for mental disorders of older people, but rather a factor in the total etiology in that it affects or lowers the adjustability of the whole organism and its physiologic processes, thereby making it easier for the various types of psychosis to develop. Only rarely, and then late in its course does it cause a psychosis by itself. It is in the early stages of the psychoses of old age that serious errors of judgment are apt to be committed before the patient's irresponsibility has been recognized—such as unjust alteration of the will, poor judgment in financial investments, etc. Early diagnosis is important for the protection of both the patient and his relatives. From a psychiatric standpoint, the treatment of aged individuals revolves about Bleu-lar's interesting observation: "Senility often becomes a disease only as the
Object Description
Rating | |
Fixed Title * | NCHH-04: The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Document Title | The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Subject Topical | Public health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Contributor | North Carolina. State Board of Health. |
Publisher | Raleigh, North Carolina State Board of Health. |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1942 |
Identifier | NCHH-04-057 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Language | English |
Rights | This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). |
Volume Number | 57 |
Health Discipline | Public Health |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-04/nchh-04-057.pdf |
Document Sort | all; group-b; nchh-04 |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-04-057 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-04 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1296443 |
Description
Fixed Title * | Page 9 |
Document Title | The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Subject Topical | Public health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Contributor | North Carolina. State Board of Health. |
Publisher | Raleigh, North Carolina State Board of Health. |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1942 |
Identifier | NCHH-04-057-0015 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Page Type | all; article |
Language | English |
Rights | This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. |
Filename | healthbulletinse57nort_0015.jp2 |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). |
Volume Number | 57 |
Issue Number | 1 |
Page Number | 9 |
Health Discipline | Public Health |
Full Text | January, 19J/2 The Health Bulletin 9 lessened or abolished his sex life. Pathologically its onset is visualized in extensive arteriosclerotic changes which make impossible an adequate distribution of blood and oxygen to the tissues. Healthy, normal old age with equal wearing out of the parts is so rare I only mention it as a classification. Pathologic or abnormal old age is burdensomely common. In a 6tudy of three hundred patients sixty years or more in age Barker determined that the circulatory apparatus was most commonly affected, next the nervous system, then the locomotive apparatus, finally the digestive system. Since heart disease is numerically the leading cause of death and ranks first in all adult age groups at present, it is one of the most important problems in the field of preventive medicine as well as treatment. Diseases which, only a few years ago, were considered the special prerogative of older people now have become the property of middle-aged and younger individuals. The almost universal cause of heart disease of old age is arterial degeneration and I must confess until someone successfully completes the quest of Ponce de Leon for the Fountain of Youth, blood ^vessels will continue to degenerate, but we must use all the instruments at our disposal in a strong attempt to retard the degenerative process. At the risk -of stirring up controversy, I shall set out but a very few of the things that are credited with accelerating the degenerative process. A fairly good cause has been built up against the excessive use of alcohol and tobacco. I contend that intemperance in all habits plays a vital role. The same holds good for arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and cerebral hemorrhage which are predominately conditions of old age. These diseases rarely produce death in individuals under 45. After this time their significance rapidly grows. The death rate for males exceeds that for females. This sex difference may be caused by the greater strain on the male in the business world but may also be due to an inherent difference in the arterial structures. The most distressing development of old age are the mental symptoms. In the past this branch of medicine has been very much neglected because of the belief that arteriosclerosis or senile atrophy was the sole and only cause of these symptoms. In recent years study and observation have shown us not to be content that all mental symptoms are interpreted as straight pathologic developments of the aged, but to take into consideration other possible factors, toxic conditions, such as a definitely excessive use of sedative medication, operations, trauma, infections, emotional disturbances, etc. The physician who studies these cases with an open mind cannot help but conclude that pathologic conditions alone such as senile dementia and arteriosclerotic psychosis are not the sole causes for mental disorders of older people, but rather a factor in the total etiology in that it affects or lowers the adjustability of the whole organism and its physiologic processes, thereby making it easier for the various types of psychosis to develop. Only rarely, and then late in its course does it cause a psychosis by itself. It is in the early stages of the psychoses of old age that serious errors of judgment are apt to be committed before the patient's irresponsibility has been recognized—such as unjust alteration of the will, poor judgment in financial investments, etc. Early diagnosis is important for the protection of both the patient and his relatives. From a psychiatric standpoint, the treatment of aged individuals revolves about Bleu-lar's interesting observation: "Senility often becomes a disease only as the |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-04/nchh-04-057.pdf |
Document Sort | all; group-b; nchh-04 |
Article Title | Medical Problems of the Aged |
Article Author | McMillan, Roscoe D. |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-04-057 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-04 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1296443 |
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