Excerpt from Diseases of the Heart During the last ten years great advances have been made in our knowledge of the diseases of the heart and arteries. New methods of histological technique have revealed lesions which were hitherto unappreciated, and experimental research has deciphered their causes. The sphygmomanometer, the polygraph, the electro-cardiograph, and the Rontgen rays, have become accessible to the clinician, and the data thus acquired have elucidated some of the many problems which awaited solution; while the pharmacologists have defined the uses of such drugs as digitalis more accurately than had been previously possible. The following pages are an attempt to review the whole subject in the light of these recent advances, and to present to the practitioner the results which have been attained, and their bearing upon the practical work of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. They are based in the main upon my personal experience and the records in my own wards, though I have utilized, where it seemed desirable, the numerous monographs and articles which have recently appeared, and the experience of my medical friends. The importance of the cardiac muscle in the maintenance of the circulation renders necessary a short account of the diseases by which it is affected. Arterial disease and its influence upon the heart are discussed in the three succeeding chapters. The myogenic theory and the various disturbances of cardiac function are considered at some length, and are accompanied by an account of the electro-cardiograph. Acute endocarditis, chronic valvular disease, myocardial weakness, and pericarditis then follow in order. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.