Excerpt from A Paper on the Effects of Lead on the HeartTo disprove or confirm these views respecting the importance of the cardiac impulse, the writer was induced, some time since, to undertake a series of examinations of the heart promiscuously in all forms of disease among the throng of patients at a large Dispensary. Many interesting facts presented. We soon found that house painters and others with either paralysis or great muscular debility, from lead poisoning, had uniformly a more or less weakened impulse of the heart, and generally on going up stairs complained of some faintness and cardiac distress. In some instances, too, there were fear of sudden death, nocturnal syncope, night-mare, or oppressive dreams, like those so common in organic disease of the heart. In the earlier stage, where lead colic only existed, from a considerable number of observa tions it seemed as if the heart had as yet escaped, and these symptoms were absent. And whether they are present uniformly in all cases of lead paralysis and debility, must be determined by more extended observation. Yet if they should be found to be confined mainly to the worst cases in private practice, or to the long neglected and badly nourished poor, prostrated by lead, and seeking medical aid in public institutions as a last resort - still, we trust, this discussion may be useful in showing a new phase of the affection worthy of careful atten tion. It is the sacred mission of our profession to study and toil for the poorest. In private practice, too, as will be seen, it may sometimes enable us to relieve terrible suspicions of incurable disease of the heart.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis 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.