Morgagni, whom Virchow greeted as the Father of Modern Pathology, made a careful study of the pulse and especially of its irregularities. He had learned from the most careful pathological studies that marked intermission and even more decided irregularity of the heart may be present in life, though there may be absolutely no organic affection of the heart itself, either of the valves or of the muscle, discoverable at autopsy. In his opinion the most frequent cause for such irregularity is flatulency and disturbance of digestion generally. He went still farther, however, and seems to have understood very well that constipation was often one of the most important links in the chain of causes leading up to such heart disturbance, itself either a cause or an effect of other digestive symptoms. This idea deserves to be borne in mind when there is question of the significance of heart symptoms. What Morgagni thus determined by precise studies in pathological anatomy had been clinically observed by many of the distinguished old-time practitioners of medicine, who knew the fatal tendencies of organic heart symptoms, yet recognized that many cardiac cases associated with gastric symptoms did not have an unfavorable prognosis.{329}

In spite of the recognition of these conditions by old-time medical investigators, there has always been a tendency to fear that heart symptoms in these cases might be due to a cardiac affection. This has invariably been true for patients themselves to whom the heart disturbance became conscious, but has often made physicians hesitate as to the diagnosis and rendered their prognosis more unfavorable than is justified by actual knowledge.

Gastro Cardiac Arrhythmia.—What may be called the gastro-intestinal cardiac neuroses usually run a typical course. As a rule, with young folks, the beginning of cardiac unrest is found in some stomachic symptoms. The distention of the stomach with gas is said to be a mechanical reason for interference with the heart action. Whether this is really gas that has formed within the stomach, or whether it is to a great extent, at least, gas which has been diffused from the vessels of the stomach walls in a disordered viscus, or in some cases at least, air which has been swallowed because of certain gaspy habits of neurotic individuals, is hard to determine. In many cases the absence of all odor of decomposition, or of any disagreeable taste, makes for serious doubt whether the substance is really due to fermentation. Certainly the changes that take place in food in the stomach during the course of an hour or two of digestion are not sufficient to account for the volume of gas that exerts pressure upon the gastric walls and is eructated in large mouthfuls. Fermentative processes are slow gas producers, as anyone with experience in the chemical laboratory knows.

Mechanical Cardiac Interference.—Every physician has seen the young man who is sure that he has heart trouble when he is really suffering from indigestion. Many of the feelings of discomfort accompanied by palpitation and irregularity are really phenomena connected rather with the stomach than the heart itself. The reason for this is not always clear. In many cases there seems to be a mechanical interference with the heart's action. This is due to the presence of gas in the stomach pressing against the diaphragm. In many cases the distention of the stomach by a heavy meal, especially if the heart has been rendered sensitive by the taking of stimulants, will have the same effect. This is particularly noticeable if the patients lie down shortly after the meal, when there is distinct discomfort in the cardiac region and noticeable irregularity of the pulse.

The most frequent phenomenon is a missed beat, or often simply a sense of discomfort in connection with the heart action that makes its beating very noticeable. This palpitation, as it is called, is usually entirely subjective. There is nothing abnormal in the sensation produced on the hand when the heart is palpated, nothing the most delicate finger can detect in the apex beat and nothing uniform in the change in the heart sounds produced in these cases. There is usually a somewhat over-excited action of the heart, but this is not characteristically revealed by either palpation or auscultation. The rhythm is interfered with, but the arrythmia affects only an occasional beat, usually rather regularly spaced, and does not interfere with the heart's rate nor with its action in any way. This represents the most familiar form of cardiac neurosis and may, of course, be due to such substances as tobacco, or coffee, or tea, where these are taken in excess. Excess is always a matter of individual idiosyncrasy.{330}

Cardiac Reflexes.—It is thought by some that this heart irregularity and palpitation is a reflex action due to irritation of the gastric terminal filaments of the vagus nerve reflected back along this nerve and affecting the heart. The doctrine of reflexes is not as popular, however, as it was, but there can be no doubt of the fact that the vagus nerve has terminal filaments in all the large organs, yet is so extremely important to the heart that it has a definite physiological meaning and doubtless is meant to act in such a way as to stimulate the heart when these important organs are overloaded or are laboring in their functions, and, on the other hand, to depress it or at least to inhibit it somewhat, whenever there is a tendency to send too much blood to these parts. In any case, whether the positive factor in the production of the heart trouble be mechanical, as it surely often is, or whether it be reflex and due to the action upon the vagus, it must not be forgotten that in all cases where heart symptoms occur with considerable intervals of absolute freedom from them and with large subjective elements in the case, the relation of the stomach or the digestive organs in general to the heart may serve as their best explanation.

Gastric Dilatation.—In dilatation of the stomach there is likely to be an associated tendency to a cardiac neurosis. Unfortunately, enough of these cases have not been followed up so as to be sure what the outcome is and whether there may not really have been some affection of the myocardium with a premature breakdown of the heart. As a consequence of the excessive irritation of the terminal filaments of the vagus nerve in the stomach wall, or because of the mechanical interference with the heart's action as a consequence of the dilated stomach pulling upon the esophagus and probably somewhat interfering with the action of the diaphragm, an irregularity of the heart action is established and a sense of discomfort in the precordia develops that is often very marked. These patients sometimes suffer from pseudo-angina and still more frequently from cardiac irregularity. This cardiac irregularity is sometimes quite marked, and yet in 24 hours, as a consequence of the emptying of the stomach, will disappear, so that only slight intermittency remains, which eventually subsides. I have known a heart affected thus to be pronounced absolutely without any lesion when examined by a competent heart specialist within a month after it had been so irregular as to be quite alarming to both patient and physician.

Upward Distention.—There is sometimes a tendency for the stomach to distend upward rather than to dilate downward and toward the left. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in certain individuals the gastric ligaments are much stronger and more unyielding than they are in others. One thing is sure—that there are great individual differences in these cases. In some that are without any demonstrable gastric dilatation, except that gastric tympany extends higher than usual, there is marked interference with the heart action. The physician needs to see these cases when they are so irregular that there would seem to be absolutely no doubt of the existence of a myocardial lesion and then to examine them some months afterwards when the stomach had been restored to good conditions, before he is able to realize how much interference with heart action is consonant with complete return in a comparatively short time to the normal, at least so far as heart function goes. This is a very different opinion from that held by many heart specialists and {331} especially certain German authorities, who insist that any irregularity of the heart must be considered as probably representing a muscular lesion; but the evidence of careful observers may be adduced in support of it, and it is an opinion that very much reassures the patients.

Old-time Clinicians—Morgagni, Lancisi.—In this subject it has always seemed to me wise to recur to the opinions of some of the old-time clinicians who noted symptoms very carefully and studied out particularly the connection of symptoms with prognosis.

Morgagni.—Morgagni, for instance, whose clinical remarks are always precious, said:

Now that mention is made of the intermission of the pulse which approaches more nearly to the nature of an asphyxia than even its slenderness or weakness (for what else is the intermission of the pulse but a very short asphyxia, or what is an asphyxia but an intermission which lasts very long?) the causes of this disorder in the pulse are not to be passed over without examination in this place, as the greater part of physicians are very greatly terrified thereby, often with good reason, yet frequently without any; as when there is some cause of it in the stomach or intestines, which may even vanish away of itself, or be easily removed by the physician. For in what manner a palpitation of the heart may sometimes be brought on by flatus distending these parts, and again carried off by the dissipation of such flatus, I have already said; and in the same manner, or one not very dissimilar, it is also evident, that an intermission of the pulse has sometimes generated, and gone off of itself, in many whom I have known. At another time, in these very same viscera, there is a matter which produces the same effect, by irritating their nerves, with which you know how easily the nerves of the heart consent. And this matter is sometimes of such a nature that it may readily be prevented from harboring itself there. Thus I remember, when I attended to the cure of a young girl who had a fever, and an intermission of the pulse was added to the other symptoms contrary to my expectations, I was not at all deterred from giving such a medicine as I had before determined upon, that the stomach and intestines might be well cleansed; and even that I gave it so much the more boldly; and that on the same day after these parts had been deterged, the pulse returned to its former standard. But you will read even in the Sepulchretum that Ballonius had not only seen this disorder of the pulse, but also that of a languid and small stroke, removed in the same manner. "According to the degrees to which the purging was carried," says he, "the pulse was restored." And, indeed, there is an intermission of the pulse, that is of a far longer continuance as that with which Lancisi says he had been troubled "for the space of six years"; yet if this intermission should be, as it was in him, "from a consent with the hypochondria," it may be entirely and perfectly taken away, by perfectly restoring those parts.

Lancisi.—Lancisi was another distinguished clinical observer who made special studies in neurotic heart disturbance. These studies are all the more interesting because he himself was a sufferer from this affection for many years. He was inclined to think that his heart intermittency was due to disturbance in his digestive organs and especially those lying in the upper part of the abdomen. He attributes it himself to sympathy with these and said that it came ex hypochondriorum consensu, as it were a reflex from his hypochondriac regions. As Lancisi lived to a pretty good age in spite of noting this symptom in early middle life, the significance of it will be well understood. It would be perfectly possible to gather a series of such cases from among the distinguished physicians of history, and as for our contemporaries and colleagues, at least one out of four of them will tell you that at some time he has suffered from an affection of this kind and has been much worried {332} about it, yet has recovered without incident and without any serious development.

English Opinion.—The role of the stomach in disturbing the heart is only less important than that of the nervous system itself. Of course, individual peculiarities, as I have said, are extremely important. Some people seem to suffer very little cardiac disturbance from a distended stomach, while in others all sorts of heart affections may be simulated as the result of the mechanical interference with the heart action by the pushing up of the diaphragm. Sir William Broadbent in the article on "The Conduct of the Heart in the Face of Difficulties," already quoted from, does not hesitate to say that heart symptoms secondary to gastric disturbance probably cause more suffering than does actual heart disease. Expressions of this kind need to be borne in mind when we reassure patients who have all sorts of queer, uncomfortable, often even painful, conditions in their cardiac region, "Heart disease" has been, perhaps, mentioned casually to them and as a consequence worry is adding a nervous element to hamper a heart already seriously disturbed by gastric distention. Sir William Broadbent's own words are given because they carry so much weight in this matter:

The difficulties arising out of flatulent distention of the stomach or colon or intestinal canal generally, will require some attention, since they are the cause of most of the functional derangements to which the heart is subject, and give rise to the heart complaints which occasion in the aggregate perhaps more suffering than does actual heart disease. The heart often tolerates a considerable degree of upward pressure of the diaphragm, and it is not uncommon to meet with stomach resonance as high as the fifth space, and to find the apex beat displaced upwards and outwards to the fourth space and outside the nipple line, without conspicuous symptoms. But the heart behaves very differently in different subjects in the presence of flatulent distention of the stomach. It partakes of the general constitutional condition of the individual; in the strong, therefore, it is vigorous; in the weak it cannot be anything but weak.

Prognosis.—Nothing sends a young person sooner to a physician than this cardiac unrest and functional disturbance. He comes all a-tremble, as if to hear the worst. Even in middle age and in those whose education might be expected to steady them somewhat in the matter, even in physicians of long experience, there is a tendency so to exaggerate the condition and its possibilities of fatality as a consequence of emotion that inhibitory action on the heart becomes noticeable. It is a rule with very few exceptions that in these cases when the heart is complained of by young persons who have no history of rheumatism, the causative condition will be found in the stomach, or at least in the digestive tract.

I know a number of physicians who have suffered in this way and who have been badly frightened about themselves, yet who have had no serious difficulty once they took reasonable care of their diet, and paid attention above all to regularity of meals and slowness in eating. Indeed, it is rare to find a physician of a nervous temperament who has not had some trouble of this kind, and the demands made on a busy professional man foster this. Some of them are sure that if their cardiac uneasiness does not signify an actual heart lesion, valvular or muscular, at least it portends a premature wearing out of the heart. There are many evidences to show that this is {333} not so. I have had a distinguished physician, now well past his seventy-fifth year, tell me of distinct irregularity in his heart action as a young man which had rather alarmed him, and as this had been preceded by an attack of acute articular rheumatism there seemed to be every reason to think that he was a sufferer not from functional but from organic heart disease; yet he has lived well beyond the span of life usually allotted to man, has accomplished an immense amount of work and is now in excellent general health almost at the age of eighty. The case is all the more striking because, while rest and care of the health and regular life and conservation of energy are usually supposed to be essential for these cases, this colleague is noted for having made serious inroads on the hours which should have been devoted to sleep in order to accomplish certain medical literary work while devoting himself to the care of a most exacting practice.

That the good prognosis of these cases which I suggest is not forced and is not over-favorable nor the result of the wish to soothe patients may be judged from recent studies of the heart as well as from the older ones. In discussing extra-systole, MacKenzie in his "Diseases of the Heart," [Footnote 28] says:

[Footnote 28: "Diseases of the Heart," by James MacKenzie, M. D., 1910, Oxford Medical Publications.]

Dyspeptic and neurotic people are often liable [to suffer from them]. That other conditions give rise to extra-systoles, is also evident from the fact that they may occur in young people in whom there is no rheumatic history and no cardiosclerosis and whose after-history reveals no sign of heart trouble.

It is well to note the frequency of such annoying symptoms in those who have gone through rheumatic fever, and where patients have a history of this it is well to be cautious, but even in these cases he says that the trouble is often entirely neurotic and the one important preliminary to any successful treatment is to get the patient's mind off his condition, improve his general nervous state, and above all relieve as far as possible the gastric symptoms that may be present.

He says further:

Some patients are conscious of a quiet transient fluttering in the chest when an extra-systole occurs; others are aware of the long pause, "as if their hearts had stopped"; while others are conscious of the big beat that frequently follows the long pause. So violent is the effect of this after-beat, that in neurotic persons it may cause a shock, followed by a sense of great exhaustion. Most patients are unconscious of the irregularity due to the extra-systole until their attention is called to it by the medical attendant. Both being ignorant of its origin, and its being characteristic of human nature to associate the unknown with evil, patient and doctor are too often unnecessarily alarmed.

Cardiac Stomach Disturbance.—On the other hand, as a word of warning, it seems necessary to say here that later in life acute conditions manifesting themselves through the stomach are often of cardiac origin. Most physicians have been called to see some old man who had partaken of a favorite dish which did not, however, always agree with him and who suffered as a consequence from what at first was thought to be acute gastritis. The severity of the symptoms and the almost immediate collapse without any question of ptomaine poisoning, however, usually make it clear that some other organ is at {334} fault besides the stomach itself. The real etiological train seems to be that a weakened heart sometimes without any valve lesion but with a muscular or vascular degeneration hampering its activity is further seriously disturbed by the overloading of the stomach. The result is a failure for the moment of circulation in the digestive organs with consequent rejection of the contents of the tract, nature's method of relieving herself of substances that cannot be properly prepared for absorption. Unfortunately, the condition sometimes proves so severe a shock to the weakened heart that it stops beating, and the physician is brought face to face with a death from "heart failure."

In these cases it is important to remember that the gastric disturbance may so mask the heart symptoms as completely to deceive the physician. The prognosis of these cases, however, is most serious. It seems worth while to give a warning with regard to these cases, because anything that we may have to say as to the relations of the stomach and the heart and the possibility of lessening the cardiac depression due to unfavorable mental influence when palpitation occurs as a consequence of gastric distention, has nothing to do with these acute cases in older patients where the condition is serious and the prognosis by no means favorable.

Treatment.—The rÔle of psychotherapy in this form of cardiac disturbance associated with gastro-intestinal affections is, after the differentiation of neurotic from serious organic conditions, to give the patient such reassurance as is justified by his condition. It is surprising how many people are worrying about their hearts because their stomachic and intestinal conditions give rise to heart palpitation, that is to such action of the heart as brings it into the sphere of their consciousness, sometimes with the complication of intermittency or even more marked irregularity. The less the experience of the physician the more serious is he likely to consider these conditions and the more likely he is to disturb the patient by his diagnosis and prognosis. Until there is some sign of failing circulation, or of beginning disturbance of compensation, the attachment of a serious significance to these conditions always makes patients worse and removes one of the most helpful forms of therapeusis, that of the favorable influence of the mind on the heart. On the other hand, unless the patients' own unfavorable auto-suggestions as regards the significance of their heart symptoms are corrected, these people not only suffer subjectively, but bring about such disturbance of their physical condition as makes many symptoms objective.

While there are serious affections in which heart and stomach are closely associated, these are quite rare and usually manifest themselves in acute conditions and in old people. In the chapter on Angina Pectoris attention is called to the fact that there are may forms of pseudo-angina due to cardiac neuroses consequent upon gastric disturbance and without heart lesion. Broadbent has not hesitated to say that these forms of angina cause more suffering or at least produce more reaction on the part of the patient and are always the source of more complaint than the paroxysms due to serious cardiac conditions which present the constant possibility of a fatal termination.

Where the stomach is the cause of the cardiac neuroses psychotherapy is an extremely important element in the treatment. The continuance and exaggeration of their symptoms is often due to a disturbance of mind consequent upon the feeling that they have some serious form of heart disease. Without {335} definite reassurance in this matter all the experts in heart disease insist that it is extremely difficult to bring about relief of symptoms in these patients. Whenever the general health of the individual has not suffered from his heart affection, it is quite safe to assume that no organic disease of the heart is present, no matter what the symptoms, for, as Broadbent and many other authorities emphasize, gastric cardiac neuroses can simulate every form of heart disturbance. The older physicians insisted that what they called sympathy with the hypochondriac organs might produce all sorts of heart symptoms. The patient must be told this confidently. The slightest exaggeration of the significance of his symptoms can do no possible good and will always do positive harm.

After reassurance, the most important thing is, of course, regulation of the diet and of the digestive functions generally. Unfortunately, regulation of the diet to many patients and even to many physicians seems to mean the limitation of diet. I have seen sufferers from cardiac symptoms have these increased by excessive limitation of diet. If they are lower than they ought to be in weight they must be made to regain it. Above all, there must be no limitation of meat-eating except in the robust. Very often the heart seems to crave particularly that form of nutrition that comes through meat. It is especially important that the bowels should be regular. Fast eating is very harmful. Occupation with serious business immediately after eating is almost the rule in these cases.

All of these elements of the case need special study in each individual patient. The needed suggestions can then be made. Above all, the patient is made to realize that his case is understood and that it is only the question of a gradual acquirement of certain habits, including proper exercise, that is needed for the restoration of his heart to normal.