CUAl'TEK   IV

THE  HIGH  POTENTIAL  CURRENTS  IN  DISEASES  OF  THE  CIRCU-
LATORY   SYSTEM

Thkke  has  j)i'()l)alily  Ikhmi  iu>  advance  made  in  tlu'rajX'U-
tics  which  \vill  c()ntril)utc  more  to  life  and  lonj^evity  than
the  intnuliictiou  of  the  hi.uh  potential  currents  in  the
treatment  of  art«'rial  sclerosis  and  its  causes.  That  such
statements  are  not  reco<;nizcd  by  the  rank  and  tile  of  our
profession  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  use  of  electricity
is  looked  upon  as  so  technical  that  the  average  man  is
unwilling  to  investigate  the  methods  of  employing  it,  and
for  this  reason  is  a])t  to  be  doubtful  of  its  efficiency.
The  value  of  these  currents,  however,  has  been  well  estab-
lisheil  and  the  eagerness  with  which  those  interested  are
investigating  this  branch  of  medicine  is  encouraging.
ITj'pertension  is  now  generally  acknowledgeil  as  the
common  cause  of  sclerosis  of  the  middle  or  muscular  coats
of  the  arteries  resulting  undoubtedly  from  the  fact  that
a  muscle  maintained  in  a  state  of  tension  is  certain  to
undergo  degeneration  owing  to  tiie  consifpK  iit  interfer-
ence witli  the  cin  libit  it  HI  and  metabolism  under  tiiese  con-
ditions. This  is  demonstrated  in  the  d<'generation  that
takes  i>lace  in  long  muscles  which  are  for  a  long  time  in
a  state  of  muscular  tension.  The  degeneration  is  first  of
the  fatty  and  then  of  the  calcareous  transition,  in  which
the  middle  coats  of  the  arteries  are  found  in  a<lvanced
arterio-sclerosis.    Other  factors,  un<loiiiitedly,  as  ctuiditions

159


160  HIGH-POTENTIAL  CURRENTS

of  malnutrition  favor  the  degenerative  process  in  the
arteries.  Syphilis  has  also  been  shown  to  be  a  cause
of  arterio-sclerosis.  The  important  study  therefore,  look-
ing to  the  prevention  and  relief  of  arterio-sclerosis,  is  the
management  or  prevention  of  hypertension.
