"A THOUGHTFUL GESTURE CAN ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH AND CAN EVEN BE THE BEGINNING OF A MIRACLE. GOD HELP US TO WARM THE HEART OF JUST ONE PERSON TODAY."
Thank you, Karen.
The above quote reminds me of a saying in AA. "Get three hugs every day!" It helped so much at the beginning of my sobriety. Depending on the patient, I try to do this as much as possible. Sometimes doctors put a distance between their patients, especially in the 'legal' climate. However, a doctor is a human being also. I feel doctors should try to show some emotion to their patients. Get your doctor to know you better. Doctors are not GOD. Doctors are on this earth just like you. I try to warm a heart every day. I am not perfect. Remember there is no perfection.
I know to the best of my ability I have accomplished some miracles. Miracles that I am proud of. I have had the support of a loving partner who is always by my side, but does not always agree with me. I like that--can you believe what I just wrote? I would rather have the honesty and open daily communication for us to discuss the miracles-- some do not live up to our expectations. We wouldn't be so disappointed if we never had the expectations to begin with. But after all we are human. We are givers. There are two groups of people in life- givers and takers. I give now because I want to. Givers also have to give to themselves. I am a better giver now because I give to myself. I give from the heart.
Speaking of the heart, we have discussed 3 valve conditions: Aortic valve disorders, and Mitral valve disorders including Mitral Valve Prolapse.
Today I want to discuss plants for the heart. There are many plants used for the heart. Relating to the topic of organic heart disease, or what is generally called valvular heart disease,--only one herb comes to mind. We need not treat valvular heart disease unless it causes decompensation.
Let me tell you what this means. For example, a 52 year old female had rheumatic fever at age 13. There were no problems until at age 45 she developed mild shortness of breath. It was discovered that she has mild to moderate mitral leakage. By age 50, she was short of breath at mild exertion. Since we have made enormous strides with surgery over the last two decades, she was considered for a valve replacement.
For the treatment of her heart failure due to her organic valve disease, a plant should be considered. Not any plant, but the Foxglove. This is also known as Digitalis or Digoxin. The Latin name is Digitalis purpurea. Digitalis is a cardiac glycoside. There are other plants that have similar properties to digitalis, but are not as effective. Why would we search the plant kingdom for another 'digitalis' like drug, when this one works just fine? We must thank William Withering.
Dr. Withering was born in Wellington, Shropshire. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and trained as a physician. He worked at Birmingham General Hospital beginning in 1779. I did 8 months of training in the Black Country where Birmingham General Hospital is located. I did more medical training in Dudley,and Kingswinford in the same geographical area. The story is that he noticed a person with dropsy (swelling from congestive heart failure) improve remarkably after taking a traditional herbal remedy. Withering became famous for recognising that the active ingredient in the mixture came from the foxglove plant.The active ingredient is now known as digitalis, after the plant's scientific name. In 1785, Withering published An Account of the Foxglove and some of its Medical Uses, which contained reports on clinical trials and notes on digitalis's effects and toxicity.
His clinical skills were excellent. He described digitalis toxicity as we know it today. He noted the toxic effects of vomiting, diarrhea, visual disturbances with a green and yellow hue, and seizures.
We do know that foxglove grown in the wild has the best medicinal properties. There is another form of foxglove. This is Woolly or Austrian Foxglove. Its Latin name is Digitalis lanata. The only advantage I find of lanata over purpurea is that lanata can be cultivated on a much larger scale.
I find that the most interesting property of this herb is that it can restore a weakened heart to a stronger, better functioning heart. During my clinical clerkship years in England, I used more digitalis than when I returned to the United States. When I was in cardiology training the use of digitalis started to wane. At one point with the technological advance in other medications for heart failure--digitalis use basically ceased. I started to use it again about 6-7 years ago.
Let's discuss the plant.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is one of the loveliest, most important plant species that has been introduced from Europe and naturalized in various parts of North America. The foxglove is a member of the Figwort Family. The name is the Scrophulariaceae. It grows wild in the woods and mountains in Europe. The flowers are numerous, on a spike, and range from a deep purple to lilac with conspicuous spots interlining the throat of the tubular flower. As a biennial, the leaves form a rosette the first year followed by the flower spike the next year. It prefers a nitrogen-rich sandy loam soil, and partial sun to full shade.
Digoxin (Digitalin) is a drug that is extracted from Digitalis lanata. This is the Woolly or Austrian Foxglove. Upon reading about this foxglove, I see it has a different family. I must ask my professor in two weeks about this Family change. It is used to treat some heart conditions such as congestive heart failure. It has a tonic effect on heart disease. Digitalin was not discovered until the mid 1800s by two French scientists Homolle Ouevenne and Theodore Ouevenne.
More digitalis tomorrow... since it is fascinating. I find it fascinating because my favorite, Convallaria is in the same family----I think. I need to find a foxglove in the wild to photograph.
Top Photograph : Dr. W W
Middle: 2 photographs of digitalis purpurea
Bottom: 2 photographs Digitalis lanata
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