The principles of health control . the muscles and joints which are not easily relieved throughhygienic means.) To Reduce Blood Pressure. — As stated in the text, bloodpressure which is too high puts a strain upon the heart and theblood vessels and consumes energy internally which could other-wise be spent upon external work. While the average blood pres-sure for adults is equal to the pressure exerted by a mercury column120 millimeters high, a pressure above no mm. may be regardedas unnecessarily high for one under 25 years unless he be of athleticbuild and habits. A reduction of blood pressu
The principles of health control . the muscles and joints which are not easily relieved throughhygienic means.) To Reduce Blood Pressure. — As stated in the text, bloodpressure which is too high puts a strain upon the heart and theblood vessels and consumes energy internally which could other-wise be spent upon external work. While the average blood pres-sure for adults is equal to the pressure exerted by a mercury column120 millimeters high, a pressure above no mm. may be regardedas unnecessarily high for one under 25 years unless he be of athleticbuild and habits. A reduction of blood pressure is usually accom- ,plished through physical exercise, a more careful adjustment ofdiet to bodily needs, and relief from constipation, if this conditionbe present. Excess of food must be avoided and purin-bearingfoods, especially lean meat, used in limited amounts. High bloodpressure also depends upon a degree of nervous tension. Henceit is necessary that all kinds of nerve strain be avoided and that METABOLISM AND CONTROL 225. Fig. 48. — Measuring Blood Pressure by the method of palpation and with amercury gauge. the use of substances, such, as alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee, whichexcite the nervous system, be discontinued or greatly curtailed. To Measure BloodPressure.—A special in-strument (the sphygmo-manometer) is requiredfor this purpose, and themanufacturers supply fulldirections for its use. Inmaking tests it is unneces-sary to bare the arm,though best to remove anyheavy clothing, such asthe coat. After attachingthe arm band (Fig. 48) andconnecting this with thegauge, the pulse is foundat the wrist. With a fin-ger on the pulse, air is pumped into the rubber bag until the pulsebeat is no longer Air is then permitted to escape until thepulse again becomes perceptible, and at this instant the height of the mercury column isread. This is recorded asthe systolic blood pressure(direct pressure from theventricle) and this for obser-vational purposes is suffi-
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjecthygiene, bookyear1920
