Longevity of Roses

EDITORIALS coronary heart disease, which the increased local flow from collateral vessels initially prevented. As long as angina pectoris is present, there appears to be no clinical difference between patients with and patients without collaterals. When angina appears, there is little further positive prognostic significance for the collateral vessels. In fact, since the underlying arterial disease is more extensive, longterm follow-up may disclose a worse prognosis from the onset of angina pectoris for these "collateralized patients not only medically, but when surgical intervention is being considered. Joseph W . Linhart, M . D., F.C.C.P. and

B e m r d L. Segal, M.D.,F.C.C.P.' Phi2adelphia

'From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Hahnernam Medical College and Hospital. R tint requests: Dr. Linhart, 230 North Broad Street, Philade"ip,hia I9102 1 James TN: Anatomy of the Coronary Arteries. New York

Paul B. Hoeber, Inc, 1961, p 145

2 Khouri EM, Gregg DE, McGranahan GM Jr: Regression and reappearance of coronary collaterals. Am J Physiol 220:655-661, 1971 3 Gensini GG, Bruto da Costa BC: The coronary collateral circulation in living man. Am J Cardiol 24:393-400, 1969 4 Sheldon WC: On the significance of coronary collaterals. ' Am J Cardiol24:303, 1989 5 Hanis CN, Kaplan MA, Parker DP, et al: Anatomic and functional correlates of intercoronary collateral vessels. Am J Cardiol30:611-614, 1972 6 Snow PJD, Jones AM, Daber KS: Coronary disease: A pathological study. Br Heart J 17:503510, 1955 7 Helfant RH, Kemp HG, Gorlin R: Coronary atherosclerosis, coronary collaterals and their relation to cardiac function. Ann Intern Med 73: 189-193, 1970 8 Helfant RH, Vokonas PS, Gorlin R: Functional importance of the human coronary collateral circulation. N Engl J Med 284:1277-1281, 1971 9 Demany MA, Tambe A, Zirnmerman HA: Correlation between coronary arteriography and the postexercise electrocardiogram. Am J Cardiol 19:526-530, 1967 10 Miller RR, Zelis R, Mason DT: Relation of coronary collateral vessels to ventricular function in patients with equal extent of coronary artery disease ( abstr ). Circulation 44:II-202, 1971

Longevity of Roses The average "working age" of a modem hybrid tea or floribunda variety is around ten or f i e e n years. But the oldest known living rose plant in the world is a specimen of the species Rosa canina-the common dog rose of our hedges-which, according to authenticated records, has been in existence more than five hundred years. This rose is a plant growing among the cloisters of Heidelsheim Cathedral, in Germany. Archives record its existence there for at least five centuries-and the legend, which may be true, is that it was originally planted one thousand years ago by the Emperor Charlemagne. In 1884

the plant was seen to be dwindling. A life-saving operation was carried out. Rubbish of centuries almost four feet deep was cleared from the roots, new loam was brought to replace it and a watering system was installed for the plant. In 1944 it was thirty-two feet high. It was burned to the ground during an air raid the following spring. Happily the rootstock was unaffected. Now its limbs stretch out more than thirty feet again. Wheatcroft, H: In Praise of Roses, Chicago, Regnery, 1970

CHEST, VOL. 64, NO. 5, NOVEMBER, 1973