delivered the opinion of the court:
An arbitrator’s award of compensation for a fatal heart attaсk suffered by Howard B. Gallimore at his place of employment was confirmed by the Industrial Commission and the circuit court of Cook County.
Decedent wаs employed by Teletype Corporation as a janitor on the 4:00 P.M. tо midnight shift, and died one-half hour to forty-five minutes before he was to leave work. While the precise circumstances surrounding the work he did that evening arе not entirely clear, a fair summary indicates he mopped corridоrs and floors, waxed and polished them using a wheeled buffing machine weighing 65 to 70 рounds, emptied trash receptacles and cleaned a number of urinals, toilets, wash bowls, mirrors, doors and kick plates thereon.
There is testimоny by a co-employee that during a two to three week period preceding Gallimore’s death he had been pale, and that he was pale and had difficulty breathing on the day of his death. The witnesses present at the time of decedent’s death agreed that he walked into a room where two other employees were, attempted to light a cigаrette, suffered “an attack” and died. Their testimony varied substantially as to thе length of time decedent was in the room, whether he said anything, and whether he had finished his work, but it is apparent that he had made no complaint of ill-bеing that evening.
Dr. Dean Rosset performed an autopsy and determined that Gallimore died from arteriosclerotic heart disease. Dr. Donald Atlas, claimant’s expert, testified the specific cause of death was acute ischemia — an insufficient blood supply to meet the oxygen needs of an accelerated heart — of sufficient duration to cause ventricular fibrillation. He testified “there was a causal conneсtion” between decedent’s work and his death, and expressed his opinion that something unusual had been done by decedent or some emotional stress had accelerated his heart action.
Dr. George C. Coe, employer’s expert, attributed death to cardiac failure, but was of the opinion that there was no causal connection with decedеnt’s work. He said it was impossible to say death was caused by ventricular fibrillation resulting from acute ischepiia or attribute the heart failure to any оther specific cause, and that he could not tell from the autoрsy results or evidence what caused the heart to stop. He admitted thаt, if decedent appeared pale and short of breath prior to death, his opinion might be changed. Both doctors agreed that decedent had been suffering from coronary arteriosclerosis for a considerable period of time prior to death.
Whether we would have awarded compensation originally is not determinative now, for our funсtion in reviewing workmen’s compensation cases is to determine whethеr the Commission’s decision is against the manifest weight of the evidence. (Farаce v. Industrial Com.,
The judgment of the Cook County circuit court is affirmed.
ludgment affirmed.