The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-02-03
Zoe DE Oarion.


or reform practice Of medicine in these forms
Of diseases might interest many of the pa
irons OF your valuable paper. There Is an
excellent article of this subject-pneumonia
in the Physio Medical Recorder, published
at Cincinnati, Ohio, which. with few slight
alterations, If you can consistently admit III
to your paper, you will add another TO the
many obligations under which you have
placed your humble servant by past Ia
Yors.
ssThe sudden changes of weather, eoni-
mon from November 70 May, lead TO many
disturbances In the system, among the most
serious OF which is pneumonia, or pressure
of blood upon the lungs, accompanied by q
resisting infiammatory action. The dlfhcui-
ty usually comes about upon exposure 10
damp, chilly air for length of time, the de-
gree of cold not being as injurious as the
darnpness connected with it. such expo
sures contract the skin and It's biood-vessels,
and force the blood inwardly. When the
circulating fluid is thus driven from its reg
ular channels, especially when no free exer-
else is taken to aid the equalization OF the
flow, its balance becomes destroyed. and II
accumulates in such large quantities upon
some of the internal organs As TO more or less
seriously interfere with the proper perfor-
nance or their functions. If, after such ex-
posture, a warm and dry room be entered,
the lungs will be weakened, ana the blood
rushes TO them in successive quantities.
This is the beginning of pneumonia.
u the pdllCnG lGC1c anu lAiSAS
is an irresistible shivering, not from actual
GOODNESS, bur because it cant be helped
it is impossible for the patient to resist. All
such paroxysmS are evidences OF nature :
attempt TO restore the blood to its proper
channels, of vital effort to return the flow
to the surface. Not succeeding in this at
tempt, the heart and arteries will soon en-
gage earnestly in the struggle, flush will
pass over the skin, the pulse will become ell
evated and hard, and there may be some
thirst. The excessive quantity of blood in
the lungs presses upon the nerves, an6 caus-
rs constant pain, which is deeply seated aud
rather dull, yet very severe. The same IT.
ritation provokes short cough, which con-
Times almost without interruption. only a
small quantity of glairy mucus being rails
ed. The breathing is rather short, and there
is smothered feeling about the chest, with
an inclination to sigh-which act, however,
is prevented, because it increases the pain
These last symptoms are the consequences
CT the pressure of the blood in the lungs.
This is the favorable moment for the
physician for while the symptoms are thus
| light, the equilibrium of the blood can be
much more easily restored than when the
| lapse of some hours or days has allowed il
to become more largely accumulated upon
the lungs. Let every haste be made, there
fore, to get the flow returned fully and per-
manently to the surface. Use freely of a
warm infrsion of pleurisy root (dscleptdS
| tHberoSG) and ginger in equal parts tea
cup two thirds full of such a tea may be
drank every twenty minutes till the skin be-
comes moist, applying at the same time
warm bricks wrapped up in damp cloths, OIL
| bottles or jugs of warm water TO the surface
| to assist in producing perspiration-and
! then give the tea and keep up the external
| applications just so as to keep up a gentle
sweat To aid the infusion, small, strong
and cold enema of elm and lobelia may be
| given, with view of having it retained or
| if the bowels have not been unloaded within
| proper time, clysterS of warm lobelia aud
ginger may first be given, and then the cold
elm and lobeiia used and retained as long as
! possible. This should be done in the outset
a vapor bath being prepared in the mean
| time, ana the patient put into it as soon as
| ready. Apply the bath till a free sweat is
established all over the body; then wipe the
! patient dry; put him TO bed; continue the
above tea; keep the room quiet and moder-
| ately warm, and repeat the elm and lObella
enema every second, third, or fourth our
| according as the pulse remains hard or be
comes softer. The bowels should be unload
| ed by n stimulating enema at least twice
/ every day. If the tongue is heavily coated
| and the head aches, the appetite having
| been precarious for some days previous to
| the attack, an emetic OF lobelia should be
/ used at the very commencement. There is.
| positively, nothing equal TO an emetic of To-
! bella under such circumstances and many
| are the cases III which the whole difficulty
may be thereby ended in a few hours. A
tea Of pleurisy root, ginger and little ras-
| berry, Is very appropriate one TO use
while giving the emetic; and the lObelia
| should be divided into three or more doses
and given at intervals of fifteen or twenty
minutes.
/ ''After free vomiting, the above directed
| treatment should be faithfully applied. and
| the cases that will not yield to it in twenty
| four hours are rare ones. But If the difficult
| ty has not been relieved thus early. the ex-
of in, hp II agta ha
| rier to impede the circulation through the
4 or sans, and the accumulation will increase
4 rapidly. The breathing will become very
short and hurried, often rising to twenty
| eight and thirty respirations during the
minute; the cough will he as constant as be-
| fore, but shorter and much more painful
and frothy spittle, of a rusty color, will be
raised. This color is owing to the presence
of small quantities of blood-the pressure in
| the lungs having having broken dow. the
membrane walls, and the blood escaping and
| becoming mixed with the mHcus. Some
| times bright red streaks will be found in the
| material exporated. The pain in the chest
| is now severe, and the least effort to talk
| pains and wearies the patient very MUCH
| The heart and arteries labor with great We.
hemence, the pulse being hard, quick, and
very frequent. The skin is uSally flushed
and intensely hot; the eyes bloodshot, the
mind a little wandering, and the patient
very restless, although drowsY the bowels
/ are found TO be cOStlVe, ana the urine high
| ly colored and scanty.
1.-The treatment in this condition of things
must be of the most thorough character
and not moment to be lost. The first
! thing is to relieve the bowels by a large
enema of elm and lobelia. These may be
| repeated several times, few minutes apart
and then cold enemas of the same may be
continued at intervals of about two hours
| the patient retaining them, if, possible
| Swallowing is usually very difficult here
| and In many cases, only teaspOOnful Of
| liquid can be taken at time. That tea
| spoonful should be strong Infusion of To-
/ bella, and a nurse should sit down by the
patient and repeat the dose every three OF
four minutes, till the pulse is softer and the
swallowing easier. Then a tea of pleurisy
| root and spearmint should be given, small
| quantities at a time and frequently, and
kept up without intermission. The surface
should be sponged all over with moderately
cool water every second hour. AS the ca
pacity to drink becomes improved, the tea
may be pressed more freely, the lobelia be-
ing used more moderately, or added to the
| tea, the enemas being used to the last. As
soon as the surface becomes more cool from
the sponging, a gentle vapor bath may be
/ given, the heat being mild, and the time Of
application limited.
when the graver features of the difficult
ty have worn away and the danger is past
| there will be atroublesome soreness through
| the chest, and continued, painful, irritable
cough. To relieve these, comfrey, gum ara
bic, slippery elm, white pine bark, or some
other mucilaginoas article, should be used
/ Any of the agents may be made into siruI
with spikenard, pleurisy root, and small por-
tions of lobelia; of which preparation small
and frequent doses may be given till all the
soreness and cough are gone. The bowels
should he unloaded at least once a day with
suitable enemas, and pill of lobelia and ex.
tract of boneset may be given every third
hour. Perfect quiet, an equally warm
room, and lite diet, must be enjoined upon
the patient for sew sral days.
IN many localities a true pneumonia will
be connected with typhoid condition, the
strength of the patient failing rapidly, as il
manifested by tremulous and thready pulse
and a partially stupid condition Of the
mind. The skin, here, is not often flushed
but is of a singing heat: the sputae are