Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-04-08
THE MOST DEADLY DISEASE.

THE MOST DEADLY DISEASE.
The most deadly acute disease from
which the people of the United States
are to-day suffering is pneumonia. There
are not less than 1900 cases at this hour
in the city of New York alone. Many
are nearly down with it who do not sus-
pect it, and these can bring it on by a
single act of indiscretion. Ten minutes
on street corner in the cold wind
glass of brandy or whisky; late hours
and exposure at night; an evening in
badly ventilated church or theater any
of these may permit the latent disease to
manifest itself.
The disease attacks the lungs, but is
not, as generally supposed, a species of
hasty consumption. There is very little
expectoration in pneumonia, and in many
cases none at all. The cold settles on
the lungs, the air passages fill up with
mucus, and death is due to the impossi-
bility of breathing, or to the weakness
which the disease brings on, as cautious
dieting is necessary. When the trouble
III the lungs is overcome, the patient is
often left in so low condition that it is
impossible to make him rally. 1t is
rather singular phase of this deadly dis
ease that the percentage of cases is as
four to one in favor of men. Women
very seldom suffer from it. This may be
due to the greater exposure to which men
are subjected, and to the more sedentary
life OF women, who do not suffer from
such constant changes and such shocks
to the lungs. The best preventive against
pneumonia is to keep the mouth closed
when going from hot place to cold,
and breathe through the nose. 1t comes
like flash of lightning there is no
preparation or means of averting it. One
may go to bed healthy, to all appear
ances, and wake up with the disease in
full blast. Then it is simply question
of constitution. Medical skill avails but
little, and physicians pursue but one
course-to keep the patient in a warm,
equal temperature to give remedies as
much as possible to clear the lungs. and
to seek to keep up the proper animal
heat. The patient ordinarily partly loses
consciousness on the third day, and the
crisis is reached on the seventh. If not
dead then, there is small chance of re-
covery, and all depends on the strength
of the patient.
Pneumonia is far more fatal with us
than it was years ago. We may attribute
the increased mortality from this disease
to multitude of causes. Alcohol gives
the disease more victims than all else.
Other causes are steam-heating devices,
bad ventilation, and tobacco smoke. The
devitalized heat of the steam pipes is
most injurious to the lungs. The action
of the heat on the iron coils sends off
deleterious gas, which seriously impairs
the lungs, and renders the inhalation of
cold air positively dangerous. Tobacco
smoke dries up the mucous membrane of
the throat and air passages, and dispels
their healthy action Alcohol destroys
the power of the stomach, and SO lessons
vitality that a simple "cold" speedily be-
comes pneumonia. These causes-added
to the absurd custom of bundling up the
throat while leaving the feet nearly with
out prOtectiOn-are sufficient to account
for the enormous mortality from this
disease.-HaWs Journal Of Health.