The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-05-12
INEt MONIt.
What n Wcll-kuown Medical journal Has 20
say About II.

What wcl-Known Medical journal Has to
say About It,
1hc prevalence of pneumonia, its rapid
increase, and fatal consequences in many
instances, says Halls journal of Health,
have led number of our ADLER physi-
clans to carefully investigate the pccu-
llaritics of this alarming disease, and
some of them have published the result
OF their observations in II way to benefit
the public, not only by pointing out the
best methods of prevention but Likewise
OF treatment in the event of its occur
renee
DIR. John 7. Nagle, Deputy Register
OF Records of the Health Board of the
City of New York, haso given much at
tcntion to the disease, and has prepared
valuable statistical tables concerning it.
''Ihc prevalence of pneumonia he
says, may he owing to lack of ozone
IN the air, or it may be because there is
too much ozone. Sudden changes of
weather and high winds, particularly
from the north and east, certainly have
much to do with it, and draughts of all
kinds are bad, and should be avoided
Smoking may be a prcdisposing cause,
as tobacco is certainly an irritant. ANY
thing which irritatcs the lungs should
be avoided. If people would breathe
through the nose instead Of through the
mouth, especially when in the open air
or facing a cold wind, the lungs would
be less irritatcd
cone great cause OF the fearful death
rate among children from this disease is
undoubtedly the criminally foolish way
III which they are dressed Many moth
crs seem more anxious 20 make their
children look pretty than to dress them
comfortably. On par with this is
worse than folly of low-ncckcd dresses
among women rs viewed from n health
standpoint. Ladies so dressed will rush
from heated ballroom or theatre into
the open air, and then wonder that they
have colds or pneumonia. Wear season
able Undcrclothing, and don't remove
your heavy tlamclS too early in the
spring or defer putting them on until too
late ~ the fall | should not advise peo
pie e. coddlc themselves, but one should
dress according to the season, and should
cover the body evenly. Add to this II
proper regard for the general health and
an avoidance of dIaughts, and one need
not worry much about pneumonia"
Prof. y. l.. l.oOmis, in his Practice
of Medicine, says: at is Il well known
fact that tn" disease attacks the poor
oftcncr than the rich, the pl,,utc oftcncr
than the officer, the sailor on shore
oftcnrr than on ship, the soldier oftcncr
than the civilian at the same post. II is
unknown i'll the polar regions and com
mon on the Mediterranean, increasing in
Il direct ratio from the poles to the cuua-
tor Elevation above the sea prcdispos-
cS to 1t; north and east winds favor its
d"Nclopmcnt; rainy seasons or damp and
marShy districts do not seem to Influence
1t. Periods of steady and extreme cold
nave lttlc effect except upon the old,
but sudden changes are very disastrous.
The first prcdispoSing cause is age, the
disease being most common in early
childhood, from twenty to forty, and
after sixty. The proportion of male TO
|
general condition of the body which de-
blitatcs is prcdisposing cause. The
complications which render the disease
so dangerous are those which diminish
the nerve supply or weaken the muscu-
lar power of the heart. Bad sewerage
and miasmatic influence are potent causes
of the disease"
Pneumonia usually begins with chill,
intense and prolonged, generally Mt
night, and followed by corresponding
ly high fever and sharp pains in the
sides. The disease is very rapid in it's
progress, reaching crisis in from five to
SIX days, and sometimes causing death
within three days. Usually but one
lung is affected, and often the disease is
confined to n single lobe.
\ person may have "doublc pncu.
monia, or pneumonia of both lungs
and recover from it, but the chance. arc
against him. When the diScG.so snrcads
to all of the lung lobcS, death Is certain
aS the patient cnnuot breathe, and dies
OF suifocation. The diseased lung, at
first intiamed, soon becomes hard and
ic"thery, and incapable of performing
ITS natural functions, A curious fact is
that usually no second chill occurs when
another lobe is attacked, and there ap-
pears to be no relation between the
amount of lung affected and the intensi-
ty OF the symptoms. All physicians
agree in saying that the disease is not
contagious, but may may be epidemic,
and 1T has been noticed that it is devcl-
oped under the same conditions as
diphtheria-that is, the conditions which
produce diphtheria in the young are apt
to cause pneumonia among adults
DR.. j, r, Leaning, special consulting