The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-05-13
PNEUMONIA.
Nhnt WcII-Known Medical journal HIS to
Sny About II.

Whnt n Wer-Known Medical journal Has to
| Sny About II.
The prevalence of pneumonia, its rapid
increase, and fatal consequences in many
instances, says Halls Journal of Health,
have led n number of our ADLER physi-
clans to carefully investigate the pccu-
llalltics of this alarming disease, and
some Of them have published the result
OF their observations i'll way to benefit
the public, not only by pointing out the
best methods of prevention, but likewise
of treatment, in the event Of it's occur
renee.
DR.. John II. Naglc, Deputy Register
of Records of the Health Board of the
City of New York, has given much at
tcntion to the disease, and has prepared
valuable statistical tables concerning it,
''Thc prevalence of pneumonia" he
says, ''may be owing to II lack of ozone
III 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 daughts of all
kinds are bad, and should be avoided.
Smoking may be 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 Il cold wind, the lungs would
be less irritatcd
cone great cause Of the fearful death
rate among children from this disease is
undoubtedly the criminnlly foolish way
III which they are dressed. Many moth
crs seem more anxious to make their
children look pretty than to dress them
comfortably. On par with this is
worse than folly of low-ncckcd dresses
among women as 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 flanncls too early in the
spring or defer putting them on until too
late III the fall. | should not advise Dco
| pie to coddlo themselves, but one should
dress according to the season, and should
cover the body evenly. Add to this a
proper regard for the general health and
an avoidance Of draughtS, and one need
not worry much about pneumonia"
Prof. a. l.. Loomis, in his 'plncticc
OF M"dcmc,' says: ''It is Il wcll-knOwn
fact that the disease attacks the Door
oftcncr than the rich, the private oftcncr
than the officer, the sailor on shore
oftcncr than on ship, the soldier oftencpl
than the civilian ut the same post. II is |
unknown III the polar regions and com
, mon on the Mediterranean, increasing in
direct ratio from the poles to the eoua-
tor. Elevation above the sea prcdisDos-
CS to 1t; north and cast winds favor its
development; rainy seasons or damp and
| marshy districts do not seem to influence
1t. Periods Of steady and extreme cold
have little effect except upon the old.
but sudden changes are very disastrous,
Ihc first prcdispoSing cause is age, the
disease beng most common in early
childhood, from twenty to forty, and
after sixty. The proportion of male to
female victims is as three to one. ANY |!
general condition of the body which de-
bIhtatcs 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 IRE potent causes
of the disease"
Pneumonia usually begins with chill, |
intense and prolonged, generally ut
night, and followed by correspondence
! ly high fever and sharp pains in the
sides. The disease is very rapid in it's
progress, reaching q 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 Il single lobe.
\ person may have "double nnou-
monio, or pneumonia of both LUNGS,
and recover from it, but the chances are
against mm. When the disease spreads
I" all OF the lung lObcS death is certain.
n" the patient cannot breathe, and dies
OF "ullocahon. The diseased lung, ot
i'r"l hiiamcd, soon becomes hard and
Irathcry, and incapable of performing
It's natural functions. 4 curious FACT. ia
'i'"t usually no second chill occurs when
another lobe is attacked, sud there ap-
pears to be no iolntion between the
amount Ht lung affected and the intcnai-
" OF the symptoms All physicians
agree IN saying that the disease is not
contagious, hut may may be epidemic,
and If has been noticed that it is dcvol
opcd under the Same conditions as
diphthclia--that is, the conditions which
produce diphtheria in the young are apt
to cause pneumonia among adults.
DIR. J. r.. Leaning, special consulting