Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20
PNEUMONIA.
Symptoms and Treatment Of Disease Preva-
lent Mt This Season.

Symptoms and Treatment Of Disease Preva-
lent ut This Season.
This is the season for Pneumonia. The sud-
den changes Of temperature and the careless
ness Of people generally who are apt to expose
themselves unnecessarily to wet and cold are
fruitful inducements to this disease. the statis-
tics of which show a fatality of about thirty in
100 cases. This malady was formerly known as
lung fever. 1t is an inflammation or conges-
ton Of the lungs, and there are four distinct
classes-the lobar, 1obular, fibrous and Gaseous
or tubercular pneumonia. The two classes last
mentioned not infrequently terminate in
phthisis or consumption. The first stage is
known as that Of ''engorgement;' the second
as "red Repatriation" when the lungs become
the color of the liver. When this brownish
color gives way to gray the malady has reached
the third stage, that of "gray Repatriation"
This is the stage OF absorption" in favorable
cases, when convalescence ensues. In unfa-
vorable cases the disease passes into the puru-
lent stage. when death is likely to ensue within
a very few days, sometimes in few hours.
The first symptom is usually pronounced
chill. followed by sharp laucinating pain
within circumscribed space at or near the
nipple on the affected side. A racking cough
and expectoration soon follow. This is the
stage in which the oval bacteria is found in the
sputum. Then follows high fever. pain in the
head, loss OF appetite, severe thirst, prostru-
ton. increased respiration and pulse varying
from 30 to 100.
In the second stage pain may cease, but the
cough may continue, though less hard and
painful In the third stage the patient, if the
symptoms are favorable, will cough less; res
piratiOn will resume its normal condition. ap-
petite will return. and pain will almost, if not
entirely, disappear. One Of the pecularities
OF pneumonia il that this third stage in the in
temperate may lead to delirium tremens. Once
convalescence begins in cases of pneum Onia,
however, recovery is almost certain. Fatal re-
lapses are very infrequent. Pericarditis, or in
fammation of the membranous sac which in
closes the heart, Is very grave complication
in pneumonia
The old method Of treatment was blood
letting, and some physicians resort to that
now where the patient is plethoric. Some be-
lieve that the attack can be rendered harmless
by dose Of from forty to sixty grains of
quinine.
The course OF treatment commonly employed
is to give quinine, antipyrine. aconite and an
tifebrines in the first stage, with expectorants.
and flax seed poultices as hot as they can be
borne applied every twenty minutes. In the
second stage the object is to support the action
OF the heart and milk punch or some other
stimulant is given. Digitalis is also prescribed
and this treatment is continued with the third
stage and up to convalescence of the fatal issue.
Death comes when the lungs become CONSOLE
them and cannot become oxygenated. and is
due to heart failure. Some physicians have
have lately used oxygen gas to aid the oxygen
ating function of the lungs and in Germany
patients have been carried into the open air.
In one Of the German hospitals a ward Is being
prepared specially for the treatment of pa
tients suffering from pneumonia, the prepara-
ton including the construction of machinery for
pumping cold air over the heads of the patients.
At some of the hospitals in this country cases
have been successfully treated in tents. The
tents are we'll heated in winter though, by
large stoves, so that the patients. while breath
ing air almost absolutely pure, are not exposed
to the cold. Freer atmospheric circulation is
common objective point with American physi-
clans in the treatment Of pneumonia although
they do not 60 30 far in this matter as the Ger
mans. A careful attention to ones health, the
wearing of warm clothing. keeping the feet
from getting wet and the avoidance of drafts
will enable one to generally escape an attack of
this serious disease.