The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-07
THE FATAL


Symptoms and Treatment Of = Disease
Prevalent Mt This Time.
This Ia tho season for pneumonia, re-
marks mn eastern contemporary. Tho sud
don changes Of temperature and the care
lessness Of people generally who are apt 70
expose themselves unnecessarily to wet and
cold are fruitful inducements to this dis
ease, the statistics OF which show a fatality
OF about 10 In 100 cases. The malady was
formerly known rs lung fever. IT IN an in
fiammation or congestion Of the lungs.
and there are four distinct cIssses-the
lobar, lobuIar. fbrous and Gaseous or tu-
bercnlar pneumonia. The two classes last
mentioned not infrequently terminate In
phthisis or consumptio on. Tho first stage
is known as that Of "engorgemonts;' the
second a. "red hop atization,'' when tho
lungs become the color Of the liver. When
this brownish color gives way to gray the
malady has reached tho third stage, that OF
gray hepatization.' This is the stage OF
"absorption'' in favorable cases, when con-
valesence ensues. In u~nfayorable cases tho
disease passes into the purulent stage, when
death is likely to ensue within q very few
DAYS. sometimes within q few hours.
The first symptom Is usually q pro-
nounced chill. followed by n sharp luciDa-
| ting pain within n circumscribed space 1T
or near the nipple on tho effected SHE. a
racking cough and expectoration soon
follow. This is the stage in which the oya ]
bacteria is found in the sputnm. The n
follows high fever, pain in the head, loss OF
appetite, severe thirst, prostration, in
creased respiration and pulse varying from
80 to 100.
In the second stage pain may cease, but
the cough may continue, though lc2s hard
and painful. In the third stage the patient,
il the symptoms are favorable. will cough
less; respiration will resume its normal
condition, appetite will return, and pain
will almost If not entirely disappear. One
of the peculinrities OF Pneumonia, II that
this third stage i'll the incorporate may lead
to delirium remens. Once convalescenst
begins in cases Of pneumonia, however, re-
covery is almost certain. Fatal relapsef
are very infrequent. Pericarditis,. or in.
fammation Of the membranous sack which
i~ncloses the heart, is a very grave compllca-
ton in pneumonia.
The old method of treatment WAS blood
letting, and some physicians resort to that
now where the patient is p%lethoric. Some
believe that the attact can be rendered
harmless by Il dose of from forty to sixty
grains Of %quinine.
ployed is to give quinine, antipyrine, aeon
its and antifebrires in the first stage. With
expectorants and fax seed poultices as hot
as they can be borne applied every twenty
minutes. In the second stage the object ia
to support the action of the heart, and mill
punch or some other stimulant is given
Digitalis is also prescribed, and this treat
ment ia continued with the third stage ane
up to convalescence of the fatal tissue
Death comes when the lungs become con
solidnted so that the blood cannot pass
through them and cannot become oxygen
ated, and is due to heart failure. Som,
physicians have lately used oxygen gas t.
aid the Originating functions of the lungs
and in Germany patients have been carried
into the open air. In one Of tn
German hospitals q ward is belnl
prepared specially for the treat
mcnt or patients suffering from pneumonia
tn preparation including the construction
of machinery for pumping cold air over the
heads of the patients. At some Of the hos
pitfalls in this country cases have been sue
cessfully treated in tents. The tents ar
we'll heated in winter. though, by iarg'
stoves, SO that the patients, while breathing
air almost absolutely pure. are not exposed
to the cold. Freer atmospheric circulation
is a common objective point with American
physicians in the treatment of pneumonia
although they do not go SO far in this mat
ter as the Germans. A careful attention tc
ones health, the wearing of warm clothes
keeping the feet from getting wet and the
avoidance of drafts will enable one to gen.
orally escape an attack of this serious dis
ease.