The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-03
Medical Notes.

Pneumonia, or lung fever, as it was
| once called, is simply an Inflammation of
the lungs Of greater or lesser extent.
Ordinarily it involves but one lobe and
Is them OF course, less serious than in
fiamma ton involving the whole lung, or,
still worse, both lungs, as it occasionally
does. Pneumonia is, however, always a.
| serious disease; no matter what the ex-
tent of lung tissue involved, and Is con-
sidered the most dangerous and fatal Of
all acute lung diseases, Peter Il French
authority, having uttered the aphorf=m,
pneumonia, as much as apopfexy, ends
| the Old mans lifs|'afs
The reason for its fatality Is evident.
Normally the lung tissue may be COM
pared to a sponge, light and porous but
when inflammation occurs the tissues
are soldified, so1dered together as It
were, by. the products of, Inflammation,
SO that an infiamed, lung looks like a
piece Of liver, solid and irnpervious to
air. Under these circumstances the dis
eased portion Of the lung can do no
work in aerating the blood and partial
suffocation ensues, the air starvation be-
ing greater as the extent Of the lung It's
sue Is larger. Hence a person afflicted
with pneumonia is eventually suffocated
by degrees, 1t is true, but none the less
efectually, unless relief occurs
The causes of pneumonia are still g.
matter Of conjecture. Some observers
claim that the germs Of pneumonia
(pneumococcus) are normally and con-
stantly present in the fluids of the mouth
and that these germs ipcite pneumonia
when the system is lowered in vitality,
or, in other words, when the lungs
are fortified by some depressing or in
fammatory disease. Some claim that
the breath of a person with pneumonia
is infection-laden and that a person
breathing this air, and being in a recep-
tive condition, will become infected or
may carry it to another person, though
he does not suffer himself Others claim
that the disease is contagious as well
and many physicians favor home quar-
antine, isolating the patient from the rest
of the household and observing anti
septic precautions. Be that as it may.
pneumonia is most common in winter and
is melted by exposure to cold and
draughts, especially in cold, damp wealth
er, such as occurs in late winter and
early spring. Those suffering from
rheumatism and govt are more prone to
pneumonia is most common in winter and
one extremely liable tt the most serious
form of the disease 1t also sometimes
follows mechanical causes such as in
juries and crushing of the chest walls,
broken ribs, etc, and in this form is
more serious as the mechanically frri-
tadng cause persists.
An attack Of pneumonia may be pre-
ceded by headache, lassitude, and other
symptoms of a severe cold, but the most
marked premonitory symptom Is severe
Chill or in children, conVul-
sions, for commissions always take
the place of a chill in young chill
dren. This is followed by comparatively
high fever and quick pulse. A sharp
pain is felt in the chest, usually In the
region of the nipple on one side, pain
compared to the stab of a knife, and this
pain is aggravated By pressure, breath
ing and coughing. There is great short
ness of breath, the. respiratons being
about forty a minute instead of the nor
NAL number Q6), and the breathing is
shallow, owing toethe pain caused by
movement of the lungs,
Cough occurs early in the disease, at
first short ringing and harsh. but soon
becoming freer, the eXpeetoration, which
is at first clear, soon becoming Scanty
tough and adhesive, its color being
rusty from the presence dn 1t of blood.
If the disease progresses favorably the
expeetorated matter becomes more copi-
Gus and yellow1sh in color. but If 1t be-
comes greenish 1t shows the presence of
purulent Inflammation and the formation
of pus in the lung, a serious complica-
ton
During the progress of the disease there
is extreme reStleSSneS5, at nrSt often
followed by delirium and stupor, If the
disease is running an unfayorable course.
Headache sleeplessness, thirst, and other
symptoms of fever are always present,
and in some cases, especially If the pa
tient has been an habituaf hard drinker,
there is violent delirium (tremens).
To the trained observer there are two
distinctive characteristics of pneumonia
One of these is the brilliant red spot on
each cheek over the cheek bone, accom-
panied by dilated nostrfls; the other
is the position of the patient In he'd, on
his back, and somewhat raised as if sit
ting up half way.
Pathologjsts divide the course of pneu-
plonia into three stages, the inf1amma-
tory, the stage of oxidation, the stage
Of resolution in which nature brings about
a cure by restoring the normal condi-
ton of the lungs. If this latter stage is
retarded or prevented, pus forms in the
lung and death may result from blood
poisoning Of the pYaeniLc type pyaemia
meaning pus in the D!bood and the con &C.
quent disease. This may, in turn, bring
about disease Of thelquffg while blocking
up Of any of the blood vessels of the