Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-06-13
Danger From Pneumonia in In
settled Weather.
Great Menace In Street Cars and They
Should Be Stunned During the
Rush Hours, and Especially
While One Ia Fatigued.

The end of the winter, far from
bringing a termination to the danger
from pneumonia, in reality marks the
beginning of the season when this dis
ease becomes an extremely serious
cause of increase of mortality, says
the Journal of the American Medical
association. This is true particularly
in large cities. In recent years this
increase has become more and more
marked and is all the more striking
because of the decrease in deaths
from other infectious diseases. Pneu-
monia has been aptly termed the
captain of the men of death" dis
placing tuberculosis, which for SO
long occupied that bad eminence.
The most important problem before
the medical profession at present Is
the reduction of the death rate from
pneumonia. Considering the nature
of the disease and the intense strain
which it imposes on the heart, 1t is
probable that the only hopeful out
look for any considerable reduction
in pneumonia mortality is through the
prevention of the disease.
The prospect of cure for it, in the
popular sense of that term, has grown
less as we have learned more about
the disease. While pneumonia Is
most frequent In the colder portion
of the year 1t Is not dependent entire
ly on low temperature. The disease
occurs at all seasons and In all Gil
mates, but is rather rare in the cold
of high attitudes and is almost never
known to occur within the Arctic cir
Gle. In spite of all their suffering
from cold, Arctic explorers escape
this danger.
Hence we must assume that cold
acts in conjunction with some other
factor in the production of the dis
ease. Pneumonia is favored by lack
of sunlight and it occurs among those
who are much exposed to dust or who
have to breathe the emanations from
the lungs of other people. Catarrhal
processes affecting the air passages
. prepare the soil for the implantation
of the germ of pneumonia. 1t is par
| ticularly a disease of city life and
r crowded living. With our present
i knowledge the prospects are hopeful
q for the control of pneumonia in the
:. future through prevention. This is o
o special Importance to the individual
Y The avoidance of pneumonia is large
e ly question oftpersonal precautioni
!. that prevent the development Of thu
n disease by lessening the predisposi
o ton to 1t.
1 Men Ia middle lie. particularly
Il thnse aIJ0y ifiiffSta Issifss' earn IA isp
4 settled weather to avoid crowds, Il
i. pecially when fatigued and when the
"a have been for a number of hour
ar without eating. Late at night, whe
n. for any reason meal has bee
IN missed. crowds are dangerous. If thi
w lesson could be generally learne
f. there would be less pneumonia anon
ii the well to do classes. The principe
ts danger comes in crowded street car
III which if possible should be avoided Q
w. rush hours 1t needs to be emphi
DR. sized that the danger from overcrow'
ing is greatly enhanced by fatigu
"a and going without food. In wor,
is the prevention OIL pneumonia ID no
st much clearer than 1t was. Like a
ps other infectious diseases, instead
IN being a more or less inevitable di
IS. pensation it has come to be reco
lie nized as due to certain definite ia
mt tors which can be greatly lessened
public and individual hygienic regul
in tons.