The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1913-04-03
HOW TOSAFEGUARD
AGAINST PNEUMONIA
Only sure Protection Against This
Dangerous 0isease Il 70 Keep II
Good Physical Condition, says
Georgia Board Of Health.

the Georgia State Board OF Health, IS
to keep the health and physical con
ditlon Of the body up to such q stand
ard as will resist its attacks.
Among the mysteries Of medicine
pneumonia Is pre-eminent. 1t was
known to Hippocrates and the old
Greek physicians BY whom 1t was con
founded with pleurisy. Modern know
ledge OF IT dates from 1919.
Pneumonia which, better than tn
berculosis, fits John Bunyan's Cap
tain Of the men Of DEATH is one OF
the most widespread and fatal Of all
the acute infectious diseases. In Eng
land and Wales in 1903, there were
/ 40,725 deaths from it. United States
census reports show that In 1900 1861
deaths out Of every 1000 were due to
/ pneumonia. In the larger cities pneu-
monia is more prevalent and fatal;
in 1904, out of 42,7OO deaths in New
York city, $3.50 were due to pneumo
MIA.
Children up to the sixth year, are
predisposed to pneumonia; the dang
/ CIR then diminishes up to fifteen then
with each decade increases. It is
more frequent again In old age
Pneumonia is due to specific and
well recognized germ, which is vide
~ present and many be found In the
mounths and nasal passages Of heal
thy persons, but lives only short
| time outside the body. A person may,
acquire these germs through associa-
ton with a case of pneumonia, or ev.
en- from healthy person who harbors
them. The germ may be found present
in other diseases. such as peritonitis,
and it may attack other organs as the
spleen and the kidneys.
Causes Inducing Pneumonia.
Pneumonia is most frequent in per
sons exposed to hardships and cold
Alcoholism or habitual excessive drink
ing OF stimulants, is perhaps the most
potent Of the predsposing factors;
though it is true that robust and heal
thy men are frequently attacked. The
germ seems to be ready and waiting
/ for a weak point of attack; when the
body is weakened by other diseases,
or by physical injury or by dissipa-
ton, the bars are let down, usually by
exposure to cold OF wet the germ gets
busy and pneumonia follows. A cold
has nothing to do with it except that
it may be factor in lowering the
resistance.
In lobar pneumonia the disease may
AFFECT one lobe of one lung; 1t may
attack the entire lung or it may at
tack both lungs. This latter is double
pneumonia. The germs lodge in the
walls Of the lung, and form flbrinous
or semi-solid mass 1t occurs more
often In the right lung. The danger
of death is not so much from the
congestion of the lungs. as from toxa-
emla. or poisoning, from substances
thrown off by the germs and distri-
buted over the system. Broncho-
pneumonia Is an Inflammation of the
bronchial tubes, and its symptoms
and effects are similar to those Of la
bar pneumonia It occurs more fire.
auently in children, especially children
under two years; and then, in older
persons Lobar pneumonia Is always
accompanied by pleurisy, and frequ-
emily occurs with other diseases such
as typhoid, meningitis and others.
Mortality Is Large,
Pneumonia kills more than diph-
iberia and even outranks tuberculosis
as cause Of death. The mortality
varies from twenty to forty per cent.
az those attacked twenty-five per
cent. Of those who have it once, have
a second attack.
The disease will usually begin
abruptly with a severe chill lasting
fifteen to thirty minutes; fever
develops at the same time and grows
acute. rising to 104 or 1906 Other
symptoms are headache and general
pans. severe pain in the side; a
painful cough, flushed face, fever
blisters" on the lips or nose; rapid
respiration and a pulse that is full and
bounding
Within seven to ten days the crisis
comes. and this is the most peculiar
and mysterious feature Of the disease.
The fever drops suddenly within
twelve hours to normal or below, and
the patient passes from condition Of
extreme distress to one of compare
tive comfort. Notwithstanding this
fact. there has been no change what
ever in the interior Of the lung OF in
the bronchial tube where the ccnges-
ton and Inflammation remain unabat-
ed. Death may supervene before the
crisis comes: it may follow the crisis
when the patient seems on the road
10 recovery, because of some indis-
erection. it may come when the crisis
4 is delayed. The disease is usually
accompanied by delirium in which
the patients unless watched, are la
bic to do themselves bodily HARM
There is no specific treatment for
pneumonia; it must run its course.
The patient should be kept in a
well-lighted and well ventilated room;
the hygiene Of the sick room should
be about the same as in the case Of
typhoid. The treatment which must
often vary, should be given under the
/ caraful and watchful attention Of q