Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-04-07
PNEUMONIA DANGER TIME

GUY RCl 1CAAk W IN NNutiAo J'~
monia occur in the winter and spring
months. and March holds first place
among them. Cases of pneumonia are
not registered: therefore we have no
way of knowing whether the number
of cases OF pneumonia is greater III
March thar in any other month except
by assuming that the disease Is Of
equal severity throughout the year:
Therefore, the fact that the number O.
deaths is greater in March indicates
that the number Of cases Is greater IN
March.
From a certain standpoint, pnou-
monia is the most important OF all DIS
eases. When a city has 5000 deaths a
year from pneumonia, approximately
the number in Chicago. it is safe TO as
sumo that the number of cases of the
disease is around 10000. This means
that one out of every so people get the
disease during the year.
a disease that affects one ont of ev-
cry so of the population and kills one
out of every five that it affects is me
of grave Importance.
Pneumonia is very closely akin to the
contagious diseases. The coccus OF
pneumonia has many points of slmil-
arity to the bacteria of the diseases
which are q%uarantined and closely su-
pervised. In fact. there are any num-
Der of recorded epidemics of pneumonia
in which the proof was conclusive thai
Tue disease was spread as stIldIipoN IL.
While health departments do nOt re-
Quire pneumonia to be registered and
qu%arantined, they strongly advise that
the sDutum be destroyed.
The reason for giving these facts
about pneumonia is because there are
some things that can he done To pre-
vent the disease. Some people through
judgment and some through fear can
be induced to take the precautions nee
essary to guard against the disease.
There are two principal varieties OF
pneumonia. One starts with a violent
onset. followed quickly by high fever
and the rapid development Of violent
Illness. Ii the sick person survives so
long, at the end of a week either there
Is a rapid subsistence OF the symptoms.
and recovery is entered on. or death en-
sues. This is the pneumonia OF grown
people. a common name is lobar pneu-
monia- 1t is due to the pneumococcus.
The other variety starts more gradu-
ally. 1t runs IL slower and less violent
course. Instead of terminating by
crisis at the end of a week. it COM
monty runs on for over two weeks, and
It nay run for six weeks or two months.
1t Ia called bronchO-pncumonia, 1t
may be due to the pneumococcus or To
other cocci. 1t is the pneumonia of
babies and very old people.
This article deals with pneu-
monia. Lobar pneumonia is due to the
pneumo-coccus. This coccus cannot
live long in the open air. Sunlight or
drying kills it within a short time. Its
normal living place is in the throat.
The rule is that it produces no dis
turbance in the tonsils and gums when
1t is carried. In splitting. sneeZing.
M coughing. the cocci are thrown in
to the air with the moist spray When
this spray is breathed by a person just
ripe for pneumonia that disease is en-
gendcred.
Tho INVADING coro; ~, ~, aorr;od a;
rectly down the bronchial tubes to the
lungs. They enter the blood stream. and
tnere multiply as they circulate. The
disease then is primarily an infection of
the blood stream. Presently an inflam-
nation Of the lung is induced.
The onset of the disease is character
lzed by chill. fever and general aching.
The onset of the Inflammation of the
lung is characterized by a pain in the
lnfiamed area, irritation in the bron-
en-. and by cough. If the inflamma-
tion the covering of the lung.
the pleura. he pain may be sharp. If
only the lung is involved. the pain is
not great.
The right lung is involved about a
time n a half as often rs the left. In
one case out of every IL portions of
both lungs are involved.
me lungs are divided into lobes by
Qeels ffssures. The right lung is divided
INTO three iohes and the left into two
NINE times out OF 10 the disease starts
In the back portion of the lower lobe.
i spreads from there and may involve
whole lobe, OF even an entire lung.
put the starting point is in the lower
lobe.
a chill and fever. accompanied by "A
pam In the chest below the nipple and
toward the back is almost certain to
mean pneumonia.
Very soon after the onset of
MA the affected part OF the lung begins
70 swell. As the bony ribs are firm. 1t
cannot swell oItwardly. therefore the
swelling causes the air sacs to close.
Out of the blood vessels and into the
ar sacs pours the exuding blood. This
clots In the sacs, completely filling
them.
An consequences the affected part of
n lung is red and solid and lis COM
monty spoken of as hepatized. meaning
tnat IT mas the appearance of liver.
As the swollen lung congresses thu
small bronchial tubes. there is cough.
the sputum Is stained with blood. The
olood stain Is not q bright red. The
term used to describe 1t Il prune juice.
0he term refers to color only. as the
consistency of the sputum is thick and
sticky. not q all like that Of a juice.
reference has already been made to
ene sudden onset OF the disease. With
II 10 evident that the patient is in
Tor = hard thine. Each day it il ap-
parent that the patient is getting
worse. The pulse Ia faster. the breath
Ing e rapid. the eyes are more hollow,
3 mind z less clear. and the gen.
eral air 10 tnA3 Of declining strength.
In this. this ferm of pneumonia Diff
fers from brOncho-pneumonia. In the
latter disease the patient gets better
ana worse; zoe sup and down; where.
q il, iober pneumonia the progress II
steadily downward.
Somewhere toward the seventh DIV