The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-12
To Prevent Pneumonia.


With every cold wave comes an
epidemic of pneumonia. It is very
dangerous disease, for once it has
made its attack little can be done but
to wait it out
In such weather as this the peril
from it is very great. Cold breaks
down the resistance. In extremely
cold weather most people sleep with
windows tightly closed. further break
ing down their resistance by breath
ing impure air.
Far better keep yourself warm un-
der plenty of bed clothing, with the
windows open, than keep them closed
and allow the oxygen of the air to
be exhausted by furnace or stove.
The thing to be remembered about
pneumonia is that it does not attack
people who are in good health. You
cannot keep away the pneumonia
germs. They are in the air around
you; they are always, or nearly al
ways, present in your mouth and nasal
passages.
1t is safer. of course, to keep out
OF crowded rooms, to keep out of
crowds everywhere, for many people
not only use and destroy the oxygen
! in the air, but breathe forth millions
7 of deadly germs.
| But many times you cannot keep
out OF crowds. You must mingle with
them. in cars. and in the Railways of
buildings.
You have only one sure defense
against pneumonia, and that consists
IN keeping yourself in such good con-
dition that you will resist the germs
when they attack you.
Colds in the head and on the lungs
are the most valuable allies that the
pneumonia germ can have. Your sys-
tenn Is organized to fight the cold, and
uses up its reserve power in the effort.
/ Then the germs, like vigilant SOL
diers. always ready for action, deliver
their attack. The instant that resis-
lance breaks down you are their vic
| tim. and in for three or four weeks
of bitter struggle for your life.
Unfortunately it is not always pos
| sible to keep from taking colds-
+ But you can always take care of a
cold, once you have it. You can stay
indoors in well ventilated room, or
when you go out you can dress warm
ly particularly about your body, and
take deep breaths of air, which will
clean your lungs as a street is cleaned
| with fire hose.
Drink all the water you can. 1t
helps to flush out the system and
provides an avenue through which to
dispel the germs that give you the
| cold.
Be careful of over-eating. for a bad
~ working digestive system is the
| snuggeSt harbor that a cold can find.
Eat enough to keep you in condi-
ton, but be careful of your choice of
food, and eat nothing that is not
| wholesome and easily digested.
THE one thing not to do is to drink
strong liquor of any kind. Pneumonia,
| il it comes, will make a direct attack
on your heart. That is always its OBJ
| jective, and that is the way in which
it usually kills its victims
And alcohol in considerable guam
titles weakens the heart and makes
it unable to do the extra work imposed
! on it by the hard struggle against dls-
ease.
the family of a pneumonia V,ctinh 49,
Does he drink?"
IF he does the doctor wears grave
face and hopes for the best, altho he
does not expect it.
| The chances of a hard drinker at
ia ked by pneumonia are very slight.
Those of a healthy man, who SPENDS
i much time in the open air and has
learned the art of deep breathing, are
very good
over the country will be a heavy tax
on the endurance of everybody.
Pneumonia will flourish in every
community. and once its inroads have
begun in your breathing machinery
there is extremely little that can be
done for you.
! Keep in mind that the germs are all
about you-in your mouth, throat and
nasal passages, and that as soon as
they see their opportunity they are
going to act.
Your derense is keeping in good
health, getting out into the open air
as much as you can, no matter how
cold the weather is, as long as you
are warmly dressed. and keeping your
digestive tract working smoothly and
without trouble.
. Follow that course and you will not
get pneumonia-you can't get it. Let
your system run down-let your re-
sistance weaken, and your chances of
not getting it are about even.
If you do get it, your chances of re-
covery will depend upon how you
have lived in the past
All the doctors in the world can not
save you if you have SO weakened
yourself with dissipation-so squan-
| dcred your reserves of energy that you
| have LEFT nc army with which to COM
lbat and drive out the deadly army OF