New Britain herald., 1925-11-19
Your Health
How to Keep It
Causes of Illness
(BY DIR. HUGH S. CUMMING)
Surgeon General, L. S. Public
Health Service

NBA Ok HUH ;, W NJ MIMI
Surgeon General, L. S. Public
Health Service
Lohar or croupous pneumonia, as
it is sometimes called, Is a very
common, a definite. or, as we say,
a specific disease, acute In charac-
ter, in which there occurs a peculiar
form Of Inflammation In one or both
lungs,
The lungs are divided into sepa-
rate parts called lobes. there being
three lobes in the right lung and
two In the left. In lobar pneumonia,
one or more whole lobes OF one
or both lungs are involved.
From to 10 per cent of all
deaths that occur are due to lobar
pneumonia. The disease may occur
at any age, but Is most common In
young children and in old people.
II occurs more than twice as often
in males as in females, due no
doubt to the fact that males are
more generally exposed to the condi-
tons which help to cause it.
Lobar pneumonia occurs all over
the world but is somewhat less
common in the tropics. 1t Is most
prevalent in the winter months and
in early spring, and It is most COM
mon, as a rule, in persons having
outdoor occupations and very often
follows severe exposure to cold.
The direct cause OF pneumonia Is
infection Of the lung tissue with a
microscopic vegetable germ known
as the pneumococcus, so called be-
cause It is almost round In shape
and occurs in pneumonia. This
germ is always seen under the mi
croscope in pairs and for this rea-
son, it is often called a dipococf
Gus.
The symptoms of pneumonia are
quite pronounced and are charac-
teristic of the disease.
The onset is very abrupt; the pa
tient experiences a rather severe
chill and rapidly develops a high
fever. There is often severe pain in
the side. there is a short dry cough
and the breathing is very rapid, the
rate being from 40 to 50 breaths per
minute in adults, instead Of the nor
nal Of IS breaths per minute.
As the disease progresses, the
symptoms continue with but slight
abatement, or they may be increas-
ed in severity except for the pain,
which is usually worse in the early
part Of the course of the disease,
though there is apt to be pain on
coughing throughout the entire
period. The breathing is difficult
and shallow from the beginning.
There is a cough with bloody ex-
pectoration and this symptom may
be quite distressing. In the very old
or the very young, the cough may be
slight or even absent. The patient
usually lies on the affected side. This
allows the unaffected lung freer
movement and is more comfortable
for the patient. There may be
headache, sleeplessness and delirium
and, In children, there may be con-
WILSON'S.
Pleurisy is such a common COM
pllcation Of pneumonia that it Is re.
garded as part of the disease itself,
though pleurisy may exist without
pneumonia being present Pleurisy.
1t may be explained, is an inflam-
nation of the surface or lining mem.
brane Of the lung, or as we say, an ,
Inflammation of the pleura-ths
pleura being to the lung what the
skin is to the body, namely, its Gov
ering.
Another complication which may
take place in pneumonia is an extern
sion OF the inflammation to the lin
ing membranes Of the heart. Now
the heart is lined both inside and
out-on the outside, there is a dou-
bic lining Just as in the iung-on the
inside, a single lining.
When Inflammation occurs In the
double outer lining Of the heart, we
call It peri-carditis-per meaning
around. If it is the inner lining Of
the heart, we call it an endocarditis,
though this latter complication is
rare in pneumonia; it is very often
present in rheumatism. In inflam-
nation Of the double layers OF the
outside lining Of the heart, there
may be a distension OF the space be-
tween these layers with fluid as in
pleurlsy-this condition Is spoken Of
as peri-cardial effusion.
Another very serious, but FORUM
ately very rare complication OF
pneumonia is an extension OF the in
flamation to the coverings or mem
hranes which line the surfaces OF
the brain and spinal cord-a condi.
ton We speak of as meningitis. Mem
nights can occur, Of course, with
out there being a pneumonia, often
does in fact but pneumonia with
meningitis IS a complication is near
" always fatal.
The treatment of pneumonia calls
for the services Of a skilled physi-
clan. The fever in pneumonia lasts
from six TO eight days, usually about
nine days, The temperature may
drop suddenly on the ninth day Cor
some other day. and the patient may
begin at once to grow better or the
change from worse to better may be
moro gradual There may be re-
lapses or complications may set in
even at this stage but usually when
this so-called crisis is reached. unin-
terruptei recovery follows
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