The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1934-05-22
WHY HAVE PNEUMONIA?

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WHY HAVE PNEUMONIA?
In the present state Of medical
thought no one can tell what tho
concensus of medical opinion may
be about pneumonia. The Views OF
physicians ag to the nature, cause
and treatment Of pneumonia have
changed and are changing. 1 offer
here merely my own beliefs about
II. 10 you wiseacres may az well
stop now, for I'm only doctor and
naturally would not know as much
ns q layman about such things.
Az II seems TO mo, then, the idea
that cold, dampness, exposure,
chilling and the like predispose
to the development OF pneumoniG
or In any way contribute TO such
illness In rapidly fading, and the
infectious factor IL gaining In Inn
portnnce In sanitation and In medi-
cine.
While pneumonia, variously
monia and Gin time past) lung fe-
yer, IL O specific infection with the
germ known as the Pneumococcus,
from our present knowledge II Ii
probable that some contributing
cause or causes operate besides the
accident OF infection. Not such
speculative causes as cold or wet
--scicntifc experimentation falls to
support that quaint fancy.
Recent scientific investigation In.
dicates that In many instances OF
pneumonia collapse doctors call
this atectasis) of q portion OF lung
fed by one bronchus occurs and
then Inflammation develops In the
collapsed lobe. This collapse or
In cases Of submersion, during an
esthesia, suffocation, from temper.
airy plugging Of O bronchial tube
by mucus or foreign body, and per-
haps In other circumstances which
we do not yet clearly understand.
Both as preventive and curative
treatment, administration of per
cent carbon dioxide with oxygen by
inhalation, has proved effective
against this collapse pneumonia,
The carbon dioxide Ii the natural
stimulus to breathing and makes
even the unconscious individual
breathe deeply and vigorously.
More of my own opinion-~may-
be I'm quite crazy, but anyway
I'm honest with you: ! believe the
regular practice OF Belly Breathing,
at least each night when one hits
the hay, and again each morning
when one wakens, tends to prevent
pneumonia. There is only one lit
tie catch in this-the booklet The
Art Of Easy Breathing, which
gives detailed instructions for Belly
Breathing, comes to you on receipt
of dime and stamped envelope
bearing your address. II your
school instruction In physiology
was worth a boot you would not
need doctor now to tell you how
to breathe.
/ am leaving the consideration
of the Infectious or germ factor
out of this discussion. Well deal
with that later.
Sheer physical weakness or ex-
haustion appears to increase lia-
present knowledge II seems to me
{ do not know what the prevail.
ing view Of the medical profess
sion may be) that exhaustion
makes atelectacic more likely to
happen: / do not believe physical
exhaustion, as from extheme ia
tigue or deprivation Of food, or
prlonged exposure TO cold and wet
or combinations Of these, seriously
impairs any degree of immunity
the citim happened TO have / do
not believe the scientific evidence
warrants the notion that such ex-
haustion flowers resistance"
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Child Eats Laundry Starch
Ny slster-ln-law lets her 90
month-old baby have box of gloss
starch and eat as much as she
cares TO eat Of II. told her II isn't
good for the baby. as most people
keep all starchy foods away from
children (Mrs. T.. r. So
Answer--Starch Is wholesome
food for any one, but II IN unwiEc
10 allow any one 10 gorge on any
one food like that, no matter