The guardian., 1940-01-27
The PEOPLES HEALTH
By Samuel g. Pavlo. MD.
ACUTE PNEUMONIA-LOBAR
PNEUMONIA

Pneumonia is an acute infectious
and contagious disease affecting one
or more lobes (portions) of the lungs.
The seriousness of this disease can be
appreciated from the fact that the
bacterium causing the infection is
found in the blood circulation of the
penumonia patients. Pneumonia, then,
is not only local disease of the lungs
but a general blood infection as well.
The cause of pneumonia in over
ninety per cent of the cases is a small
biscuit-shaped germ appearing IN
pairs and surrounded by capsule.
The name of this bacterium is pneu-
mococcus. 1t can be easily seen under
the microscope. For this purpose a
drop of sputum from a pneumonia
patient is spread in a piece of glass
and stained with a special dye. The
penumococcus is seen under the micro
scope, which enlarges the actual object
about thousand times, as small as
pinhead.
The pneumococcus is found also in
the mouth of practically every healthy
person. AS a matter of fact, many
kinds of germs can be found in mil
lions in the mouth of healthy individ-
uals; and one can truthfully say that
from the point of view of bacteri-
ology, the human mouth is the dirtiest
cavity in the human body.
1t is evident how pure infant may
be harmed when kissed in the lips by
grown-up people!
The pneumococcus, which is found
in a healthy PERSONS mouth, lies dor
mant, inactive, has little virulence, and
is too weak to attack when the person
is in pink condition. 1t is like seed
thrown on strong granite rock. Man
may go through life harboring in his
mouth and throat millions of pneumo-
cOcci and never get i'll with pneu-
mOnia. Should he, however; for some
reason or other suddenly lower his re-
sistance he might Immediately be
attacked by his pneumococci and con-
tract the disease. A few examples
will illustrate the above statement.
l. A middle-aged man spent sew
eral sleepless nights taking care of
his sick wife and continued to work
hard in a shop during the day. While
waiting for trolley car in a snow
storm on a cold and windy corner his
body got chilled. When he got home
he had a severe chill and high fever.
A physician was called in and pro-
nounced his sickness as Lobar Pneu-
monia.
2. A man, who got drunk, had
quite distance to walk home. Most
of the liquor disappeared and he parti-
ally sobered up before he had a chance
to reach his house. 1t was a very
cold day and he "got chilled through
his BONES" The loss of the tempor-
ary stimulating effect of the liquor
acted as contributory cause in lower
ing the mans resistance and he sue
cummed to Pneumonia.
3. A housewife, with a large family
on Welfare, living in poor and con-
gested quarters, and undernourished,
got her feet wet while waiting for a
grocery order. 1t was a cold and windy
day She got chilled and dizzy. When
brought home she had a severe chill
lasting about 20 minutes and her tenn
perature rose to 105 degrees. A ply
sician pronounced her case as that of
Pneumonia.
4. A mother took care of her daugh-
ter who was i'll with pneumonia at
home. Although the attending ply
sician warned her that pneumonia is
a contagious disease and that she
should be careful, lest she contract
the sickness from her daughter, the
mother paid little attention to the
warning. She would lean over the sick
and sometimes her daughter would
cough into the face of the mother, She
finally had a severe chill and fever
with other symptoms of pneumonia.
The attending physician diagnosed
her case as Lobar Pneumonia contract
ed from the daughter.
Ito be continued next week.