Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-29
Science Aids
In Treatment
Of Pneumonia
Rest in Bed Was First
Step, Then Fresh Air
BY LOGAN CLENDENING, VI. ID

the only thing that my
medical chiefs could do in a case
Of pneumonia was 10 order rest
in bed, a pneumonia jacket 10
cover the chest and keep II
warm, institute good, watchful
nursing care. give the patient
plenty Of fresh air, and be ready
with stimulating drugs If the
heart began 10 20 bad.
Even fresh air was a recent
innovation then.
When Doctor Northrup Of the
Presbyterian II hospital New
York. began 10 put his patients
with pneumonia out in the open
air. everybody predicted that the
exposure would Kill them.
Doctor Northrup said;
make the patient take
five breaths when three breaths
will do?"
And he proved that this was
good treatment because his re-
suits were better than when
patients were placed IN a stuffy
room.
The fresh air treatment was,
Of course the father OF the
oxygen treatment which supplies
constant good air and keeps the
lungs aerated.
LIVERY one was looking for
- an anti-tOxin or a serum for
pneumonia because it seemed so
logical that such a treatment
would he effective.
The first practical application
Of any serum that ! saw was
during army service in 1917. but
II was very unsatisfactory then.
There was "A serum for only
one type Of pneumonia and il
took a long laboratory procedure
with exhaustive examinations Of
The patients sputum 10 find out
what type was present
Since then u has been found
that there arc some - dr.
fcrcnt types Of germs which
cause pneumonia, each Of which
differs slightly in its human
reactions.
Effective scra have been pro-
duced 10 combat Inost of them.
and slmphfed laboratory tech
niques allow the physician 10
determine Inc type which the
patient has within a short time
BY 1880 the serum treatment
of pneumonia had recorded the
FIRST great reduction in the
death rate which could definitely
be ascrTbed 10 a specific treat
ment.
Then In the 1905 came the
astonishing news Of the chcmi-
Gals known as the SulfonamideS
These are effective against a
great many kinds Of different
infections particularly, however.
pneumonia
They are the realila non Of
the magic bullet which was
SO graphically described IN the
movie Of that name which de-
picted the life Of Paul Enrich.
THE idea OF the magic bullet
is some sort Of a-drug which
VIII Kill germs and not harm the
living tissues of the person or
animal who has the germs.
To find such a chemical has
not been as easy as II sounds.
The duke in 'Nuckleberrv
Finn has a patented tartar re-
mover which nc said would take
the tartar off the teeth. but
most OF the enamel along with II.
That was the trouble with
most Of the magic bullets that
were discovered up ot 1880.
There is no question. however.
that with tho NIlfonamide drugs
We have found The ideal, or
nearly ideal. chemical of this
kind
The first one used was sui
Panhandle There are other
slightly different chemical COM
binationS. such as sulfapyradlne
and Sulfathlszole
Others VIII undoubtedly be
developed before long.
Which should he chosen in
pneumonia. the serum treatment
or the chemical trcatmcnt7
Most doctors today use both.
apparently with a slight i'm
provcment in results over the
use OF either one separately.