Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-22
Pneumonia
Death Rate
Reduced
Application Of Modern
Treatments Control It
By LOGAN CLENDENING, NJ, d.

BY LOGAN CLENDENING, VI, ID.
DNEUMONIA which was once
l. Captain of the Men of
Death" has, in this year Of grace.
lost most OF its terror through
the application of modern meth
DDS of treatment and control.
The Year Book of General
Medicine for 194l, which is a
review of all the important work
done during the year, reports
the death rate in pneumonia
from number OF clinics.
The average death rate was
about 6 per cent.
The mortality varies some
what due 10 the greater in
cidence of the more malignant
types Of pneumonia in some
clinics.
The social status OF the
patients in different hospitals
also has an influence on NOR
tally.
Patients who have been living
in good to fair economic Circum-
stances with good nutrition and
not in an oVercrowded condi-
ton naturally show a better rate
OF recovery
l read in a report from one
clinic which had large num-
Der Of cases-over f06-that
there were no deaths whatever
in the years 1910 TO l941.
THE highest death rate re-
L ported from any clinic was
9 per cent This is in striking
contrast 10 former years.
In Osler's Practice of Medi-
cine" of the date of 1905, the
mortality is put down as from
20 10 40 per cent.
The Metropolitan Life Insur-
ance Company made an interest
ing investigation of all the death
claims from pneumonia during
l940-l9i
QueStionnaireS We're sent 10
the families 10 try 10 determine
various factors IN the cause OF
death
a frequent finding was delay
in calling the doctor IN the fatal
cases.
In only about one-tenth OF the
cases was the doctor called on
the first day of illness.
In more than 40 per cent a
doctor had not been called until
the fourth day or later, and in
l. per cent not until the eighth
day or later.
This is really an important
item now that the doctor can
do something definite and help
ful in a case Of pneumonia.
Every one agrees that the
earlier serum treatment and the
sulfonamide drugs are given, the
better Is the hope of recovery.
THE early symptoms Of pneu-
l. monia therefore should be
known.
The onset Is sudden. there is
often a chill There is a feel
ing OF feveriShnesS with great
weakness and proStration and a
feeling of tightnesS in the chest
which may amount 10 pain. and
perhaps a localized stitch in the
side.
Cough does not often occur
early but there may be a sticky.
bloody. rusty-Iooklng Sputum.
but not always
ShortneSs OF breath and rapid
respiration arc almost always
present Any combination OF
these symptoms should mean
call for the doctor.
Even more astonishing than
the Improvement IN death rate
in pneumonia is the improve
ment in incidence.
Among white industrial policy
holders of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company, the actual
number of cases Of pneumonia
that occurred, whether they got
we'll or not. is below 10 per
100000.
Contrast this with statistics
of 1917 which show death rate
of $50 per 100000 population.
1t is indeed probable that at
the present state Of civilization,
we have reduced pneumonia to
a minimum.
We are approaching a figure
below which it is unlikely that
pneumonia can be reduced
greatly.
This is like most prophecies,
however--they often get upset.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
b. FL was told that eating
raw garlic was good for high
blood pressure. Is this true?
Answer 49, According 10 some
Of my correspondents, garlic has
been successfully used for high
blood pressure.
1t is also said TO be an in
festival antiseptic and while l
have had little personal expert
ence with this. i have found
that one must regard old. estab-
llshed opinions about drugs with
n OOnH dnat If YaSnnCt