| Pneumonia was once one of the most feared of all | | | | patient seems actually to suffer from oxygen lack. |
| human diseases. Its death rate was about a third of | | | | The pain in the chest can be controlled with suitable |
| all those whom it attacked. The germ that caused it | | | | drugs. It is also possible to relieve severe pain by the |
| is one called a "pneumococcus" which lives ordinarily in | | | | injection of local anesthetic drugs or by strapping or |
| the noses and throats of anywhere from five to | | | | wrapping the chest wall to prevent unnecessary |
| sixty per cent of people. The condition comes on | | | | motion. |
| most often in the winter months and can affect | | | | The doctor is alert for complications. If penicillin is not |
| people of all ages. | | | | as effective as seems to be desirable, aureomycin, |
| The pneumococcus gets down into the lungs and | | | | the sulfonamides, such as sulfadiazine, and other |
| there sets up a severe infection which follows a | | | | methods may be tried. Particularly, however, the |
| typical course. For a few days the symptoms are like | | | | doctor must look out for complications such as |
| those of an ordinary respiratory disease. Then comes | | | | secondary formation of pockets of infected material |
| the sudden hard, shaking chill, rapid rise in | | | | at the bottom of the lung. |
| temperature and pulse rate, with a severe pain on | | | | The former fatality rate of 25 to 30 per cent has |
| one side of the chest that the doctor recognizes as | | | | now dropped to less than 5 per cent. Pneumonia is |
| the beginning of pneumonia. The cough comes on | | | | still a particularly serious disease to those who have |
| painfully and with small amounts of pink or | | | | been long weakened by some other disease such as |
| rust-colored sputum. Breathing is rapid, shallow and | | | | cancer or alcoholism or malnutrition, or some other |
| painful. There may be blueness because the blood is | | | | serious complication involving the heart. |
| not getting enough oxygen. | | | | Bronchitis |
| The doctor, by the use of his stethoscope and by | | | | Any of the germs that get into the nose and throat |
| watching the motion of the chest, by thumping to | | | | may secondarily invade the lung or -the bronchial |
| discover areas of consolidation, recognizes that the | | | | tubes and set up the inflammation called "acute |
| lung is congested and unable to function. Usually after | | | | bronchitis." This usually starts gradually with frequent |
| seven to ten days a crisis occurs. The body | | | | coughing that is more severe at night. Slight fever |
| temperature falls to normal in from six to twelve | | | | may be present. If the amount of debris and |
| hours, accompanied by profuse sweating, and the | | | | infected material is profuse the coughing will raise a |
| pneumonia as such is over. | | | | thick material that has to be expectorated. Young |
| The development of the new antibiotic drugs has | | | | children do not spit, but swallow the material and |
| changed the whole picture. Now, following the | | | | then frequently vomit to get rid of it. |
| administration of penicillin, the pain in the pleura which | | | | Bronchitis is not really a disease in itself, but far more |
| lines the chest disappears in a few hours and the | | | | often a complication of a common cold, influenza, |
| temperature, pulse, and respiration fall to normal in | | | | measles, rhinitis, diphtheria, scarlet fever or rickets. |
| twelve to thirty-six hours. | | | | Prompt attention to these conditions with special |
| The spread of the inflammation can be stopped even | | | | consideration for the inflammation that has extended |
| before a single lobe is involved. This change in the | | | | into the lungs will help to prevent acute bronchitis and |
| nature of pneumonia is one of the most dramatic | | | | may do much to stop its becoming chronic. Bronchitis |
| occurrences that has ever taken place in medicine | | | | is chiefly dangerous to little children, and continuous |
| and represents one of the greatest accomplishments | | | | inflammation with much coughing may make desirable |
| of the present century. | | | | removal to a warm climate to help the child get rid of |
| For the treatment of pneumonia nowadays the chief | | | | the infection. |
| reliance is on the drugs. The patient is kept in bed in | | | | Since inflammation becomes worse when tissues are |
| a position in which he is most comfortable. He is | | | | irritated, people with chronic inflammation of the |
| given considerable rest but is permitted to sit up for | | | | bronchial tubes should avoid contact with irritating |
| examinations and for any other necessary procedure. | | | | dusts, fumes, gases, or paints. Tobacco smoking |
| He usually has little appetite and need not be urged | | | | must be stopped. The infected individual does better |
| to eat, but within a half a day after the specific | | | | in a clean atmosphere where the air is neither too |
| treatment has been begun, he may be hungry and | | | | cold, too damp, too warm nor too dry. |
| can take a soft diet. Formerly great efforts were | | | | All sorts of cough mixtures are known that will |
| made to keep the bowels moving; that too is no | | | | increase the flow of mucus and make the raising of |
| longer a serious problem for the doctor. If there is a | | | | the sputum easier. Inhaling steam seems to help |
| real shortage of air and the person seems blue, | | | | many people. If there is sensitivity the use of |
| oxygen can be given. It is customary to give oxygen | | | | antihistaminic drugs may be helpful and may aid also |
| now as soon as it is needed and not to wait until the | | | | by a sedative effect. |