PNEUMONIA (Lobar) Lung Fever

Categories: Infectious Diseases

Inflammation of the lungs. This is an acute
infectious disease characterized by an exudative inflammation of one or

more lobes of the lungs, with constitutional symptoms due to the

absorption of toxins (poison), the fever terminating by crisis (suddenly).

In speaking of pneumonia you frequently hear the expression "the lungs are

filling up." This is the real condition. The structures surrounding the

air cells are inflamed and from the inflamed tissues a secretion exudate

is poured out into the cells. This is expectorated, thrown out, by

coughing; but it is poured out into the cells faster than it can be spit

up and consequently it remains in some of the cells and fills them up.



The air does not get into such cells and they fill, with many others, and

make that section solid. When the patient is improving he keeps on

spitting this up, until all is out and the air cells resume their normal

work. Sometimes they remain so and we have chronic pneumonia.



Causes of Pneumonia. Pneumonia occurs frequently as a complication of

other diseases, such as typhoid fever and measles. Yet the majority of

cases occur spontaneously. Many times the disease seems to be induced by

exposure to the cold, and there can be no doubt that such exposure does at

least promote the development of this affection. It seems, however,

probable that there is some special cause behind it without which the

exposure to cold is not sufficient to induce this disease. Pneumonia may

occur at any period of life, and is more common among males than females.

It occurs over the entire United States, oftener in the southern and

middle, than in the Northern States; it is more frequently met with during

the winter and spring months than at other times in the year.



Symptoms. The onset is usually abrupt with a severe chill and chills

lasting from fifteen minutes to an hour, with the temperature suddenly

rising and an active fever. There is usually intense pain in a few hours,

generally in the lower part of the front of the chest, made worse by

breathing and coughing. The patient lies on the affected side so as to

give all chance for the other lung to work, cheeks are flushed, with

anxious expression; the wings of the nostrils move in and out with each

breath. The cough is short, dry and painful. Rapid, shallow, jerky

breathing, increasing to difficult breathing. On the first day the

characteristic expectoration mixed with blood appears (called rusty).

Pulse runs from 100 to 116, full bounding, but may be feeble and small in

serious cases. After three or four days the pain disappears, the

temperature keeps to 104 or 105, but falls quickly the seventh, fifth,

eighth, sixth and ninth day in this order of frequency. In a few hours,

usually twelve, the temperature falls to normal or below, usually with

profuse sweating and with quick relief to all symptoms. This relief from

distressing symptoms is, of course, a time of rejoicing to both patient

and friends and the patient and nurse may feel inclined to relax a little

from the strict observance of rules followed up to this time. Do not,

under any circumstances, yield to such folly. Keep patient properly

covered, as he is weak from the strain and the pores are open.







Convalescence is usually rapid. A prolonged rise of temperature after the

crisis may be regarded as a relapse. Death may occur at any time after the

third day from sudden heart failure, or from complications such as

pleurisy, nephritis, meningitis, pericarditis, endocarditis, gangrene of

the lungs.



MOTHERS' REMEDIES. 1. Lungs, Salt Pork for Inflammation of. "Salt pork

dipped in hot water, then covered thick with black pepper. Heat in the

oven and lay or bind on the throat and lungs."



2. Lungs, Raspberry Tincture for Inflammation of. "Take one-half pound of

honey, one cup water; let these boil; take off the scum; pour boiling hot

upon one-half ounce lobelia herb and one-half ounce cloves; mix well, then

strain and add one gill of raspberry vinegar. Take from one teaspoonful to

a dessertspoonful four times a day. Pleasant to take."



3. Lungs, Herb Ointment for Congestion of.



"Oil of Turpentine 1/2 ounce

Oil of Hemlock 1/2 ounce

Oil of Peppermint 1/2 ounce

Oil of Feverweed 1/2 ounce



Mix this with one cup warm lard."



Rub this ointment on throat or lungs and apply a flannel over it. Heat it

through thoroughly with hot cloths. If used thoroughly and the cold is

taken in time will prevent pneumonia.



4. Lungs, Mullein for Congestion. "The mullein leaves may be purchased at

any drug store or gathered in the fields. Make a tea of the leaves by

steeping them. Add enough water to one tablespoon mullein to make a pint,

which will be three doses, taken three times a day." This is a very good

remedy.



5. Lungs, Salve for Weak.



"Bees Wax 1 ounce

Rosin 1 ounce

Camphor Gum 1 ounce

Lard about the size of an egg."



The beeswax forms sort of a coating and may remain on for several hours.



This is very good.







PHYSICIANS' TREATMENT FOR LUNGS. The home treatment should be to put the

patient to bed and try to produce sweating. This will cause the blood to

leave the congested lung and return to the full regular circulation. By

doing this, you not only relieve the congested lung, but also the pain. If

the patient is stout and strong, give him the "corn sweat" under La Grippe

(see index); or you can put bottles of hot water about the patient. Use

fruit jars, wrap cloths around them so that you will not burn the patient.

Always put one to the feet. If you have a rubber water bag, fill that and

put it to his affected side over the pain. After you get him into a sweat

you can remove a little, of the sweating remedy at a time and when all are

removed give him a tepid water sponging. By this time the physician will

be at hand. If you give medicine you can put fifteen drops of the Tincture

of Aconite in a glass one-half full of water and give two teaspoonfuls of

this every fifteen minutes for four doses. Then give it every one-half

hour. Water can be given often, but in small quantities; plain milk alone,

or diluted, or beaten with eggs will make a good diet and keep up the

strength.



Fomentations. Cloths wrung out of hot hop tea are often applied to the

affected part with good effect. Be careful about wetting the patient.

Flaxseed poultices are used.



If used they must be moist and hot. Some doctors are opposed to them. An

antiphlogistine poultice is good. Apply it hot. For children you can

grease the whole side of the chest, back and front, with camphor and lard

and put over that an absorbent cotton jacket. In the early life of the

country, home treatment was necessary. Men and women were posted on herbs,

etc. Teas made of them were freely and successfully used. A great mistake

made was the indiscriminate use of lobelia in too large doses. We have

learned that the hot herb drinks in proper doses are of help. Teas made of

boneset, hoarhound, pennyroyal, ginger, catnip, hops, slippery elm, etc.,

were good and are now. They produced the desired result--sweating--and

relieved the congestion of the internal organs and re-established the

external or (peripheral) circulation. So in the home treatment of

pneumonia, etc., if you are so situated that you cannot get a physician

use teas internally for sweating, fomentations upon the painful part and

if done properly and not too excessively, they will accomplish the desired

result. With the corn sweat, I have saved many lives.