Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1875 — Pneumonia and Pleurisy. [ARTICLE]

Pneumonia and Pleurisy.

Many of our readers have no doubt noticed that many people suffer from, and some die of, the disease called pneumonia, especially at this season of the year. It is useful to know the general nature of prevalent diseases and the proper remedies to be applied to them when the symptoms first appear; for if “ prevention is better than cure,” an early cure for almost every physical ill is far easier and better than a late one. Pneumonia and pleurisy, both of which are common at this season, are affections of the langs. Pneumonia attacks the substance of the lungs, while pleurisy aflects the plears, which is the membrane that covers or envelops the lungs. Pneumonia causes the thickening and hardening of the lungs, and the air passages to be filled up, so that breathing ~ is more or less difficult. Pleurisy inflames the pleura, and usually attacks the left side; when the right side is affected it is because it is complicated by some disorder of the liver. Pneumonia first betrays itself in a difficulty of breathing, with a tendency to cough, and fever, followed by a deep pain in the chest. People are often apt to mistake its symptoms for those of consumption ; but, while it is more often fatal than pleurisy, and sometimes develops ihto consumption, it does not do so in a large proportion of cases. Pleurisy comes on much more suddenly than pneumonia, and develops more rapidly, but is simpler in its results on the system. Its first symptoms are a sharp pain in the side, such as might be caused by a sudden knife-thrust, attended by the inability to take a long breath, a very rapid pulse, high fever and a flushed face, with an anxious expressions Pleurisy, however, has no tendency to grow into consumption, and attacks persons who have the most vigorous as those who have weak constitutions. It is seldom fatal, and it is thought by many physicians to be a much less serious disease since the practice of bleeding patients attacked by it has been abandoned. Both' these distempers are nyyply

caused by going suddenly into the cold air from very warm or crowded rooms, in passing thus from one temperature to the opposite you should always be careful to move slowly and breathe. lightly so as to accustom the lungs gradually to the change. In case a person is attacked by pneumonia, or pleurisy at a time when a doctor cahnot at once be summoned the first thing done should be to bathe the feet in a hot water-and'-mustard bath, taking'ligbt gruel or flaxseed tea and getting into a warm bed. The perspiration thus caused is excellent. Sage tea may also be taken. A convenient and common remedy for the difficult breathing, and one which is or ought to be at handpn every well-ordered household, is sweet spirits of niter, taken in doses of half a teaspoonful every hour till the breathing is relieved. It need scarcely be said, however, that in all possible cases where either of these diseases threatens a doctor should be called with, out delay, that it may be met and checked at the outset.— Rural New Yorker.