First aid in illness and injury; Medicine, Popular
Bronchial and pulmonary diseases supply a large percentage of the camp
ailments in the fall and early winter during the deer hunting season.
An attack of pneumonia following a severe drenching from being out
all day in a rain, or accidentally tumbling into the creek, is not
a pleasant thing to contemplate. It usually comes in the night. The
patient wakes out of a sound sleep with a chill. There is a sharp
sticking pain as though a knife were being thrust between the ribs, at
some point on the chest wall. The breath comes in short gasps and the
patient instinctively turns toward the affected side in order to ease
the pain.
The chill may or may not be followed by vomiting, and the fever lights
up immediately, rising to 102–4° F. A distressing short cough comes
along to add to the discomfort as each act of coughing increases the
pain in the chest. In less than twenty-four hours the patient begins to
expectorate what we call "prune-juice" mucus, that is, mucus streaked
with blood until it resembles the juice of cooked prunes. When you see
this "prune-juice" you need have no doubt as to the diagnosis. You
should, however, have been busy long before this.
There is no doubt now among educated physicians that pneumonia, taken
in time, can be aborted. When the pain first manifests itself set
somebody to baking hot cakes made from flour stirred with water. While
these are still as hot as can be borne lay them over the painful spot
on the lung, renewing as fast as they become cool. To accomplish much
good this treatment must be kept up until the period of expectoration
and even after, at least twenty-four hours. At the same time begin by
administering calomel in 1/4 gr. doses every thirty minutes until at
least three grains have been given.
Two hours after the last tablet of calomel has been given, give a
tablet of elaterin. When the latter has "worked," start in with the
dosimetric trinity tablets and push them until the skin becomes moist
and the fever falls below 100° F. Do not give any of the coal tar
products in pneumonia, that is, do not give phenacetine or acetanilide.
When the patient is recovering it is well to keep up the heart by
strychnia or digitalin.
There is such a thing as giving too much of these heart stimulants
though, and you should watch the pulse closely. Stimulating the heart
too greatly is liable to cause congestion of the small blood vessels in
the lungs and defeat the very purpose you set out to accomplish.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account