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PERIPNEUMONY, <fcc.

I

CHAP. XII.

PERIPNEUMONY, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS.

(Pneumonia.)

As this disease affects an organ which is absolutely necessaryto life, it must always be attended with danger. Persons whoabound with thick blood, whose fibres are tense and rigid, whofeed upon gross aliment and drink strong viscid liquors, are mostliable to a peripneumony. It is generally fatal to those who have aflat breast, or narrow chest, and to such as are afflicted with anasthma, especially in the decline of life. Sometimes the inflam-mation reaches to one lobe of the lungs only, at other times thewhole of the organ is affected, in which case the disease can hardlyfail to prove fatal.

When the disease proceeds from a viscid pituitous matter ob-structing the vessels of the lungs, it is called a spurious or bastardperipneumony. When it arises from a thin acrid defluction on thelungs, it is denominated a catarrhal peripneumony, <fcc.

Causes. — An inflammation of'the lungs is sometimes a primarydisease, and sometimes it is the consequence of other diseases, asa quinsey, a pleurisy, &c. It proceeds from the same causes asthe pleurisy, viz. an obstructed perspiration from cold, wet clothes,&c, or from an increased circulation of the blood by violent exer-cise, the use of spiceries, ardent spirits, and such like. The pleu-risy and peripneumony are often complicated ; in which case thedisease is called pleuroperipncumony.

Symptoms. — Most of the symptoms of a pleurisy likewise attendan inflammation of the lungs ; only in the latter the pulse is moresoft, and the pain less acute; but the difficulty of breathing, andoppression jf the breast, arc generally greater.

Diet. — As the regimen and medicine are in all respects the samein the true peripneumony as in the pleurisy, we shall not here re-peat them, but refer the reader to the treatment of that disease.It may not, however, be improper to add, that the aliment oughtto be more slender and thin in this than in any other inflammatorydisease. The learned Dr. Arbuthnot asserts, that even commonwhey is sufficient to support the patient, and that decoction of bar-ley, and infusions of fennel-roots in warm water with milk, arethe most proper both for drink and nourishment. He likewiserecommends the steam of warm water taken in by the breath,which serves as a kind of internal fomentation, and helps to atten-uate the impacted humours. If the patient have loose stools, butis not weakened by them, they are not to be stopped, but ratherpromoted by the use of emollient clysters.

It has already been observed, that the spurious or bastard peri-pneumony is occasioned by a viscid pituitous matter obstructing