The doctor at home and nurse's guidebook / edited by George Black.

Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The doctor at home and nurse's guidebook / edited by George Black. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    110/684 (page 84)
    is an inflammation of the smaller bronchial tubes, and the air-cells connected with them. The major- ity of cases of pneumonia in young children are of this form, and it is also very common among old people. It is principally a disease of the poorer classes. It generally occurs as a secondary disease following on some other morbid condition, thus it is a common sequence of measles, whooping-cough, and influenza. It is one of the principal causes of death among young children in large cities. The disease generally begins sud- denly with a chill. In the course of a day or two the breathing becomes short, and there is more or less cough. The temperature rises, usually to about 103 or 104 degrees. When- ever, in the course of convalesc- ing from measles or whooping cough, the child suddenly becomes fever ish again, and is troubled with rapid breathing anda hard cough, broncho-pneumonia^ is usually pre- sent. In bad cases the difficulty of breathing becomes more intense, the colour becomes more or less livid, the cough gradually disappears, the lungs become choked with mucus, and death occurs from paralysis of the heart. A good deal may be done to ward off broncho-pneumonia during convalescence from one of the fevers. The temperature of the room in which the child lies should be kept as uniform as possible, and by means of flannel pyjamas the surface of the body should be pro- tected from exposure to sudden changes of temperature. At the same time the room should be kept efficiently ventilated, stuffiness of all kinds being avoided. When the disease has actually occurred the room should be kept at a tempera- ture of about 65 degrees, the bowels should be opened by means of,a mild purge, and should be regulated daily throughout the illness. The chest and back should be enclosed in a jacket made of wadding, and the diet should consist of milk, broths and white of egg beaten up with water. The disease is a very fatal one, though often cases which appear to be hopeless recover. BROTHS AND SOUPS These, properly made, with a due proportion of vegetable and animal food, without fat, are wholesome and nutritious and serve both for meat and drink ; but they must invariably be taken with bread. Many suppose that they are calcu- lated only for those whose powers of digestion are weak, but this is a mistake, the reverse being the truth; because we find, almost universally, that where the digestive powers are weak and deranged, solid aliment agrees the best, parti- cularly solid animal food, since it gives the stomach less to do, and rest to a weak organ is of great con- sequence ; whereas liquid food is apt, in these cases, to dilute the gastric juice too much, besides which, it requires a greater strength of digestive power for its perfect assimilation. BROW AGUE See Teeth, Nervous Relations of THE. BROWN, OR WHOLEMEAL BREAD Brown bread is more rich in flesh- making substances, bulk for bulk, than fine wheaten bread, because the outer husk of the grain, which constitutes the bran, itself contains a large quantity of that material. When the dough is formed from wholemeal, instead of from fine flour, the cost of the bread is con- siderably diminished, at the same time that its bulk and weight are.