PLEU KO-PNEUMONIA . Simple pneu monia is one of the most common of the danger ous inflammations attacking, either the human family or animals. It is the name given to an inflammation of the parenchyma, (the spongy substance contained in the interstices between the blood vessels of the viscera). In acute pneu monia, the first stage the second stage is hepatization, (the red softening of Andral, or converting the lung into a substance resembling the liver); the third and fatal stage is purulent infiltration of the lung. In the first stage the lung is externally of a dark or livid red color, sometimes accompanied with a violet hue, from a slight whitish opabity of the pleura. (The membrane which covers the inside of the thorax, and also invests the lungs.) On cutting into the lung during this stage, a bloody serum flows from it more or less clear, and containing numerous air hubbies. The substance cut into will be red, of various shades of crimson, dark red, brown red, chocolate red, or of a livid•puce color approaching to black; and the progress of the inflammation may be known by the defect of air in the tissue, and consequent crepitation '(crackling sound) upon pressure or tapping; the more crepitation the less the inflammation. The progress toward the second stage being marked by a paler color, a diminished quantity of both serum and air, and an increasing solidity. In another variety of inflammatory engorgment, the lung is extremely lived, and being cut, exudes more or less slowly a dark grumous (clotted) blood. This especially occurs in cases of pneumonia complicated with other acute affections, as fevers. It is supposed also to have relation to the state of the blood, more than to the degree of inflammation present. In the second stage the lung is solid, elastic to the touch, of the consistence and weight of liver, and portions of it sink in water. There is no longer crepitation. Neither when cut does it yield bubbles of air, but when pressed a bloddy fluid exudes sparingly from it. Its friability is increased, the fingers readily rupturing its sub stance, and if a portion of it be pressed between the lingers, it becomes a homogeneous pulp. It is apparently larger than natural, and when taken out it retains its full size, while a healthy lung, when cut from the body, collapses. Its color is seldom so deep as in the first stage; hilt into, • it is also lighter, the shade varying from a blood or livid red, to a light pinkish purple, or the color of muscle, these colors will mottle the lungs, as is seen in some speci mens of marble, and scattered through the hepatized portion, lines are visible, of a lighter color, and specks almost white. Generally when cut and examined with a lens, a number of points can be distinguished, like grains of a somewhat lighter color than the intervening spaces; if the surface be wiped or lightly scraped, these grains appear slightly elevated; as though they were of a more solid nature. If the hepatized lung be torn these granules will be little ovoid bodies, and may be detached from the tissue. Generally these grains are pressed closely together so as to form the chief portion of the lung; sometimes there are interstices of a darker color, and sometimes the granular appearance is altogether absent; the granular appearance, however, is one of the evi dences of hepatization, but there is a variety of hepatization. Thus sometimes a lung in a state of red hepatization,will weigh ten times that of a healthy lung. The advance of a hepatized lung toward the third stage is marked by its becom ing lighter in color and less humid, supposed to be produced by a substitution of more of the yellowish-white semi-solid albumen of the red particles in its substance, by which the deep red or dull red of hepatizatipn passes into a salmon color or a dingy pink, variously marbled in the degree of its progress, as well as by the mixture of black pulmonary matter. At this time the hepatized lung attains its greatest solidity, end, when pressed slightly, exudes a turbid red liquid; greater pressure reduces the substance to a thick pulp. Minute yellowish-white specks can be discerned, the first development pus (matter.) then the third stage, or rather the third effect of inflammation, is purulent infiltration. The red tinge assumes a yellowish hue or stone color, varied with red in parts less advanced, and with gray, blue, or bluish-green, from the admixture of black pulmonary matter. On cutting into it during this early stage of suppuration, no mat ter exudes; the cohesion of the texture is still sufficient to retain it, but slight pressure reduces it to a state in which pus forms the principal part.
At first yellow, as the stage progresses the color changes to a straw or sulphur yellow, beginning in patches and spreading through the mass; cutting into the lung shows no granular texture, but a greater or less oozing of a yellowish, opaque purulent will take place, according to the progress of the suppuration, the solid mat ter diminishing, as the pus is secreted, and squeez ing this out nothing remains but the debris of pulmonary tissue, except so far as granulation may remain in which suppurations have not advanced. The softness of the lung in this state is so great that a slight pressure of the finger will make a cavity which is immediately filled with pus. In a more advanced stage of purulent infiltration, a lens will sometimes enable us to detect that only a remnant of texture is left, consisting of an irregular network, composed chiefly of vessels, bronchi, and the septa (par titions) of lobules (lobes). Pneumonia may be lobar, lobular, or vesicular, according as it affects whole or continuous parts of lobes or certain polygonal subdivisions of these, or single bunches of vesicles. Lobar inflammation is the most common, and inflammation of the upper lobes is the most fatal in the human subject. Inflam mation often attacks single, or a few isolated lobules, being abruptly limited by the interlobu lar cellular tissue, so that lozenge shaped or polygonal patches of red, engorged or hepatized tissues are found in the midst of healthy struc tures. The inflammation in lobular pneumonia seems to originate in several points at once, and not to be sufficiently intense to traverse the bar rier of the interlobular membrane. This form sometimes occurs subsequent to injuries, and to the young. Vesicular pneumonia presents itself in the form of little red spots, from the size of a pin's head to that of a hemp seed, and showing upon dissection blood red or livid red, more fragile than the rest of the tissue, which is some times quite healthy. In ordinary cases of pneu monia the pleuritic affection is slight, scarcely modifying the disease, and like the inflammation of the bronchi, which is as usual an accompani ment of pneumonia, is to be viewed as incidental rather than essential to the disease. 1 he pleu ritic inflammation will be modified by the seat and extent of the pulmonary disease. When partial that portion of the pleura which covers it has upon it an albuminous deposit, which is. generally thin, and the disease being of sufficient duration will show signs of organization. When the pulmonary inflammation is of small extent, there is commonly a small sero-puru]ent effusion into the pleural sac; extensive hepatization pre vents this by filling the pleural cavity with its own unyielding substance, and the lung is then partially covered with a thin, false membrane, thicker along the edges, in the interlobular fis sure, and occasionally at some points when the inflammation was first extended to the pleura. We have thus stated the appearance and condi tions as seen by the anatomist in various stages. of pneumonia in the human subject. The same disease will present nearly similar conditions in farm animals. Inflammation of the lungs, or pneumonia, may be produced by causes produc ing other acute diseases of the chest. From over exertion, acute congestion, or the result of para sites in the lungs. The first stage of pneumonia. may be acute congestion of. the lungs. The nos trils will be dilated; the breathing will be quick, wheezy, labored and convulsive; the head will be extended, the eye staring, blood shot, and indicating intense pain: the nasal mem branes will be deep red or blue, and the pulse feeble, and often scarcely indicated at the jaw. By feeling behind the left elbow, the heart will be found beating tumultuously, perspiration will break out on different parts of the body, but the limbs will be cold. Auscultation, listening with the ear to the chest, will show a loud murmur of respiration, and a slight crepitation or crackling. If the case is extreme, blood letting from the jugular vein will be indicated. It will be dark or tarry in appearance. Remove all that may interfere with easy breathing and comfort. Keep. the head of the animal to the wind and give immediately a strong stimulant, five or six ounces of whisky for the horse, and double this dose for the ox; or, liquid ammonia, one-half ounce for the horse, and double this for the ox or, ginger, or pepper tea, if these be not at hand. Cover the animal with thick blankets.