Life Conservation Service
of the
JOHN HANCOCK MUTUAL LIFE
INSURANCE COMPANY
of Boston, Massachusetts
An Urgent Message:
If you suspect that someone in your family has pneumonia, it is vital
that you call your doctor without a moment’s delay. If it is pneumonia,
hours will count. Newly introduced drugs have proved of great value in
curing pneumonia but early medical treatment and prompt nursing care
are necessary if the new treatment is to do the most good.
That you may know something about pneumonia, the kind of medical
treatment and nursing care required, and the ways by which the disease
may be prevented, this pamphlet is sent to you.
Life Conservation Service
of the
John Hancock Mutual Life
Insurance Company
of Boston, Massachusetts
PNEUMONIA
ITS CARE AND PREVENTION
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs. Despite all the progress
recently made in the treatment of the disease, it remains among the
most common causes of death. Pneumonia is always a serious matter, and
should be regarded as an emergency calling for immediate medical care.
The inflammation of the lungs may be due to one of a number of
different kinds of germ, but the bacteria known as pneumococci cause
about four cases out of every five. There are several varieties, or
types, of pneumococci and the treatment may vary with the type. Your
doctor has at his command some new drugs[A] but for some types of
pneumonia he may combine the drug with a curative serum.
[A] The different members of this new family of drugs, sulfanilamide,
sulfapyridine, sulfathiazol, etc. are used depending upon the nature of
the pneumonia.
If the inflammation is due to one of the various other germs that cause
the remaining fifth of the pneumonia cases, still other treatment may
be needed. It is clear, then, that your physician should be called
promptly when pneumonia is suspected so that he may have the laboratory
tests made that will tell him with what kind of germ infection he has
to deal. Then he can decide what kind of treatment to employ.